MY CAR BROKE DOWN FOR THE SECOND TIME..... (update page 4)

Agro · Postby **Agro** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 10:37 am

Hi all,

For the second time in 3 weeks my car has been doing the following.
After driving for an hour in traffic the car has started to stall. It is losing power, it cuts out and starts again, cuts out and starts again.
Last night it would not actually start (in peak hour traffic) it was cranking, but not turning over to start, like no spark maybe.
The car did not over heat and none of my guages were out of flashing etc. Both time it was a hot day. Once it cooled down and started back up it sounded really rough in idle and drove really sluggish, feeling heavy and like it was not powering up properly.

I have had it down to our service department, but due to it being ok again (temporarily) they were not able to fault anything.

Can anyone help me with a diagnosis? I kinda have an idea about what it may be........

Nickers · Postby **Nickers** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 10:53 am

Dodgy coil pack maybe?

Postby **Okibi** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 11:28 am

Yeah could be the coil pack, Air Flow Meter, connection to air flow meter, leaky intake, PCV.

When did you last change your fuel filter?

Agro · Postby **Agro** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 11:43 am

Fuel filter was changed 10,000km ago.

RaYmO · Postby **RaYmO** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 12:04 pm

Sounds identical to the symptoms I experienced a few weeks ago.

My NA6 was very sluggish going up inclines, hill starts required use of hand brake :shock:

I changed the Spark Plugs and Leads and it was stronger than ever before.

Andrew · Postby **Andrew** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 12:26 pm

Sounds like the coil pack to me as well :mrgreen:

AJ · Postby AJ » Sat Dec 15, 2007 1:34 pm

coil pack overheating fo sho

Postby **Boyracer** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 4:32 pm

NB8B has 2 coil packs fitted directly to top of plug lead...would assume that both are not going to fail at the same time,car will start on 2 cylinders if one coil pack is working.

I would be thinking fuel filter...but if it was changed 10k ago it should be fine...maybe dodgy fuel.

Agro · Postby **Agro** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 6:14 pm

Once again, coming home from work today, the same.......hot day, but no traffic, I seem to get to Parramatta (about 25km from work) and it conks out about the same spot. I stopped as soon as it lost power the first time, and pulled over and turned the car off, waited 30 minutes and started again sounding like a pig, so waited a minute then drove another 10km and stopped to give it a break as it was hot weather wise then drove home the rest of 15km without incident.

It's really annoying as I never know when it's going to stop and today I had some big trucks/semis behind me! :shock:

Agro · Postby **Agro** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 6:17 pm

Boyracer wrote:I would be thinking fuel filter...but if it was changed 10k ago it should be fine...maybe dodgy fuel.

The mechanics at work checked the fuel last time (3 weeks ago) and all was normal. They think either the fuel pump or the coils, but with out it playing up when they have it, can't be replacing everything when it may not be the problem.

Now it has done it 2 days in a row, might be able to get it to work on Monday morning and see if it plays up!

manga_blue · Postby **manga_blue** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 8:19 pm

Another vote for one of the coilpacks going. They're worst on hot days and especially going up long hills.

sabretooth · Postby **sabretooth** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 2:56 am

Sounds like it might be the coils overheating.

Agro · Postby **Agro** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 8:41 am

Thanks to everyone for their ideas.......So general consensus is coil pack.

Next question is..........how difficult, easy is it to do and how painful in the hip pocket will it be just before the Holidays and my new tyres going on tomorrow (if I can make it there)?

davamb · Postby **davamb** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 9:53 am

Sounds more like the fuel pump or pickup to me Agro. Can you see if you're getting a spark next time it conks.

ZenArcher · Postby **ZenArcher** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 10:51 am

My second fuel pump did strange things like this before it died too.

My wife and I were driving on holidays up to the Blue Mountains from Canberra. As we got to the street our rented holiday house was on we had to go up a hill and I thought the MX was going to die and not make it up the hill. Then when we got to the house (thankfully a short drive) the car just stopped. It kinda started again, but wasn't happy about it and no way was I going to get it out of the driveway which was very steep up hill. Next day the car was fine. Just short drives around the mountains and everything was fine. But then when we got back to the house, it died again. One thing I noticed was that when I removed the fuel cap, there was a larger than normal whoosh of air pressure. But after I relieved the fuel tank pressure, the car started normally again. Anyway, being close to Sydney, we had MX5 mania check it out and they couldn't find anything wrong. I drove off to my uncles place for lunch and never got there. MX stopped dead again on a four lane highway, luckily there was a off-street which we turned onto before she completely died. NRMA tow truck back to MX5 Mania and we found that the pump had died. Another pump installed and pressure tested and all has been good ever since.

My first fuel pump was totally different. All was good, but driving home one day it died completely - just as I turned into my driveway. Had enough momentum to get into the garage and then nothing. The replacement lasted 1 year (see story above this paragraph). So on my third fuel pump now and it has been going strong for a couple years now. (ex japanese NB pump from Mania - installed in a NA)