VT Engine cuts out while driving...

[EnzyG]

Hello all,

I am hoping that someone here can help...my VT Acclaim II V6 auto just cuts out while driving or even idling - this has been going on for ages now. Just driving along at almost any speed and the engine dies, engine light comes on and everything. Most of the time it judders on and off for a sec or two and restarts. Occasionally it just stays off. This is kinda freaky - going around a corner at any kind of speed and suddenly wham, no power steering and almost no breaks aint fun, especially for my wife with the 2 year old in the back seat!

City Holden has no idea: they have done an injector flush and it didnt fix it - having said that they have never had it happen with the car in their shop of course.

My best guess is water from poor fuel, as a injector cleaner/additive *seems* to fix it for a while maybe, but it is soooo sporadic I just aint sure - it can happen twice in 1 day and then nothing for weeks. The almost continual use of an additive isnt a realistic option (obviously), and still doesnt seem to prevent it.

Hope someone can help...

Dave

[Noy]

Having the exact same problem mate. Starting to happen again to me after a few weeks of not happening.

[KRUPTD]

Have you guys noticed any differences in your fuel gauge??I mean when you fill it up and where the gauge sits??Sounds to me like a fuel pump problem,would suggest checking the fuel pressure and flow.Like i have mentioned on some threads before VT and VX commodores had problems with the fuel pump wiring and was burning out the fuel pump,what happenes is when the car gets hot operating temperature the resistance the the wiring gets high and thus gets hot at the fuel pump/sender terminal located at the top of the fuel tank and thus shorts out,in some instances when it stalls it has enough time to cool down alittle bit and restart without a problem but in other instances you may have to wait a few minutes or even get out and open the bonnet and fildle with something but basically when you lift the bonnet you helping it cool down.
Have you noticed if it stalls on a cooler day???We had a customer at work who had a VT V6 wagon and it use to stall when it would get hot operating temperature,it would stall when you stuck in traffic or when you were to stop at an intersection,woulded stall whilst driving because you had the flowing air going through the car to help reduce heat.But if it was left for a long period of time i would say it would stall whilst driving at speeds or not even prime the fuel rail to start the engine.But back to the story we put a CAS sensor in it and still didnt fix it because we road tested it and when it would stall we would go and pop the bonnet and poor some water over the harmonic balancer and then it would start but we eventually had it setup in the workshop and had our fuel guage on it and noticed that when it stall the flow would drop so we investigated it and pulled the tank out and found that the connector on top of the fuel tank (fuel pump/sender unit was burnt out).So we replaced the whole unit and hasnt played up.But have down lots of these on VT and VX commodores.I dont think there was a recall for it though.
Hope that helps.

[EnzyG]

Thanks for the reply...however, my issue seems different: it just cuts out while driving or even just idling, at any speed, no matter the temp (hot or cold day, even at 11pm in winter). Almost totally randomly - can go weeks without doing it. It restarts if ya are going fast enough and dont get to pop it into N - probably as I am going fast enough to "jump start" the auto. Never has any issues starting from cold/warm.

I found the posting on checking error codes and will give that a try to see if there is anything there - although as I said, City Holden never mentioned anything each time I drop the car off for a service...

Thanks again though!

Dave

[EnzyG]

Yeah it is pretty crook isnt it??? I thought that it may be water, but using additive is causing the use of too much oil ;-)

My reason for thinking water is that it may be due to the hgh pressure cleaner car wash forcing it in the tank...now I wrap a rag around the fuel cap when washing it...see what happens now??

I though this was more of a general issue than specific to the VT, that why I posted here :-)
Edit: looks like this has been moved to another board - sorry!

Dave

[EnzyG]

Hi all,

After 5 cutouts in 2 days (after a month of nothing) in peak hour traffic, it was due for a service anyway. While there I said it is still happening after a year since I first told them - the injector clean clearly didnt do the trick.

I said "couldnt it be the CAS??", and they said "yeah, that could do it" (nah, really?). They checked it and it had a "missing 18x reference signal".

Originally over the phone the previous day they said part plus 2 hr labour = $350. In the shop (different guy) quoted around $300 (1.5 hr labour). I said I thought closer to $200. Finally agreed on $230 - I couldnt be stuffed taking it elsewhere.

Hope this fixes it. However, there is now a leak from the AC compressor that will apparently require a new comp soon: $900....I have not noticed any significant oil on my new clean dirveway though, but I'll monitor it.

Thanks for all the help.

Dave

[viridius]

Try changing the keyhead. I had the same problem, used the spare and presto! Something about the key reader cutting out i recal.

[EnzyG]

Originally Posted by viridius

Try changing the keyhead. I had the same problem, used the spare and presto! Something about the key reader cutting out i recal.

Thanks - but I doubt thats it...it happens with both keys, one of which is almost brand new (only about 6 months old).

I guess time will tell if the CAS fixes it.

Dave

[patrick niesler]

hey, one of the guys that i work with has had the same problem with his VX, has it been raining around there recently or had any major washing of the car happen?

apparently his was just cutting out on him when he was driving down the road because when it had been raining for several days straight some water leaked into his car and condensation formed on his computer. possibly a similar sort of thing?

[EnzyG]

Originally Posted by patrick niesler

hey, one of the guys that i work with has had the same problem with his VX, has it been raining around there recently or had any major washing of the car happen?

apparently his was just cutting out on him when he was driving down the road because when it had been raining for several days straight some water leaked into his car and condensation formed on his computer. possibly a similar sort of thing?

Unfortunately not - happened rain or shine.

I did *think* it might have been water in the fuel from the high pressure hose carwash I use. So I tried wrapping a cloth around the fuel cap inside the cover so that the high pressure water couldnt reach the cap. It didnt work.

Dave

[hombsch]

Um I had this issue with a 98 vt it turned out to be a loose plug on my battery, it would sorta disconnect a bit so to speak, Sorry not a car person. But i would go around a corner slowly and the battery that was in there was too big for the bracket, and would slide causing the connection to become loose. Tightened it up and it fixed the issue.

[blwnvt]

i had a vt acclaim series 2 99 as well thing had favourite roads and spots it would die on as well 80 90 ks cruising along and bang no power or power stearing or siting in trafick and bang dies, it wouldnt start 4 ages and when it did it wouldnt start with tratcion control on, took to holden and they played dumb, i never found out the problem keep me informed i would love to know what the prob is.

[coasty]

mine did that, found it was a crook connection on the battery. cleaned and tightened and no probem since.