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engine cuts out while driving


johnhennessy

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Hi Guys,

my 03 duratec 2.3 cuts out when driving at 65 mph in 5th. gear just like i had turned it off, it will sometimes restart while still moving but other times it needs the key to be cycled and it will light up again.

when this occurs, the speedo goes to zero but the tach continues to register

i also suspect the MAF is turning off and on when this occurs.

i have had a fuel pressure gauge connected when this happens and there is no drop in fuel pressure.

any help would be better than none

John
 


RonD

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Welcome to TRS :)

Does the CEL(check engine light) come on?
How about Battery Light?

"it will sometimes restart while still moving"<< what does that mean?

It is a manual trans or auto?
What is the "restart" while moving procedure, or does engine just come back on?

And engine stops running only above 60MPH?


Fuel pressure should hold for a few months so doesn't indicate anything one way or the other
 

johnhennessy

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yes its a manual

as far as restarting, you will be driving along and the motor seems to turn off, sometimes it will turn back on again because its being driven by the wheels, other times it will not restart without cycling the key when still moving or you could stop and restart the engine in the normal way, restarts every time like that.

engine check light does come on, the battery light and the pats light does, just like if you turned the key

speedo goes to zero when the engine cuts, the speedo also sometimes bounces an i think it may be because its cutting out momentarily, this i have noticed at any speed and during acceleration through the gears

like wise i have an A/F meter which suddenly shows rich as though someone unplgged the MAF sensor and plugged it back in again very quickly

i cannot tell if the fuel pump cuts as well but there is no loss of fuel pressure prior to the cut or the possible momentary cuts so i don't think its a fuel problem, if the fuel pump does stop i think it is only a symptom not the cause

strangely the tach continues to work
 

DanInVA

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I'll admit it's strange that your tach continues to work. You know that your maf shows rich when it happens, can you data log the event? It almost sounds like the pcm is shutting down. Wouldn't be a horrible idea to pull the pcm connectors and check the pins for any corrosion. Likewise with your battery cables and ground/chassis ground.

I wouldn't suspect a PATS problem. My 07 had a glitchy PATS system, but it would not cause a shutdown once it was running.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 

RonD

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Yes, PATS is off-line after engine is running

CEL and Battery Light on after engine shuts down means the dash still has some power, both of these are turned on and off by Grounding the bulb.
Also Computer has power or it couldn't ground the CEL bulb, so computer is not shutting down

Make sure fuse #26(10amp) is tight and clean, pull it out, look at terminals and put it back in, it is part of speedo power.

Key switch on column doesn't feel loose, right?
Ignition switch would be a long shot at best, under steering column

Check ignition coils 3 wire connector, unplug it and plug it back in
Do the same to Crank Sensor and Cam sensor
But I would expect any of these to set a code if it was intermittent
 

johnhennessy

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i would love to datalog the event but it stops datalogging when it happens

i have a tweecer installed in the j3 port .

if i remove the tweecer it runs normally, likewise if i load an oem tune in the tweecer it also runs good,

alas, i just tried to load another tune with the tweecer software and it has caused the PATS to lock me out of starting the car.

this has happened before wen i first installed the tweecer, after a few days it came back to life, i don't know why or how, it had never happened in the previous 5 years

PATS light is flashing fast when key is on and then flashes code 15 for incorrectl key

i had a locksmith test the key and see if it was coded in the PCM, yes it was but it can't be re installed because it is already there, i only have one key which was added when i got the car keyless.
 

johnhennessy

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the cel lamp flickers once when the engine cuts and the PATS light iluminates constant, or at least it did till it lock me out of starting.

crank position sensor is of no importance when the engine is running only needed for starting, ask me how iknow.
 

DanInVA

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So if you remove the tweecer you get normal operation? If so, I would probably go back to stock on it. There may be something in your tune that is causing that.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 

RonD

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the cel lamp flickers once when the engine cuts and the PATS light iluminates constant, or at least it did till it lock me out of starting.

crank position sensor is of no importance when the engine is running only needed for starting, ask me how iknow.
Crank sensor tells computer "driver wants to start the engine", it has 35 "teeth" on the tone ring and a gap where 36th "tooth" would be, so 1 "tooth" every 10deg, then missing "tooth" for 360deg circle.
Each "tooth" sends a pulse to the computer, via Crank Sensor, the gap tells computer #1 and #4 cylinders are at TDC(4cyl engines), or 10deg BTDC, depending on how engine and software are configured.

Once computer starts to see the pulses and the "gap" it can time the spark for starting, fuel injection is just Batch fire at startup, so not really timed.

Cam sensor tells computer the actual Firing Order of the engine, by telling computer when #1 intake valve is opened and then closed for compression stroke TDC, and this starts Sequential Fuel Injection.
Sequential Fuel Injection can be done with just crank sensor, computer just cuts off #1 injector once or twice to see when crank slows from a misfire(no fuel), and that times the Firing Order.

If you have both Crank and Cam sensors then an engine could run with either disconnected, BUT(big but) that has to do with the software in the computer.
You can write software that uses either for startup and for running, and have engine shut off if either fails or not, totally writers choice
 
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johnhennessy

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very good description but my engine doesn't go round at all so there is no signal.
 

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