My V's got the shakes!

[indus49]

Started up my V Saturday morning, after running fine the previous day, and my engine light comes on.

I let it warm up, hoping its just a temporary light...maybe a loose gas cap or misfire because it's cold (30 some degrees outside.)

Then the shakes begin...

I take it out on the road, and can't go past 2,500 rpms. Every time I get close, the engine pulsates, vrooom vrooom vrooom... I don't push it because it's not a pleasing sound.

I end up driving my car...slowly... to the dealership. The woman tells me the car put itself in "limp mode" because of engine trouble. I await the diagnosis.

[Robi]

Sounds like a Taco Bell problem .... bad gas

[cireecnop1]

HA HA HA HA

Sounds like a Taco Bell problem .... bad gas

[MinisterofDOOM]

Limp mode can be caused by a LOT of things. Did they tell you anything more than that?

[Robi]

CAN WE GET AN UPDATE ON WHAT HAPPENED?

[Jrscherer]

Hopefully wasn't something too bad, I just have to say, if 30 is cold for you, what would you do with the temps that wisconsin has had of -10 to -20 and that's without windchill

[Ever Victorious]

That doesn't sound like fun. I think I'll stick with Seattle at a balmy 45 degrees with rain. Gotta be one of the warmest places in the US, next to Hawaii, at this point.

[Jrscherer]

I must say though, car sat out for 8 hours while working and started right up without any issue. Had no problem what so ever. Gives me a happy feeling that I don't have to worry about that. A co-worker owns a Vibe and he said that it starts like crap in cold weather.

[motoguy128]

Hopefully wasn't something too bad, I just have to say, if 30 is cold for you, what would you do with the temps that wisconsin has had of -10 to -20 and that's without windchill

I agree. I'm just in Iowa, and it's been under 5F in hte morning all week. The car starts just fine. Just a little extra delay turning over due to the expected weaker battery, and thicker fluids. The transmission fluid is so heavy, that the RPM's drop 100 RPM's when you release the clutch in neutral (transmission starts spinning)

Coldest start in this car is -5F. I once had a '91 Toyota Tercel that started up just fine at -25F one very cold morning in Michigan when I was in High School.

More than likely it's related to a sensor problem. Bad gas (usually caused by moisture) would be more likely to cause a drop in power and misfiring, but not the bogging your expereincing.

[sixdgrees]

I haven't had this problem but one of the things I was concerned about was leaving it parked outside all day in the very cold while I'm at work (sometimes up to 11 hours at minus 20). But I've had no issues at all with it starting up....

[sambot]

one of the things I was concerned about was leaving it parked outside all day in the very cold

Are you plugging in a block heater?

[7speed]

This gives me hope. I decided to buy a new car (and ended up choosing the V) because my VW hates the cold. A lot. It is 16 years old this year, so it's not that surprising.

And I would like to know too:

Are you plugging in a block heater?

[Robi]

Come on indus49 ... Mr. Shakie ... tell us all what was the cause

[Robi]

Say Mr.indus49 ... Mr. Shakie ... please tell us all what was the cause, millons are waiting with bated breath.

[Ever Victorious]

You may be waiting a while. He doesn't log on terribly often.

[indus49]

Sorry ALL... it took the mechanics a couple of days to get back to me with the answer.

Turns out some furry a-hole got into my engine, and chewed my engine wires. There's a big wire loom top right of the engine compartment that branches off to three large molex plugs (for lack of a better description.) He chewed on that.

It could only be a guy, because only a male furball would have the furry balls to chew another man's automobile.

TOTAL DAMAGE? Just over $1400.

And I'm pissed about that...bc I looked at the wiring harness, and i could probably splice the chewed wires with ease... but I know that if I decided to take it back and do that, they'd probably void my warranty.

[proxim2020]

A picture is worth a million words and laughs. But seriously, sorry to hear about your car. I'm surprised that one of those wires wasn't live and gave the little creature a nice zap before he had a chance to do some real damage. $1400 sounds like they are going to try to splice them back together or that's one expensive new harness.

[sixdgrees]

Are you plugging in a block heater?

No.... couldn't even if I wanted to. The parking lot at work is not equipt... just a wide open lot.

I found that when I lived in Saskatchewan where it got much colder that a reliable car would start up in minus 20 weather...... it was the minus 25 to minus 40 that separated the men from the boys (so to speak).

We haven't had it quite that cold here in T.O. yet but so far I've been pleased with the V's performance in the minus 20 range.

[Robi]

Could you state what a furry a-hole is ... like squirrel, cat, the lady down the street, or what. But that's no joke 1400 smacks for a harness no longer that your arm. There's got to be more to this most interesting story. We all appreciated hearing back about the shakes indus49 and it was the most awaited item on the forum for sure. Should we take up a collection?

[Ever Victorious]

A picture is worth a million words and laughs. But seriously, sorry to hear about your car. I'm surprised that one of those wires wasn't live and gave the little creature a nice zap before he had a chance to do some real damage. $1400 sounds like they are going to try to splice them back together or that's one expensive new harness.

Actually, that sounds about right for a new wiring harness, if you account for both parts and labor. Those wiring harnesses are EXPENSIVE ($800 on the RX-7 I just sold) plus, depending on the car, it may take a lot of disassembly and reassembly (on the Subaru Legacy, there is one wiring harness that extends from the rear differental to the radiator, and branches out about 8 or 9 times towards the front)

[indus49]

Yeah from what I'm told this harness runs the entire length of the car... and a furry a-hole is the only description I have, no idea if it was a squirrel, rat or what. I'll take pics of the damage if I can.