97 Q45 Engine cuting on/off

[bravetex]

Problem:97 Q45, 100,000 miles, all maintenance schedules performed.The engine will intermittenly and momentarily die and start of it's own accord, a 5 second interval. At idle and speeds 30 mph and below only. Today, when parking, with gear in park, it momentarily cut off and then on again. This has been happening for one month, and gaining in event frequency.The security light comes on and stays on until the ignition is turned off and is off upon the next starting/ignition event.

[96Qowner]

On a 90-96, this would probably be a MAF issue. Yours is a different motor and different MAF, but you might want to clean yours and see if it makes any difference.

Here are instructions for the 90-96 models:

http://www.q45.org/maf.html

The cleaning procedure is the same - just a different MAF and connector.

[bravetex]

Thanks I'll try this.It's still doing it. Frequency of event has not changed.

[96Qowner]

This is actually a pretty interesting set of symptoms.

1.) The engine will die and ... restart itself? Not possible, as far as I understand things. 5 second interval? I interpreted it to mean that the revs plunge and then come back, in a 5 second cycle. If the engine dies, waits 5 seconds and then restarts, we have a fascinating symptom. I've had it happen on the highway, but not at idle or in park.

2.) The security light? Is that the Check Engine Light or the anti-theft?

Anyone else have any ideas?

[bravetex]

The car finally died permanently.This time the service engine light came on, gave a code for MAF.

Replaced it and now it's fine....The anomally is that the engine service light never came on during the entire time the engine stalling/starting episodes were occuring.

We're good to go now!!!

[autotech43]

May consider removing your air filter element and checking for debris on the mass air flow sensor screen, or possibly debris in the air box getting blown around and at times getting on the screen. I havent seen this often, but its worth looking at. Just my opinion.CW