QuestionQUESTION: Hi car starts fine and drives fine but latley it has started to cut out and am not able to start for up to 10 minutes sometimes longer.I have changed all the shutdown relays checked all the fuses checked all the connections.Today has been the worsted it cut out 4 times within 5 miles,finally i got towed home.Got home and did the code check but the only thing that comes up is 55 ????
After doing some reading on google i have found that this could be linked to a faulty temp. sensor which i think could be because i did have a problem with overheating(no water)hole in the radiator which could have damaged it.Any thoughts on this or if there could be something else i should be looking for or checking.
ANSWER: Hi Attila,
What is the year model of the vehicle? I am thinking it might be either the egr valve or a dirty throttle body throat/butterfly plate, side passageway. There is a code for the temp sensor so absent that I would not be inclined to replace it.
Have you checked for spark when it won't start?
Do you hear the fuel pump run for about a second when you turn the key to the run position, again when it won't start?
The other possibility is that one of the rotational sensors of the engine position is breaking down, but not so badly as to set a code. They often act the way you describe when this is happening. The code would be 11 for the crank sensor and 54 for the cam sensor. You can check whether the sensors are failed when it won't start by measuring for voltage puling between the signal and the signal ground wire as you turn the engine over by hand when it won't start. Let me know the model year and I'll give you the details as to where to find these wires to do that test.
Roland
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QUESTION: Hi just checked the butterfly and egr and they are clean and working.So i think i'm going to replace the cam and crank sensors and see how that goes.I will keep you posted but in the mean time if you have any thoughts please let me know.Oh its a 1997 model.Thanks for the help so far.
AnswerRather than just through parts at it, try testing the sensors WHEN the engine won't start. Put a voltmeter between pin 33 and 43 at the pcm plug and turn the engine by hand with the crank pulley bolt and the ignition in the 'run' postion. It should pulse between 5 and 0.3V several times per revolution. Then menasure between 32 and 43 similarly. 32 is the crank sensor signal, 33 is the cam sensor signal, and 43 is the common ground. If those show the pulsing then they are not the problem.
Roland
