Hello
My FD have been pretty reliable for almost 4 months i\'ve owned it. Its basically stock 1995 model.
Today i drove it back home in motorway. I did few pulls into high rpm\'s, worked fine no problems. Then i got off from motorway into tight left turn ramp, i went sideways a bit in the semi- slippery turn with few times on rapid on-off gas- pedalwork.
Then I heard very quick bangs from the exhaust and it felt like it lost power for a few milliseconds. Then i started to smell a odor which was like some electrical- component has just burned out. I tried to locate the smell, and ended up into drivers footwell. Certainly it didint come from the ECU which is in the passenger side footwell. Although the car was fine and it boosted nicely and the power was okay. Then all of a sudden the whole car lost its ignition power. The driving lights, interior lights, radio, dash lights apart from the warning lights (which usually comes on when the engine stalls) were all on. But no response from the accelerator or anything. I had to stop the car into shoulder and opened the bonnet up, the battery terminals were okay, everything looked okay and there wasnt any smell of fried components.
I took the key off from the ignition, i turned the alarm on from the fob. Then i turned it off and put the key into ignition, and it started normally. Warning lights and everything were okay and it was running like nothing ever happened. I drove it home and it was running very nicely.
I started to wonder what the heck that was all about? And where did the electrical smell come from?
Now i have only one theory.
1. The clifford alarm\'s immoblizer went on for some reason, and cut off the ignition from the engine?
Any ideas my fellow rotorheads?
could be simply one of the battery connections is loose, had this once on my purple FD when i lost all power and lights on the M-way but then they came back on again.
Well. A little update.
At morning i left home into work, and the FD started all nicely and drove into work. I drove it into the lunchbreak and back. Was all fine. Then i went home and as soon as i gave her some boost, it immediateley shut off just like the night before. No warning lights, no mileage, no ignition power. The engine will spin around, but it wont start.
I pulled over into the parking space i managed to survive there. It was -8 degrees freezing, and very cold wind from the north. I only had the original tools in the boot. After doing few things basically checking things, the ignition- power went on again. The warning lights, mileage and ignition power were on. Then i tried to start the engine, it went black again. Nothing. I took the battery terminals off and noticed they had a bit of oxidation in the terminal, but it werent that bad. I cleaned them with snow, my hands were freezing (2hrs and they still are). And put all back together, no effect.
I looked up some fuses and relays in the engine compartment, but they all seemed fine. Why doesent the car have self- diagnose or MIL (check) light? I\'m suspecting the clifford alarm, but all other things are working (valet mode, on/off and definatley the siren).
When i turn the key into ignition- point;
-Accessory power comes on (radio, annoying beep)
-Heater motor/ control panel comes on
-Turn signals dont work
-Warning lights dont work
-Dash background lights does work
-Mileage and the whole screen is black
And the engine turns over when i turn the key into start- position. The clifford alarm informs me that the immoblizer is off (red light doesent blink). But i still wonder what if the clifford alarm\'s control unit (if there is such a thing) burned yesterday and now it doesent always let the ignition command into the ECU?
Or then the ECU is busted. Any help highly appreciated, since i\'m pretty much alone with this thing here in cold Finland.
Ville
To have total loss seems like the alarm kicking in. There must be a way of bypassing it somehow. I dont think its totally ECU related if it was because a few things like your dash lights dont go through the ECU, so we are looking I think at something else. Make sure your battery is totally charged, it may be that has gone pop, its happened before. Might be enough just to get a few lights but then nothing else. It is afterall about the easiest thing to check and replace if necessary. Next look at the charging system, is the alternator charging the battery, this may be the cause. Think once you have done the basics then post back on exactly what does work when its in the position 2 on the key ie not running and then see what happens when you go for a start. If it does not start then jump (battery to battery) it and see what happens.
I would also look at removing the clifford alarm too as all these things listed below,
-Turn signals dont work
-Warning lights dont work
-Dash background lights does work
-Mileage and the whole screen is black
are all ignition/alarm related ( by this i mean they all become active on the second click on your ignition ) with the exception of the turn lamps but the alarm does use these for on/off indication.
Accessory power/radio and heater etc all work from the first click on your ignition.
Also with my alarm/immob when i have left the alarm off and come back to the car to start it without hitting the keyfob to remove the immobiliser it does the exact same symptoms you describe.
My 2p is the immobiliser at fault
Hello guys
It was a long evening last night. Thank god i managed to get a space indoors. Well yesterday i started to look out for the alarm\'s controller unit located somewhere in the driver\'s footwell. It was quite big job to even find it. I found the controller unit and took it off from the vehicle. I first noticed that the smell occured as close as i get into the unit. Then i took it off from the vehicle and i found out that one connection was burned right next to solder- point.
The i reassembled the ignition wires back into stock form. Since they were cut cause of the alarm. I\'ll have to replace the alarm box into new one. It was a clifford concept 300 alarm. My friend did some work at the engine bay including cleaning all the fuses, their connections, terminal and ports. Its running great now.
Thanks for the help guys.
Ville
excellent mate, this is not the 1st time this has happened with alarms and has been the cause of rotary distruction as well!! think this one happened at a good time for you and not when you were giving it a dam good spanking!!
Quote from: pdtaylor18;583492excellent mate, this is not the 1st time this has happened with alarms and has been the cause of rotary distruction as well!! think this one happened at a good time for you and not when you were giving it a dam good spanking!!
Thats true. It werent that far away though. I was just driving a bit more spirited :driving than usually. And last weekend i spent 5hrs skidding in the snow.
But thank you guys, now i\'m going to install new drivers seat...