VZ (Auto) turning off sporadically

[ReaperTBS]

Hi there,

Not sure if this is the right section to post this in, as i'm not sure what the issue is, but i assume electrical.

I recently got my VZ (auto) back from the mechanic, as it had been stationary for about 9 months while i was away, and it wasn't maintained during that time. I got a fair bit of work done on it, including a replacement of the ECU, battery, and the ring around the ignition bit.

Since then, a problem seems to have arisen where occasionally (usually while idling, but sometimes while driving at various speeds) the display will show "Check Powertrain" briefly, and then the car just turns itself off.

If the head unit or fan are on, they remain on. Lights and the dash display remain on as well. I do, however, lose steering and brakes, and have to start the car again.

I had a similar issue with a VT i had, which turned out to be the crank angle sensor, so i checked that first, but this one appears to be fine. I've also check the transmission fluid, oil, BCM, error codes, and timing. All seems to be in order.

This issue is beginning to concern me, as i need to transport my kids in this car, and don't really want to be taking them around in something that could potentially turn off while going through a main roundabout or something.

Any ideas are appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[ReaperTBS]

Update:

It seems to be happening more frequently and sporadically even in the last day. Nothing has changed with the car's environment.

 

[Immortality]

I'd be checking for any loose wiring/plugs etc.

Seeing as the fault has been present since collecting the car from your mechanics I would suggest mentioning it to them and seeing what they know.

 

[Silverbird]

Hi there!

Just need to clarify
1. Why was the work done?
2. Was the work done before or after the vehicle was stored?
3. Have you have the codes read with the diagnostic tool?
4. Have you tried disconnecting the battery for a while and reconnecting it again?

 

[Big Red VF-SII Go-kart]

Nine months without use!? I would not leave my own car for 2 weeks.
Why was the key-reader (ring on ignition barrel) replaced? That has more to do with the immobiliser than the ECU.
If the faulty condition arose after servicing I think a revision in-workshop is needed.
As inconveniencing (and infuriating...) as it is, it's probably best that you not drive it around in case there is a stall/stop, and an accident occurs.

 

[ReaperTBS]

Sorry for the delayed response, i only ever have time to respond after work.

So... In response to Immortality:
I called the mechanic i got the work done at, and they said since they assume it's an electrical issue, there'd be a significant charge/wait for calling out the same auto-electrician who installed the ECU/etc..
So, I recently dropped it in at the Autotune near my work, and i actually trust these guys purely because they were great guys, really helpful, and they didn't charge me a cent. They got an auto-electrician in to check the wiring and the plugs, and found nothing wrong.

This ties in a bit with what Silverbird asked, namely: "Why was the work done?".

1.) When i first got the car, i found it was having massive issues with getting up hills, or any form of quick take-off. It was also shuddering uncontrollably at higher revs. The mechanic i took it to came to the conclusion there was a plug loose, and a hose *missing*, thus rendering one cylinder unusable. I'd only bought the car some weeks prior, and it astounds me to think the complete absence of a hose went unnoticed for very long before i got it. Must have been a hell of a dodgy service/rwc the previous owner had done.

2.) This work was done before the vehicle was stored. The work i mentioned in my initial post was done after retrieving the car from storage, as it was storage which caused the majority of the issues. The trip i took was unavoidable, and having no family or housemates in this country, it wasn't possible for me to have anybody even start it on occasion.

3.) When i took the car to Autotune, they checked the codes and found the aforementioned errors regarding the ECU and the key cylinder/reader/whatever it's called. I explained that these had been changed recently, and they said "Odd, those are the only errors it shows".

4.) I actually did leave the battery disconnected for an entire night after work one day, and reconnected it the day after. This was primarily because my service warning had shown up, and i'd reset it, so i wanted to see if the car would "remember", so to speak, after having disconnected the battery.

@Little Red VZ Go-Kart:
The key reader was replaced because the previous one had an issue with maintaining "contact" with the key, and would intermittently cause various weird little problems.

This particular faulty condition arose after that trip to the mechanic, and appears to be the only issue left, only... More annoying than most of the previous issues :/

Also, another update:
I feel as though this may have something to do with the revs at which the car idles. This problem happens primarily when idling, or sitting at lights at low revs, etc., And today it started slightly shuddering at one point while i was on level ground, and was waiting at some lights. This is something it hasn't done previously.

Thanks again for the responses, guys. Much appreciated.

 

[Silverbird]

Hi again.
Okay if I understand you correctly, you bought the car and discovered soon afterwards it lost power up hill etc., you then took it to the mechanic who say they found a plug loose and a hose missing, both of which they rectified, restoring the performance. The car was then stored for 9 months without being driven. You returned and took the vehicle for service, and at that time it was determined by your mechanic's auto electrician that the battery , the ECU and ignition key contact ring were faulty, and as a result were replaced. You contacted your mechanic and he told you that you will likely incur costs and experience delays if you want them to continue troubleshooting the problem. You then took the car to a trusted workshop, and the car diagnostics is registering immobilizer fault codes.

Was the car completely okay before it went into storage?

 

[ReaperTBS]

Yep! All correct, with one exception. They didn't specifically say the errors during diagnostics were the immobilizer, they told me the battery and the ignition key contact ring were the cause, and that the replacement of those parts could have been the reason.

Yep, it was all fine prior to storage, and nobody had access to it :/

Edit: It may just be my ineptitude as far as automotive terminologies is concerned which is the reason for my mentioning the immobilizer thing, as i realise that's undoubtedly tied in with the key/battery stuff

 

[Silverbird]

Sorry for the slow reply, have just got back from a trip. As it stands you have a new battery, key contact ring, key head and ECU, but still the original immobilizer. Is that also right?

• You are aware that the immobilizer and ECU are separate modules?
• The car is driving fine, but is increasingly cutting out after a momentary Powertrain warning?
• Immobilizer codes were reported?