CE Light???...was: Re: [Shotimes] well the plunge of repair starts today...

[George Fourchy]

On Thu, 16 Mar 2006 09:03:23 -0600, Joe Masters wrote:

>Ok so i
>was crusing at 70.. the car just loses power.. like i had my foot on the
>pedal so the engine is running but its slowly just decreasing speed and not
>putting out horsepower.  Kindof like it was only running cause I had it in
>gear and it was rolling.  So as soon as I take my foot off the gas it dies
>immediately and i coast to a stop.

Sorry I missed this.  You had the same symptom happen to you as happened to me, a
few years back.  It cost umpteen thousands of dollars for me to get the car across
the country due to this failure, including hotel rooms, rented cars driven to the
west coast, tow dollys towed 1600 miles back to get the car, etc....and it took a
total of 2 months to get one car from Florida to California.

Emphasizing (not yelling)....HOW BRIGHT IS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT...?????

If the engine quits, and the CE light is dimmer than normal...compare it to the
airbag light with the key on and the engine off....you have a power problem to the
PCM (engine computer), in front of the glove compartment,  and to the IRCM, mounted
under the panel just over the cooling fan.  There is a positive lead that feeds it
which comes off the positive battery terminal.  The ground for it goes to the
fender, in the general vicinity of the power steering reservoir.  Nothing will work
if either of these leads is not connected or the ground connection is corroded. 
There is a plug about 4 inches down from the positive terminal...make sure that is
plugged in, and make sure the cable connection to the terminal is sound.  An easy
way to test for this is to turn the key on and off, and listen for the fuel pump. 
If you hear it, you do not have this problem.  I think you mentioned you had fuel
pressure, but was the pump running each time you turned the key?

IF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS NORMAL.....you probably have a bad crank sensor.  In
Gen 1 (maybe 2, too...I don't know) cars the sensor will not leave a code if it has
been ruined by leaking coolant from the water pump, which is just above it.  If the
car quits, then runs for an hour or so, then quits again, and leaves no codes, this
is the problem.  Other problems could be wire connections to the DIS module, over on
the far side of the intake, or to the coil pack, down where the spark plug wires
start from.  But usually it is the CKP, or crank sensor, that causes this problem. 
If wiring has been changed, or battery terminals swapped out when the originals get
too chewed up from being jumped a thousand times, then you will have problems with
the computer power wire.

Make sure you are clear when you mention cranking.  An engine cranks when the
starter rotates it, and it starts (runs good), or hits (tries to start, but won't),
when you release the key.  "Cranking over", or "turning over" can also mean that it
starts, but these terms are misleading; due to the numerous problems we have with
engines 'cranking' or 'starting', we need to be clear with what is actually
happening.  The easiest way to be clear is to use 'crank' for electrical rotation,
and 'start' for gasoline rotation.  If the engine does not crank, the starter is not
turning it, and you will either hear nothing or just a single click, when the
starter solenoid closes with your turn of the key.  

Hope this helps...

George