Car Keeps Shutting Down Unexpectedly...

[Spunky Munky]

Hey guys,

I don' know why, of recent my car is just shutting down all of a sudden at any given time... I'll be driving heaps with no issues, then from nowhere, it just shuts down... isn't really a stall as far I can see - all the warning dash lights just goes on and the car just shuts down... it's been happening very often... my car is due for a major service next month, but would this be any reason for this to happen? What can I do to fix?

Many thanks for your help.

Regards,

[Spunky Munky]

pls help someone?

[R33 S2]

so its like a power cut? you lose all power and engine stops?

[Spunky Munky]

so its like a power cut? you lose all power and engine stops?

Yeah, that's correct mate... from nowhere, it just cuts sometimes...

Although not too often, but way too frequent for comfort... like every 2-3 days, I'll be driving and it'll just stop - this can be very dangerous... I got a feeling it's the air meters.... I got a BOV and a POD and front mount too...

[R33 S2]

maybe check your battery leads. that prolly wont have anything to do with it but just a thought! maybe try putting stock bov back on for a while? i thought if it had to do with the air meters it would idle crap tho! sounds very weird. let me know how ya get on.

[QWK32]

you dont have an safc do you?

[Spunky Munky]

maybe check your battery leads. that prolly wont have anything to do with it but just a thought! maybe try putting stock bov back on for a while? i thought if it had to do with the air meters it would idle crap tho! sounds very weird. let me know how ya get on.

Yeah, thanks mate... I thought it was the battery too as the battery light jumps up just moments before it dies... happens infrequently but too damn often to pose a dangerous threat to safety. I might buy a new battery and see how that goes.

With the BOV, I don' think it is this... as I have had this issue even with the stock BOV, the 2nd BOV and this new HKS BOV... there is no Boost leak as I have taken the car for a spin a few times, actually is more responsive.

I've checked for any loose hoses, unplugged wires etc and all seems to work fine... don't know what the problem is... I will see what other suggestions people have and well, might have to bring it to the mechanic if all fails.

Thanks for your help mate.

[Spunky Munky]

you dont have an safc do you?

Hi mate - yeah, I got an after market ECU but not a SAFC (that I know of anyways)... I know what you thinking of telling me - get it tuned with the SAFC, right? Yeah, I thought of that but no I don't have one... thanks mate..

[adam-__-]

Change to a new battery and see what happens mate. My brother's car used to just shut off out of nowhere while driving, he replaced the battery and the car's back to normal.

Good luck!

[Spunky Munky]

Change to a new battery and see what happens mate. My brother's car used to just shut off out of nowhere while driving, he replaced the battery and the car's back to normal.

Good luck!

Cheers mate, I'll do that, I think... I think the battery isn't holding charge correctly...

However, I read off another thread (that person had similiar problems to me) that it could also be the coilpacks... someone recommended that that person get Spitfire Coil Packs; he did and it's fixed the problem - what do you think?

I'm by no way a mechanic, what do coilpacks do and where can I get some - how much would I expect to pay?

Cheers,

[QWK32]

Hi mate - yeah, I got an after market ECU but not a SAFC (that I know of anyways)... I know what you thinking of telling me - get it tuned with the SAFC, right? Yeah, I thought of that but no I don't have one... thanks mate..

no i was going to say that i've had to find a problem on a friends car similar to yours and it turned out that the safc main power connection was a crap connection, so on occasions it would loose power for a second then come back on. but when it was loosing power the car wouldn't get an afm signal and just stall.

once your car is running te altanator should be producing enough charge to run your car fine regardless of the battery condition.

i wouldn't be looking at coil packs yet. doesn't sound like your problem is to do with coils. if you had a faulty coil pack your car would just run like crap (sound like a wrx). and the chances of more than one coil having an intermittent fault at exactly the same time is unlikely.

but it could be an intermittent fault with your air flow meter. if the ecu looses signal from the afm you car will just stall. do you have access to another afm to try out? what aftermarket ecu are you running by the way?

[Spunky Munky]

no i was going to say that i've had to find a problem on a friends car similar to yours and it turned out that the safc main power connection was a crap connection, so on occasions it would loose power for a second then come back on. but when it was loosing power the car wouldn't get an afm signal and just stall.

once your car is running te altanator should be producing enough charge to run your car fine regardless of the battery condition.

i wouldn't be looking at coil packs yet. doesn't sound like your problem is to do with coils. if you had a faulty coil pack your car would just run like crap (sound like a wrx). and the chances of more than one coil having an intermittent fault at exactly the same time is unlikely.

but it could be an intermittent fault with your air flow meter. if the ecu looses signal from the afm you car will just stall. do you have access to another afm to try out? what aftermarket ecu are you running by the way?

Man, I wish I knew something that could help... I really don't know much... aftermarket ECU is Haltech... no power fc...

Man, I guess I'll have to bring this to the shops...

Thanks so much for your help mate.

[adam-__-]

Cheers mate, I'll do that, I think... I think the battery isn't holding charge correctly...

However, I read off another thread (that person had similiar problems to me) that it could also be the coilpacks... someone recommended that that person get Spitfire Coil Packs; he did and it's fixed the problem - what do you think?

I'm by no way a mechanic, what do coilpacks do and where can I get some - how much would I expect to pay?

Cheers,

I don't think coilpacks are the problem here, but you'll be looking at about $500, $650 or something like that for splitfires.

once your car is running te altanator should be producing enough charge to run your car fine regardless of the battery condition.

Yeah, that's what we thought with my brother's car, but when we changed the battery, everything went back to normal. The battery could've been really f**ked though.

It doesn't hurt to borrow a friends battery to see how things are going.

[ssshonky]

but dont forget that after the car cranks over and starts the alternator then provides power to the car.

I don't think coilpacks are the problem here, but you'll be looking at about $500, $650 or something like that for splitfires.

Yeah, that's what we thought with my brother's car, but when we changed the battery, everything went back to normal. The battery could've been really f**ked though.

It doesn't hurt to borrow a friends battery to see how things are going.

[WazR32GTSt]

sounds like classic AFM (air flow meter) failure to me..

do a search for "+solder +AFM" and you will see how to fix it

alternative diagnoses could be ingitor failure and loose lead on the battery, but both less likely..

Edited October 29, 2007 by WazR32GTSt

[Spunky Munky]

sounds like classic AFM (air flow meter) failure to me..

do a search for "+solder +AFM" and you will see how to fix it

alternative diagnoses could be ingitor failure and loose lead on the battery, but both less likely..

I guess I'll bring it to the mechanic and ask him to fix this problem as it's getting to complicated.

Thanks.

[Habler]

Correct me if im wrong but you dont run a airflow meter with a haltec computer? (im probably wrong though!)

If you do run one though, it could easily just be that it isnt plugged in right/wired right. Seen it happen on my old 32

[WazR32GTSt]

yeah but hte issue isthat its working intermittantly

and assuming that when it is working, that its working 1005 right, then its usually the contacts in the AFM which have come loose with time.

its a very easy job to re-solder them in so they don't come loose again.. costs $nothing

or just get a new AFM.. costs $100 for second hand, $500+ for new from Mr Nissan

good luck,

Warren

[pulse auto electrics]

ill b checking the cam angle sensor and connections to the haltech

[Spunky Munky]

Fellas, thanks for everyone's support and time...

So I got myself a new sports battery - cost around $225 from Autobarn, chucked it in, turn on the car and let it idle for a couple of seconds so that the battery starts charging - then I took it for a 60 km drive... no problems whatsoever... I will do another semi-cruise next weekend... if the car runs fine then I'll conclude that it was the battery... as when the car just shuts down unexpectingly, I see the battery warning light come up first... so it must be it then... that's good, I suppose.