9-5 auto, random stalling
Discussion
I power washed my car earlier this week and then set off to work. About 3 miles later, I was turning a corner and the steering suddenly became very heavy. That was the first sign that the engine had stalled. Car didn't want to restart immediately, but about a minute later I tried it again and it started OK. I put this down to damp under the bonnet from the power wash, but....
Yesterday. Boiling hot day. Did about 50 motorway miles and then parked up, Returned to the car a hour later. Did a short run to the Post Office where I stopped, then set off again. Came to a junction, just turning the wheel a little and it stalled again. Put it back into Park, cranked it and it started again - no problem at all.
Now, because this is an auto, it cannot be me stalling the car by not giving enough revs etc. The car also had pretty much 3/4 tank of unleaded in it.
So, what could possibly cause a random stalling at low speeds, perhaps when turning and braking? It concerns me because its a bit alarming to have your brakes and steering go in the middle of making a turn!
Yesterday. Boiling hot day. Did about 50 motorway miles and then parked up, Returned to the car a hour later. Did a short run to the Post Office where I stopped, then set off again. Came to a junction, just turning the wheel a little and it stalled again. Put it back into Park, cranked it and it started again - no problem at all.
Now, because this is an auto, it cannot be me stalling the car by not giving enough revs etc. The car also had pretty much 3/4 tank of unleaded in it.
So, what could possibly cause a random stalling at low speeds, perhaps when turning and braking? It concerns me because its a bit alarming to have your brakes and steering go in the middle of making a turn!
Could be a poor electrical connection further unsettled by the power wash somehow.
Or the tickover is too low.
Does this happen if, stationary with the engine running at tickover, you press the brake pedal hard? Or turn the steering wheel? Or do both as the same time?
If not it is not solely the effect of any power demand or vacuum for the brakes.
Could be a problem with the auto not sensing the need for the torque convertor to play the game - again maybe a dislodged lead or faulty electrical connection but you might expect to see an error warning light.
I would imagine a dealer could tell from the computer analysis?
Maybe others have had the same experience, but mine has been fine for the last 11 months since I bought it.
Or the tickover is too low.
Does this happen if, stationary with the engine running at tickover, you press the brake pedal hard? Or turn the steering wheel? Or do both as the same time?
If not it is not solely the effect of any power demand or vacuum for the brakes.
Could be a problem with the auto not sensing the need for the torque convertor to play the game - again maybe a dislodged lead or faulty electrical connection but you might expect to see an error warning light.
I would imagine a dealer could tell from the computer analysis?
Maybe others have had the same experience, but mine has been fine for the last 11 months since I bought it.
Yes, I know bubble shape Rover 200s had a problem whereby the ECU wouldn't compensate for a big load on the battery and sometimes would stall if you had loads of things running (inc. rear screen heater) - possibly a duff contact caused by power washing compounded with more current drain from the power steering?
Keep an eye on it, let the car dry out, and see what happens.
Don't know what Saab you have, maybe check under the bonnet for any vacuum hoses that have blown off, I had a stalling problem recently and it was as simple as that.
Keep an eye on it, let the car dry out, and see what happens.
Don't know what Saab you have, maybe check under the bonnet for any vacuum hoses that have blown off, I had a stalling problem recently and it was as simple as that.
Thanks guys. After some internet trawling, I found some reports with similar symptoms which suggested it to be down to either the DI cassette OR crank position sensor (CPS) OR fuel pump.
Drove down to a local indie for the first time, Malbrad Saab in Huddersfield, where my car died completely i.e. it would not restart when I was trying to drive it from their carpark into the workshop. (It it was going to happen, this was the best place to be!). After a few tests, check of the throttle, fuel pump, switching the DI cassette, they changed the CPS. So far so good - I have a running car again. Hopefully that will be the end of that little problem now, but time will tell.
Drove down to a local indie for the first time, Malbrad Saab in Huddersfield, where my car died completely i.e. it would not restart when I was trying to drive it from their carpark into the workshop. (It it was going to happen, this was the best place to be!). After a few tests, check of the throttle, fuel pump, switching the DI cassette, they changed the CPS. So far so good - I have a running car again. Hopefully that will be the end of that little problem now, but time will tell.
Ah! That's interesting.
During my second test drive before I bough mine I noticed some odd things happening after a few miles - like what seemed to be huge flat spots under acceleration and at other odd moments. (Nothing related to sterring as far as I can recall).
Got back and parked up and chatted for a few minutes at which point a service customer wanted to extract his parked car. Turned the key - nothing. No way would it start. Had to get people out to push it out of the way. It did start about 15 minutes later though.
Did the deal and they fixed it with a new sensor - think it was the CPS but I can't be sure. Seems odd that there would be any connection with steering though - pure coincidence?
During my second test drive before I bough mine I noticed some odd things happening after a few miles - like what seemed to be huge flat spots under acceleration and at other odd moments. (Nothing related to sterring as far as I can recall).
Got back and parked up and chatted for a few minutes at which point a service customer wanted to extract his parked car. Turned the key - nothing. No way would it start. Had to get people out to push it out of the way. It did start about 15 minutes later though.
Did the deal and they fixed it with a new sensor - think it was the CPS but I can't be sure. Seems odd that there would be any connection with steering though - pure coincidence?
Yes, I think so. Unless the combination of braking, steering and the autobox, all coming to a halt put such a load on things simultaneously so that it died. Hard to say really, and why should it have been OK some days - or even some journies...and then dies on others? Its the curse of the intermittant fault.
Just so glad that when it really died for good, I was parked on the Saab mechanic's forecourt. Otherwise it would have been
AA
Just so glad that when it really died for good, I was parked on the Saab mechanic's forecourt. Otherwise it would have been
AA Looks like it, doesn't it? I count myself so lucky though that I decided to get it looked at when I did. It was horrendous turning a corner to find that the power assistance had suddenly gone without the time to know what was actually happening. Anyway, all seems good now. Thank goodness for good independents. I reckon Saab would have charged about £200 + VAT for that little fix, maybe more.
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