car stalling, trouble starting, etc

[Riley]

hi all i thought i would make my own thread instead of confusing people in another one

basically when i got my car it had trouble starting - it would fire up fine to idle speed and then just drop to 0 and stall....i got around this by tapping the accelerator as the revs were dying a few times and it would come good

last weekend i put a full tank of fuel in it and some Nulon Fuel System Cleaner (hoping it would fix my problem) but it made it worse. The car started to hesitate at low throttle until it was warm.

i did alot of searching for similar problems which pointed to loose hoses, corroded terminals on the fuel pump relay, dirty coilpacks and faulty MAF sensors

tonight i checked all of my hoses, cleaned the fuel pump relay (which had lots of gunk in it), cleaned my coilpacks and checked all of the hoses i could see and all of the plugs

started it up - bingo running sweet, idle is great....everything is 100%

i go inside and clean myself up - and go for a drive.....again everything is great until i get to an intersection.....the car stalls and was a pain in the ass to get going again....i limp it home at a great rate of knots - anything under 3/4 throttle would cause it to stall

then i get it home and let it cool - it starts up and runs until it gets hot and then stalls

i pulled fault codes 13 and 25 which look like they relate to the MAF sensor so ill have a look at that tomorrow morning

two things of note
1. my battery has japanese all over it and lasts for about 10 minutes with the doors open even if the lights are off
2. my plumb back hose has just been folded back on itself and clamped - BOV is venting to air

thoughts?

 

[happymatch]

mate, i am not a mechanic, but it sound just like my wife's car (its at the mechanics now, awaiting for the second hand air flow meter or MAF) according to my mechanic.

My car has a short life battery which dims lights when i press the brakes. i was told to get a bigger power battery or my alternator will suffer.


keep us updated.

 

[naughtika]

1. find out what CCA rating is on your current battery.. should be above 450CCA
2. get a proper plug for it.. i believe it is a 34mm diameter - same as the 6G VR4's and CC Lancer GSR.. and matching clamp

hope that helps..

to further troubleshoot what's causing your stall and erratic idle.. I'd do number 2. first since its cheaper to get that plug from autobarn than to straight away get a replacement MAF..

 

[fieldy107]

autobarn wont have that plug, I tried all the local auto shop and none had plugs that big. Ended up getting a irrigation poly plug from a farm shop.

 

[naughtika]

weird.. autobarn usually stock that kind stuff..

 

[Riley]

i found an Optima D51 Yellowtop yesterday for $190 so i might look at getting that.....current battery is some pissy little japanese thing that looks like it would be lucky to be 45cca

starting ie cranking doesnt seem to be a big problem.....its just once its started it has trouble staying started

 

[naughtika]

you're alternator might be dying.. if your lights and accessories are dimming while driving around..

 

[Kitty's VR4]

i found an Optima D51 Yellowtop yesterday for $190 so i might look at getting that.....current battery is some pissy little japanese thing that looks like it would be lucky to be 45cca

starting ie cranking doesnt seem to be a big problem.....its just once its started it has trouble staying started

The D51 has the wrong terminal post configuration, you'll need a D51R, additionally be aware that you'll need to change the terminal clamps as well as the Japanese ASA terminal's are much smaller than the battery post on the Optima Battery.

 

[Riley]

The D51 has the wrong terminal post configuration, you'll need a D51R, additionally be aware that you'll need to change the terminal clamps as well as the Japanese ASA terminal's are much smaller than the battery post on the Optima Battery.

yeah im finding that now trying to use different batteries i have....unforunately the other battery i have is also dead

im thinking the issue is going to relate to the battery cos now the car wont even crank over

so a new battery it is.....thanks for the heads up on the "r" too......i could always extend the cables anyway

 

[Riley]

ok i replaced the battery with an Optima and it fires up properly now

i tried unplugging the MAF sensor and the car starts pretty much as it should....so im guessing thats my problem.....will the car run ok without it until i can get a new one?

 

[naughtika]

Riley, you can't and shouldn't run without the MAF.. the ecu would stall when you try and drive off without it..

have you narrowed down that it is your MAF?

 

[Riley]

Riley, you can't and shouldn't run without the MAF.. the ecu would stall when you try and drive off without it..

have you narrowed down that it is your MAF?

well with the MAF plugged in the car stalls.....with it unplugged the car runs

the codes i got from the car last night were the same as another guy who was told the sensors the codes related to were in the MAF sensor unit

 

[naughtika]

hhmm so you've driven the car around without the maf sensor?

 

[Riley]

ok i just tried again.....same result

just gave me code 12 Air Flow Sensor System

is there some way i can clean the sensor or the unit? i see there is a cover that looks like it can come off - is it worth having a look in there?

 

[Riley]

hhmm so you've driven the car around without the maf sensor?

no i havent sorry....just started it up.....trying to work out if its ok to do that or not as i thought i read somewhere that someone had - it just didnt run that well

 

[Riley]

ok so ive found that disconnecting the MAF sensor puts it into a safety mode so i probably doesnt indicate that its that for sure

after finding another plug on the firewall that was caked in gunk and cleaning it i managed to get the car to run again although i would have to rev it a few times to get it to do so

i took it for a drive and noticed the BOV wasnt making much noise at all until it blew off and i could hear it scraping on the road.....its a pretty dodgy install from what i can see so i might try and do something a bit better to it

 

[Riley]

ok im not sure what ive done.....i made sure the BOV was securely tightened and replaced some of the vac hoses

now the car will start and i give it some revs then hear a "click" and it will idle by itself

not sure what the click is but its looking a little bit more promising

going to try a new MAF sensor next weekend and go from there.....after that will be plugs and leads as the leads look like they are quite old and thin