Motor Cutout while driving

HeadnHome · Senior Member

Motor Cutout while driving

Travel Bug · Guru

Honi, what type of van do you have?

HeadnHome · Senior Member

oops sorry, its a toyota hiace 1990 auto petrol

shazartist · Senior Member

I had a 1977 Passat 30 years ago, the engine would just stopped while heading down the high way ...I had a great German mechanic that could never find out the problem...we did everything to trouble shoot too, he said he had never come across something so strange....I traded the car....

I know how you feel.........it was a horrible experience, and I lost all confidence in the car. I wonder if it is the immobiliser, lets hope so as that may be an easy fix.

cheers

Travel Bug · Guru

Sorry that I can't offer any assistance Honi. I hope that your mechanic is on the right track and that the immobiliser is the problem.

My Daughter In Law had a Kia Carnival van, purchased brand new, and the motor would just cut out in traffic if it got down near a quarter of a tank of petrol.
The mechanical diagnosis was "fuel starvation for reasons unknown".
After 5 trips back to where it was purchased, lots of head scratching, numerous mechanical repairs/fixes (fortunately done under warranty) that did not help at all...and a couple of very hairy near misses as a result of the engine cutting out...they sold it before the warranty ran out.

Hopefully, because yours is a Toyota, it should be an easier fix. Fingers crossed.
Good luck tomorrow, and please keep us posted.

Cheers.

jules47 · The Happy Helper

Not good Honi - sounds like a fuel problem - or maybe a crack in the distributor cap - I know that can cause problems like that - presumably it has a distributor being petrol.

Good luck with the mechanic.

Travel Bug · Guru

Honi, could be worthwhile to have the carburetor checked out...
Pretty sure that your model has a carbi.....don't think they changed to fuel injectors until later on....

davkar · Senior Member

Hi
I have seen this problem before with out seeing it. It is posable coil or distributor pulse pick up. The only way to check this out is to check if you have spark at the coil lead then try spark plug lead. this should be done at time of not starting at all. If your not shore a want to replace coil & distribtor pick up at least you have eliminated these two items.
Coils can break down when they get hot but are ok when cold & pick ups can play up every now and then causing the same.
This may help or may not but it gives you a starting point.
As I said it is hard to fix a problem without seeing it.
Regards

blaze · Guru

Couple of obsure reason.
Fuel pump (not so obscure.
Faulty ignition barrel (had one fail and every time I hit a small bump it would turn off and most times turn on again.
Bad earth on any ignition or fuel control system
Idle shut off solinoid on the carbi.
cheers
blaze

HeadnHome · Senior Member

thanks guys, couple of options to put to the mechanic to check for me, will be hard to find I think without it actually happening so the mechanic can see whats happening, but hopefully checking a few of the above something will show up??

DeBe · Guru

Given this is a 1990 Toyota Hiace & probably got a 2.4Liter 2RZ-E motor & if fuel injected. Is probably a distributer problem. Had a simmilar prob with a Toyota 22R EFI engine took nearly a month to track down as a faulty reluctor in the distributor. Part not sold seperatly have to buy a complete dist, Toyotas price nearly $7OO, Wreckers price $250. Fited 2nd hand dist & prob was fixed. The vehicle in question was a trade in as the prev owner was sick of the vehicle. So i had plenty of time to play with it till it was fixed. Most after market Imobilisers only disable the startermotor, So they cant be cranked.

-- Edited by DeBe on Tuesday 30th of August 2011 09:01:08 PM

justcruisin01 · Guru

Sounds like a ignition problem to me, like a coil, they fail when hot alow too cool & will generaly go again.

Cruising Granny · Guru

I doubt very much it's the immobiliser.
It sounds eletcrical, something between spark and fuel, could even be as simple as distributor points and rotor, timing.
DeBe plays with these things until he solves the problem.
I used to have a Toyota Corona, can't recall which model, and the brakes used to either lock up at the slightest touch approaching the lights, or not respond until I pushed the pedal through the floor so my foot could stop the car. Oh, you get what I mean. The screeching tyres would attract a lot of unwanted attention at the most inappropriate time.
Very unpredictable, so I sold it.

Vic · Guru

Being from WA and having had many vehicles fitted with an immobiliser, I have never experienced a problem with them or anyone I know has never mentioned a problem with them, so doubt that is the cause, but hey, who knows, there is always a first time for everything !

HeadnHome · Senior Member

Hi guys, well immobiliser was wired up incorrectly, so he has wired that up correctly.. also I think he said the Carby intake or something was basically perished and needs to be replaced, as was letting dust etc in?? he has also changed spark plugs, done the timing etc, will drop off invoice for me tomorrow, so I'll go over that and see what else he said he'd done as I was at work when he dropped car in and got a basic rundown, but I suppose only time will tell if the problem has been solved or not... good excuse for more road trips!!

DeBe · Guru

The perished pipe to the carby intake was worth finding & reparing as dust sucked in would wear the bore & rings & lead to oil consumption.

Vic · Guru

HeadnHome wrote:
Hi guys, well immobiliser was wired up incorrectly, so he has wired that up correctly.. also I think he said the Carby intake or something was basically perished and needs to be replaced, as was letting dust etc in?? he has also changed spark plugs, done the timing etc, will drop off invoice for me tomorrow, so I'll go over that and see what else he said he'd done as I was at work when he dropped car in and got a basic rundown, but I suppose only time will tell if the problem has been solved or not... good excuse for more road trips!!

Just seems a bit odd that the immobiliser has only just started giving you trouble, but not earlier in your trip? Anyway, it is running ok so that's the main thing whatever he did. biggrin

milo · Guru

could be just crappy fuel, have heard some people having to replace a whole engine after buying bad fuel at a local servo a few years back... good luck with it all.

twiggs · Member

Hi, heading home I have had two vans where this has happened to me, get your mechanic to check your external resistor its a small block looks like a house fuse on your coil its just a $10.00 part which will play up like this then cut out then work okay till it just stops all together.
mike

HeadnHome · Senior Member

will need to see how it all goes time will tell if what has been done has solved the problem, but will keep all this info so will get them to check at next service, the invoice states : checked overvehicle & carry out tune, check distributer cap leads & rotor all ok, fitted new spark plugs & fuel filter, carried out carby clean, temporarily repaired intake hose, added cleaner to fuel tank, set ignition timing. check engine imobiliser - anenta remove & relocated as per fitting instructions.
thanks for all your help.

stoney123 · Senior Member

yep i had a problem where the car would just cut out. It was the coil. It was cheap to fix too.

HeadnHome · Senior Member

at next service might get them to check out coil, just for peace of mind.

03_troopy · Guru

Any update on the cause of the problem? I take it the lack of further posts means the problem is fixed?

HeadnHome · Senior Member

So far so good, hasn't happened again yet?? fingers crossed all is good...