This morning on my way to work my engine began running very rough and about 3 seconds later backfired and died. It will turn over, and "hiccup" a few times but will not start. I can't get to an OBD-II scanner yet, so I checked a few things on the car and thought I would post here for ideas. I pulled the plugs, no damage but VERY black. I can hear my fuel pump, so I don't think that's the problem. Any other ideas on things I can check before I'm able to read the code? Also, to cover more suggestions, I checked all the engine fuses and all electronics are working properly.

Thanks,
Paul

 

i know it's simple but check your upper intercooler pipe where it attaches to the throttle body...it can pop off there but look like its still attached. I had the same symptoms when my UICP slipped off the TB.

 

Intercooler piping is all connected. The MAS appears to be reading correctly based upon the AFC display. Unfortunately the car made it about a mile and a half down the road before it died, so it's not very easy to check things. It almost seems like it's not getting spark, but when I disconnected the coil packs and tried to start it it just turned over and when I reconnected them it would half start and then die. When I reconnected the coil packs it did not backfire, leading me to believe I may have a fuel issue. I guess I'm really thinking it's the crank angle sensor, but if anyone has any other ideas let me know. I should be able to get an OBD-II reader in about 45 minutes. Thanks,

-Paul

 

yup. sounds like one of the couplings came off. mine did the same thing at the throttle body.

 

I'm pretty sure that's not my problem, but when it happened to you would your car idle at all? The only way that could be my problem is if it happened on the lower piping.

-Paul

 

Mine did something similar when my coil pack died. The car would start and run but very rough (on 2 cylinders). Did all the plugs look pretty much the same?

 

Yes, the spark plugs all pretty much looked the same. But the car will not run. If I manage to modulate the gas just right, I can get it to run very rough for about 2 seconds and then it dies. Not sure why I didn't post this earlier, guess I was a little flustered and didn't think about it, but the CEL came on a short while before the engine started running rough. That would pretty much rule out intercooler piping I would think.

-Paul

 

That's odd..

Just in case you don't find anything try unplugging one coil pack at a time then starting the car. In my car I would unplug one and nothing would happen.. then the other and the car wouldn't run at all. I then swapped the coil packs just to make sure there wasn't a problem on the 2 cylinders that weren't firing.

I'm no expert by any means but this would make for one less piece in the puzzle.

 

Checking the timing. It may have jumped teeth.

 

thats weird. I had the same problem in my eclipse when a intercooler pipe would blow off...

 

when the coupling came off my throttle body it wouldn't start or run. hooked it back up and all was fine. check a lower coupling. that really sounds like what it is to me.

 

Finally was able to get the code read. PO340, Cam Angle Sensor. I checked it, and sure enough it had come loose. Thanks for all the suggestions.

-Paul

 

 

nevermind

 

Try to disconnect the connector on the MAF sesnor and see if it runs then