2.0 Hdi (diesel) cuts out at random.

[Springnuts]

Fire-fighting. Not literally I am glad to say, however the car has been in for MOT and needs a replacement upper o/s/r suspension arm - previously unsuspected legacy of a smack earlier in the year. It broke down on the way from the suspension set up specialists who noticed that they could not set the car up correctly and wondered why. The car again re-started after a while and was sent to Lucas for diagnosis. I am told that cranking the engine whilst it was broken down meant that no useful codes were present, or more accurately that there were so many codes the wood was hidden by the trees.

Lucas were really good - instantly took the point that they could spend a deal of their time and my money without finding anything in this sort of scenario. Not ideal - especially as I had a diagnosis/repair path in process. So I brought the car home and have replaced the double relay in the ECU box (requires the removal of the box from the car, and then a star-driver). The battery connections were dry (though not loose) with signs of a little corrosion around the base of the terminals. I cleaned them up and put some Vaseline on them. No idea of course if any of this has solved the problem. The garage owner said he does recall replacing these relays on a few 406s some years ago.

Next, the MOT - hopefully without breaking down again.

Once MOT'd it is just a case of driving it, with code reader and PC ready in the car for when/if it cuts out.

Stand by for the next episode!

Safe driving,

Springnuts.
-

[steve_earwig]

Fingers crossed dude!

Safe driving

Mine's fine, it's all the other idiots I worry about...

[Welly]

Nightmare! the sort of thing I've been dreading happening to my car.

Hope you get it sorted without too much trouble.

[Springnuts]

Thanks both. No news from the garage yet - the suspension arm is a couple of days I think - I don't suppose they sell many of them.

Springnuts.

[Springnuts]

OK the garage have it all fixed, and not reporting any more breakdowns but "oh, by thy way Mr S, the ABS light keeps coming on because the toothed ring on the o/s/f driveshaft universal joint has fallen off and is just rattling around loosely".

This is getting tiresome!

For now I just want to get the car back and to see if the breaking down has stopped. But I gather the toothed ring is integral to the Universal Joint (or should be - clearly this one is no longer integral to it) - and that the joints are probably not available separately. If it can't be bodged I will try the scrap yard for a second-hand shaft I think - it looks a reasonably straightforward job to replace.

[Springnuts]

400 miles done, including two 170 mile trips and some round town running, since the relay changed and battery terminals cleaned. No problems so far.

[rapport25]

Excellent hope it turns out to be a reliable car for you Hope you enjoy the forum lots of useful info and your own personal spell checker steve ear wig Sorry steve could not resist Rappy

[steve_earwig]

No problems so far.

Glad to hear it! I thought you were heading for a mystery fire there... What's the story on the abs toothed wotsit? I wonder if you could epoxy it on

...your own personal spell checker steve ear wig

It's earwig, all one word EARWIG! Ok??? Sorry, I've spent two days translating stuff, including the wedding ceremony . My god, it's like trying to make a glove fit on your foot, it's never going to look quite right.

A husband and wife decide together where they live, decisions regarding children and about division of the household labour; each independently decides about profession and employment.

Is it ok if my socks don't match???

[rapport25]

rapport25 wrote:
...your own personal spell checker steve ear wig
It's earwig, all one word EARWIG! Ok???

Like i said spell checker thanks mate

[Springnuts]

Hi and thanks for the thought about using epoxy. It might work, though the garage said they considered it and rejected the idea as the ring itself is split.

What's with the "days of freedom left" - I take it a wedding is on the horizon. Congratulations!

Springnuts

[steve_earwig]

I presume welding it is not on, partly because of where it is, plus getting rid of the excess weld wouldn't be too easy.

Maybe hold it closed and in place with a worm drive clip or even an exhaust clamp while the epoxy dries. Once it's dried and whatever you used to clamp it is removed, you could even drown the thing in epoxy, it won't affect the signal (so long as it clears the wheel sensor...)

Just a thought, rather than change a perfectly good drive shaft.

[Springnuts]

Just an update - 1000 miles done - or very nearly - and no problems so far so I am cautiously optimistic.

Steve - Hope the wedding went well. What language did you have to translate it into?

Springnuts

[steve_earwig]

Oops, very nearly missed this! The wedding went very well thanks

Umm, English . We had to translate the Croatian ceremony for the translator so she could read it to me in the ceremony. She didn't charge us

[Wrinkly57]

Good day to you all, I have read these posts with extreme interest, my 1999 94500 mile 2.0 HDi Estate did this on me
today 70 miles into a 200 mile journey. Travelling along a straight flat road @ 60mph and it just cut out for a fraction of
second and engine mangement light came on, then went out, and car carried on as normal. One mile or so further on it did it
again exactly as before, then again for a third time after another half mile or so. I stopped this time, and it ticked over perfectly! So now in panic mode and having a wallet attack I turned for home and it seemd to run fine, no more symptoms.

Some background info, changed three of the glow plugs last week during which we had a shower of rain, closed bonnet until it stopped and then dried off water droplets. After starting, no problems at all. Reason for glow plug change was the previous week (ready to come home from holiday) it wouldn't start, (never refused before). Also since I've had it, it does not like to cruise at light throttle openings and especially in fifth at 40mph, causing the engine to become slightly rough running but If I press the throttle a little more it seems to run ok. Have booked it into local independant next tuesday for him to hunt for clues with his code reader (don't know which one to buy yet).
Any ideas anyone?
Ta,
Wrinkly57.

[mbell666]

Sounds like a lose wire or bad connection somewhere... people have had problems with the ECU plug connector

Is it a 110 or 90? If its 110 it could the low pressure pump failed to keep the fuel supply up, resulting in low fuel pressure for a second. Maybe it picked up some crap out the tank which blocked it for a second. If it was this it should log a low fuel pressure fault in the ECU but i've no idea how long the fault code would stay in the ecu. it might clear itself.