Hello,
Yesterday, while driving on the highway, the engine suddenly cut off and restarted - just a hiccup. During this spit second, the RPMs fell to zero and all the warning lights came up briefly, chimes and bells, then went off as if nothing happened. Then it did it again....
The car is 2000 ZX3 with 67K, major tune-up at 60K.
Any ideas? This sporadic engine stalls scare me.
Regards, Stanjo
Sounds like the fuel pump recall. Take it to the dealer, and if they diagnose the fuel pump, it will be replaced for free.
Good luck
Thanks. I look into that.
I am afraid it's electrical (maybe the ECU) because there is no hesitation, surging, or anything. When it runs, runs perfectly ... and all of a sudden stalls. If the car has enough momentum (like it happened on the freeway) the engine restarts.
Regards, Stanjo
It is extremely unlikely that an intermittent fault will be caused by a failed ECU.
Chris
Somebody expressed the opinion that a faulty coil pack could can cause the ECU to reset. How does one test for a faulty coil pack ?
Regards, Stanjo
I'm not sure what you mean by "reset". Any electrical interference can cause spurious faults to be logged by the ECU. Is the "check engine" light on? If so, get the fault code read.
As an DIYer, by trying a new one.
Are you in the US? If so, as others have suggested, the fuel delivery module would be the first suspect. European cars don't seem to have that particular problem.
Chris
No "check engine" light. No error codes either (checked with a code reader).
Yes, I'm in the US. Talked to the Ford dealer today. They say my particular VIN doesn't have the fuel pump recall, but Ford had extended the warranty to 10 years on the pump. They asked $150 to start diagnosing the car, and if it turns out to be the fuel pump, it would be free of charge. But the service advisor was skeptical about their ability to pinpoint the problem, and so am I. Basically, the deal is that they ask for $150 to see if it the fuel pump (which is probably not) and then .... no clue.
I am thinking that a failing fuel pump would exhibit other symptoms - hesitation, rough RPMs, sputtering. I am still inclined to think it's electrical, but have no idea where to start from.
Regards, Stanjo
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