Infinity Stalls

[InfiOdy]

1996 I30, 110300 miles

I am recently expereicing this problem when my car just stalls while driving. This happens mostly during slower speed or when I stat driving after stopping at red light or stop light. The car feels as if it tries to change the gears somewhere in there and completely stalls. Engine cuts off, all the dash-board lights lights up and steering loses power. I usually put the car in park and restart the engine and it runs well after that. I took it to the shop and they kept it for three days trying to find the reason and they could not.

Few months ago, I had check engine lights coming on. One of the mechanic told me it was the O2 sensor that was bad(Bank 1, Sensor 1). I had ignored it for short time and then the Check engine light never came on and I had forgotten about it. Could the current problem be related to the O2 sensor? Any idea why the car stalls like this? Around 2 years ago also I had same problem and the delaer had to replace an O2 sensor(don't know which one) which resolved the problem. I have started to warm up the car every morning for 5 minutes which I never did before.

[bad68chev]

Could also be a bad mass air flow sensor. If you can check your long term fuel trim you can usually tell pretty easily. A vehicle running properly should have an a/f alpha of 95-105%.

[Nahkapohjola]

Originally Posted by InfiOdy

...completely stalls. Engine cuts off, all the dash-board lights lights up and steering loses power. I usually put the car in park and restart the engine and it runs well after that. I took it to the shop and they kept it for three days trying to find the reason and they could not...

Dying engine has only few possibilities.

From sensors: only cam pos sensor has such power on ECU to cause shutdown. Others may cause bad behaviour, but NOT kill.

Ign coils, Injectors: Has to be complete shutdown, one or two cannot kill engine. Only ECU controls these all... (Distributor engine: transistor assy, distr gnd wire)

Fuel pump: can shut down engine. Bad relay? Swap.

Swap also ECU power supply relay, known to blow in maximas.

Ignition switch may be worn, swap.


Intermittent problem is very hard to trace. One has to figure out systematically and cut possibilities out one by one. Typically $tealerships have no =NONE experience in any troubleshooting, too bad. Do not go to that place.


Now u have four things to do. Two relays, ign switch, and camshaft sensor. Start from cheapest: Swap the two relays without asking, if u dont know how, let somebody do it. If prbl perisist, swap ign sw. If prbl perisist, swap cam pos sensor. If prbl perisist, its in harness, or fuses to mentioned circuitry. Check.

The situation is dangerous, smtg has to be done.

Check out my web pages, all through, most probably the relay locations are the same, and DIY.
Start: http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/748507/14

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