Car turned off today while driving

[Atown 240]

So i was cruisin down the road at 9:30pm tonight and my car just turned off.

Pulled over to the side, tried to start it and nothing.

It cranks but the engine wont turn over.

Pulled the spark plugs no spark at all.

Pulled the coil pack plug that goes to the dizzy, no spark

Got out the DMM and checked the ground on the coil pack plug, came out fine

CHecked the power and ecu power line that go into the plug, both were fine.

Sounds like i need a new coil pack maybe?

Thanks for the help

-Joe

[rowlatt]

when this happened to me it was the charging system. faulty alternator

[Ender_Zero]

Atown i think you are right. prolly a coil pack... if not, then its only a few bucks, and its a maintenance item anyways, no loss.

[rico05]

Describe how it dies. Did the lights dim at all before it died? or was it totally sudden? My experience with coils is that they don't just die, but rather have a few days of death throwes and then they eat it.

Off of the little info you gave, I vote alternator.

[ceno]

exact same thing happened to me, and I think its the harness from the ignitor to the coils.

[DjPantsSpecR]

i bet you just blew the ignition sw fuse, its one of the big green fuses on the passenger side of the engine bay.

add any extra wiring that could have shorted out? you'll have to start looking for shorts, but check those big fuses

also when you turn the car on, what works? all the dash lights except for the clock usually dont work, and you can still turn on and off your headlights, but thats usually about it.

[Atown 240]

I was driving and it just turned off. No sputtering, no dimming nothing. Just died. I didn't add any extra wiring or anything.

All lights come on and everything works.

I called Napa and they said a new coil pack is $80!

Also, i knew my alt wasn't that good cause when it was running it would put out like 13.6 volts or lower.

So u guys think that it could be the alt just crapped out?

I'm going to pick up a Blaster 2 coil and try it.

[Atown 240]

I also forgot to mention, that after i did my rebuild, i was having a crappy idle when i would stop, some times it would die.

Think all this was a sign that it was taking a ****?

I didn't think alt. just crapped out like that?

[Ender_Zero]

I called Napa and they said a new coil pack is $80!

I'm going to pick up a Blaster 2 coil and try it.

!!!80 bux, dam! i thought i picked one of those up for like 20 from oreily's a few years back, mebe im smoking crack or something.... definately time to upgrade the coil if its 80bux for a stock replacement... if you dont want to spend $$ right away why not go get a 2$ coil from the junkyard and try it out first (temp solution...) if not, a blaster coil'd be a good idear anyways

[Atown 240]

Eh, i'm taking my alt. to get tested, then going to buy the blaster coil.

More responses please@!

[Atown 240]

also, i didn't check the right plug yesterday. I checked the ignitor plug

I checked the coil pack plug and no voltage. Someone help

[240on430]

Before I changed my fuel pump may car randomly dies under load.

Since you don't have spark...it's not your fuel pump.

Just thought I'd throw that out for people that are reading.

[Atown 240]

Before I changed my fuel pump may car randomly dies under load.

Since you don't have spark...it's not your fuel pump.

Just thought I'd throw that out for people that are reading.

Thanks for the additional info.

I just talked to 574-240sx and he said it's probably an electrical issue. Maybe a main relay.

Anyone know where they are on the s13?

[OldmanPurdy]

Its definatly electrical. I have/had the exact same problem as you a few weeks ago, the engine would just shut off randomly while driving everything else works just the engine won't spark and it would take like 10-15 miniutes before it would go again. I replaced the coil, but the problem was a short, in the wires going to my e-fan. Since you mentioned a rebuild, any chance some wires could have had the coating stripped off?

[Atown 240]

Its definatly electrical. I have/had the exact same problem as you a few weeks ago, the engine would just shut off randomly while driving everything else works just the engine won't spark and it would take like 10-15 miniutes before it would go again. I replaced the coil, but the problem was a short, in the wires going to my e-fan. Since you mentioned a rebuild, any chance some wires could have had the coating stripped off?

I dont think so, i dont see how any wires could have gotten stripped.

I did find my knock sensor hanging though so i'm hopping that was the probelm.

Since u had a short, didn't u blow any fuses or anthing?

[OldmanPurdy]

None that i noticed, which would be all the important ones. It would just stop like yours would and then would take about 10 miniuted before it would go again. Now its possible that the short tripped a relay, which would explain why it would work again without replacing any fuses. I feel your pain tho its a tough thing to diagnois because it could happen (for me at least) 3 times a day or once a week

[Atown 240]

We'll i got that plug hooked up after like 10 mins, but still no spark.

I bought a blaster 2 coil pack.

When i test for voltage before i connect the wires to the pack i get voltage,after i put them on the pack and i go to test. No voltage.

I dont get it, i think it's defective.

Anyone?

Never mind, not defective, i just put a new one in and the same problem. The coil pack isn't throwin any volts.

Unless the alt isn't strong enough to give the coil pack the voltage it needs?
Modified by Atown 240 at 2:27 PM 10/6/2006

[DjPantsSpecR]

you can easily see by putting in a different/new battery if the alternator is really your problem. you can drive your car for about three days with no alternator on a full charge. i drove for a week with some spare batteries in back for when the one up front would die. a dead alternator wont show up until you see the battery dead.

so you're definately looking in the wrong spot. i said what i said before because i had a short in my e-fan wiring jsut liek the other guy.

you blow the ignition sw fuse. big green fuse on the passenger side panel in the bay. did you check that yet? it can look good, and be blown, so take it out and shake it to see if there is a break.

but check all those fuses, if you blow an alternator fuse it'll seem like a blown alt, adn then the abtt will eventually die. the car runns worse and worse for about an hour before it dies, you would have noticed. it doesnt just all shut off.

i just helped someone else who had this problem, and the short wasn't in their e-fan wiring, it was in some of the stock wiring.

so check all those fuses, then you'll probably look for a short, and yes they do just sort of show up.

[Atown 240]

you can easily see by putting in a different/new battery if the alternator is really your problem. you can drive your car for about three days with no alternator on a full charge. i drove for a week with some spare batteries in back for when the one up front would die. a dead alternator wont show up until you see the battery dead.

so you're definately looking in the wrong spot. i said what i said before because i had a short in my e-fan wiring jsut liek the other guy.

you blow the ignition sw fuse. big green fuse on the passenger side panel in the bay. did you check that yet? it can look good, and be blown, so take it out and shake it to see if there is a break.

but check all those fuses, if you blow an alternator fuse it'll seem like a blown alt, adn then the abtt will eventually die. the car runns worse and worse for about an hour before it dies, you would have noticed. it doesnt just all shut off.

i just helped someone else who had this problem, and the short wasn't in their e-fan wiring, it was in some of the stock wiring.

so check all those fuses, then you'll probably look for a short, and yes they do just sort of show up.

Alright thanks, It seems like i might be mising one but i dont think i ever had it. It's the Ignition Coil one. Here is a pic.

All of my fuses look good but i didn't shake them.

I'l keep trying

[Atown 240]

BUMP

[Atown 240]

Someone emailed me today asking what the solution was.

My lower timing chain had broke. A bolt fell out and got lodged in the gear and chain and snapped it.

I had no spark because i had no cam signal or anything rotating the dizzy.

After i pulled the motor and put all new chains/parts in it worked fine. Been driving fine ever since

1 year + and 6 Drift days lol and it's still running strong.