Need your help! Poop is being weird...

[Joker Fuel]

Sorry if its long and stuff.. im pissed and im stressed. so i cant think straight

Ok i was taking one of my employees home(bout a 14mile drive) and half way there, the car starts acting irratically(sp?), i was cruising around 55mph and all the sudden the rpm would drop to 0, then pick back up again. Then after couple times it did that(was on highway with no shoulder so couldnt pull over right there) I try to limp it to a little parking lot off the side of the street and the power shut off completely, tried restarting the car, cranks then runs again.

when i got to the parking lot, i turned off the car to check for loose hoses(felt like a intake leak) check all the hoses, was fine. start the car back up, check my BOV(Turbo XS RFL Free POS), so that's leaking some air(enough suction to suck my hand), turn off the car to tweek with the bov. and tried to start the car..... cranks... no start. while I call a friend (Jesse aka ShadeAnimal) to help me out. while i was waiting, i checked couple things, nothing. after 30mins, Jesse arrives with tools flashlights and TSRM in hand. once he gets there we check out some stuff, nothing is a go. start thinking CPS but the symptoms are just weird as hell. after about an hour of playing around, he jumps something(Forgot exactly what he did but he said something bout idle) the car starts back up. but idle fluxuating between 500-750 rpm.

So we take the risk to limp it back into town, during the trip the car didn't die all the way, but it still dropped rpm numerous times, very randomly, it would chug couple time in a row, be fine for couple miles, then does it again and so on so on...

I wont be able to work on the car till saturday, but i would LOVE to get some imput, i just never personally experienced something like this or read it on the forums...

Thanx!!
Ray

 

[MDCmotorsports]

Sounds like a horrible boost leak Ray.

Check all hoses first. Then get back to us.

 

[johnathan1]

codes?

 

[Joker Fuel]

Thanks Jon. well i have a set of Defcon hardpipes waiting to go on the car(waiting on the afm adapter for the intake) so i can prob try that this weekend and switch my bov back to stock to see if that works. but it seems very inconsistant to be a boost leak(might be just me) for the fact that the car wouldnt start for over an hour, but it started 3-4times after that. my brain hurts lol.

as for leaks, Jesse has a pressure tester so we'll prob check that first on saturday(working 14hrs tomorrow so cant touch car)

And not throwing any codes

 

[MDCmotorsports]

Whats the condition of the fuel pump?

 

[Joker Fuel]

Stock as it can be, Fuel supply also crossed our minds. but had no way check it at this point.
To me driving it, it seriously feels like a boost leak. but just not making sense the way it shut down and was not able to restart the car for that long...

 

[MDCmotorsports]

The shut down is why Im worried.

Heres a simple way of checking fuel pressure.

Remove the banjo bolt going into the CSI injector.

Install a BSP nipple with gauge.

Look in the TSRM and cross the two terminals in the diagnostic box.

This will manualy run the fuel pump.

See what psi you have.

 

[Sawbladz]

I doubt its your problem but I had a similar experience with my car. Ran like shit, RPM dropped to zero, RPM fluctuation thing...all of it. What happened to me was the O2 sensor wire was melted through (got left touching the DP). And this eventually blew the EFI fuse which made my car not run. I dont think you have the same issue...but hell, its one more thing to look at.

 

[MKIIINA]

maybe check your tps also. i had a similiar problem previously where the resistance was just starting to go out of spec (read jumpy) and it was touch and go until i got a new one.

 

[Joker Fuel]

I already checked the O2 sensor and the EFI fuse, both are in perfect condition.
And ill see if i can do the Fuel thing on saturday. need to get some more tools lol...

Also would a bad CPS do anything like this?

 

[MDCmotorsports]

I don't think a bad CPS would cause this.

Its a short, electrical cut out, or lack of fuel.

Sawbladz, nice Simpson diamond back helmet.

 

[Joker Fuel]

oh yeah, also forgot to mention.. something i noticed as i was checking stuff today. I just got my oil changed yesterday, and the assholes broke the top off my oil dipstick, its just hanging on there by a thread of plastic. While we were checking the trouble shoot guide on the EFI, it listed this as possible cause. altho i did try swapping with Jesse's dipstick and still didnt crank..

Just wanted to throw this fact in since this just seem to happen RIGHT after the dipstick broke off

 

[johnathan1]

Wait, so your car isn't cranking AT ALL? Or it cranks and won't start now? And I would also find out what terminals were jumpered on the diag. block. I bet it was the fuel pump... Maybe something is funky with the relay, fuel pump is going out, or maybe fuel filter? Just my .02.

 

[Facime]

yeah, I too agree that it sounds like a fuel delivery or pressure issue. The broken dipstick is going to affect the PCV system to a small degree, but I doubt it would cause the kind of symptoms you're having.

I would also check the AFM wiring. The oil change place probably looked at your air filter and may have bumped the wires going to it. Check that connection. Also might want to check for other possible vacuum leaks, including but not limited to the power steering idle up valve and the the FPR.

Good luck man, hope you figure this out soon.

 

[billspreston01]

My cps wires are a little shot and sometiems the car will crank but not start. I was driving last week and the revs started getting crazy so I took it out of gear and it kept jumping up and down and eventually stalled itself out. Jumped out, wiggled the wires, and fired it right back up. It COULD be the cps, it's worth checking.

 

[boost PSSH boost]

maybe fuel filter? Just my .02.

He'd have to run some baaaaaad gas to clog our filter.

Sounds like the fuel pump relay or a short somewhere to me. Try rewiring the fuel pump.

unrelated question, did your spoiler arrive yet?

 

[Joker Fuel]

im leaning towards cps a little cuz it was lookin pretty bad, i was gonna grab it locally but SOMEBODY raided Spipe like a hurricane.
I'll check everything out on saturday...

and no.... still no spoiler and adapter... *cries*

OT: Weezl, i talked to Spipe last night, he's currently in alaska but he said he'll be back for the Nov18th meet. Jesse(ShadeAnimal) should also head up there. Hopefully my car will be back running by then, if not, ill just ride shotgun with one of them

 

[jdub]

Yes a CPS can cause this. The ECU looks for the signals generated by the CPS to fire the IGt signal to the igniter. No IGt and the fuel injectors are shut down to prevent raw fuel from hydrolocking the cylinders. This can occur while the engine is running.

The weird thing is this condition should generate Code 12 (CPS @ start), code 12 (CPS @ engine running), and/or code 14 (no IGF signal). Did you happen to clear the codes by pulling the ECU fuse when you checked it?

 

[Joker Fuel]

i checked the codes before and after i pulled the fuse. you know what... come to think of it.. i dont think my engine light ever comes on........ i have NEVER seen it on... even when i got the car with BHG Rodnock MISSING KNOCK SENSOR.. never had the engine light on

 

[jdub]

Burned out bulb?
Does it come on when you turn the ignition key?

If you want to know more about the ignition system and the cause of no crank/start, JetJock has posted a host of info (all you wanted to know, but were afraid to ask) over at MkIIItech.com. A bit technical, but dead on.