RB20DET Cutting Off and Holding Back

[C33_RB20DET]

ok here goes...i'm been checking out this Forum for a while now and decided to join becasue of the wide amount of information and help that's in here...seeing that i have a problem of my own that i can seem to figure out..i own a Laurel Medalist C33 Model with an RB20DET in it transmission not Manual...for a while now i've been gettin 2 major problems..1. Sometimes when i'm driving the engine just cuts off and i get no trottle response and other times if i gently tap on the gas it starts back up and its find for a little while but then it happens again and just cuts off completly...it feels like if your're in a car and someone slams the brakes...just the engine cuts off.....2. Sometimes while the engine is ideling the rpm drops and the engine cuts off...other times it just cuts off without the rpm dropping..it just goes dead..i get power and everything else tho but the engine is dead......and aprat from that sometimes when i do start it back up the rpm revs from 1000 to 2000rpm and back ....

Can anyone in this Forum help me out with these problems? Any help at all would be greatly appritiated...

Nissan Laurel Medalist C33 RB20DET....From Trinidad and Tobago

[Red coupe]

Welcome to Nico, but use the appropriate forum....

this one is just for general banter and tom foolery...We have subforums for each engine, the guys in the RB forum will be a lot better suited to help you, plus it helps keep everything more organized and keeps the general group from having to see annoying tech questions (though thats mainly pointed at the 240 kids )

You want this:zeroforum?id=135

[gwoods]

Its going to be fuel or spark thats cutting out I'm betting on spark!

Look for loose wires! Check your battery cables too my bet is a ground wire is loose.

Your going to have more luck in the right section but WELCOME to Nico

[C33_RB20DET]

Thanks for putting things into perspective for me Red Coupe...i will find the RB section and post my topic there....to tell you thats part of the reason i joined this forum..its the first that i've seen where the memeber are so helpfull with what they know....thumbs up...

gwoods: i'm getting my *** up right now and going to check coil packs,plugs and fuel lines/pump...guess i going to get my hands dirty again today....i bought a Walbro GSS-341 fuel pump and a Stage 3 Chip for the brain and a Fuel Pressure Regulator..so i want to solve this problem before i instally my other parts.....

Thank you both for the infomation...i'll be on the RB section after this post...so you all can check me there....

[Murdered_T]

this one is just for general banter and tom foolery...

hey hey hey now

[gwoods]

gwoods: i'm getting my *** up right now and going to check coil packs,plugs and fuel lines/pump...guess i going to get my hands dirty again today....i bought a Walbro GSS-341 fuel pump and a Stage 3 Chip for the brain and a Fuel Pressure Regulator..so i want to solve this problem before i instally my other parts.....

Good plan, don't add new parts/problems until you solve your current one!

Since messing with throttle doesn't always fix the problem I'm guessing its a electrical problem. If your battery cables look bad at all replace them I had a similar problem on a 1991 turbo sunbird, when I'd take a corner hard it would cut out, sometimes it would come back sometimes not. Traced the problem down to bad battery cable. Very cheap fix.

When it come back does it feel like a rocket, like it still has a lot of fuel or does it sputter a little bit like its leaned out?

If you don't find a loose wire it might be worth letting a shop recommended by a member check it out? $100 of their time might be 2 weeks of yours?

Good luck

[C33_RB20DET]

nah when it comes back its not like a rocket...its more like when you run out off gas and it slowly picks up...but it does not always pick back up...sometimes it just cut off..but i get all the light on the instrument panel and stuff...to get it going again i just turn the key and start back up....other times i have to completely switch off the car..wait about 60 seconds or so and start it back up and its fine again....

[C33_RB20DET]

btw i put up some pic of my car...you guys could tell me what you think about it....if you dont see the intercooler thats cause its black and mounted infront behind the bumper....specs:1. 18" Black and Chrome Rims...225/40/182. Aftermarket blow off...3. External boost control4. RB25 Turbo5. Big 17 plate battery6. LSD Diff... Thats about it for now...stuff i have on hand to change after i fix this problem...---->walbro gss-341 pump...plugs heat range 6...FPR...aftermarket Chip for ECU upgrade.. after all this i think i might replace a few things in the engine itself e.g pistons..timeing belt...crank and other stuff like that....

[gawdzilla]

both problems sound like a MAF getting ready to die. try replacing the MAF with a known good one.

[C33_RB20DET]

well i got around to checking the coil packs and plugs and battery cables..here is what i have found....when i took out all of the coil packs there is a spring and at the bottom of that spring there is something like carbon..pretty much like the carbon brushes in a starter..so i'm guessing that those brushes make contact with the top of the spark plug..now i found that the first coil pack was missing that piece of carbon so i dont know if that might cause it...what do you think?

another thing is that i spoke to a friend who does car electrical and he said i should check the pressure on the fule pump to see if its up to standard...but i dont know cause the same thing happened today again....i was just rolling along the road casue the road was bad and just like that the engine cut off and i had to start it up again..when i gave it a little gas it cut off again...so i started again and it was ok...the engine starts back with no problem no hard start no bad idle or anything like that...

[gawdzilla]

replace the maf

[C33_RB20DET]

ok guys....i went today to buy a MAF now the guy said that if i was going to buy it i needed to check and test it there at his shop..so i was like no problem...so i took out mine and put in the one that he had and when for a spin with my car..same problem...idle is good...while driving it feels sluggish as hell..its just does'nt have that press and go attitude of a RB20DET...now on my way back to to shop while rolling into the drive way the engine just dies....so its not plugs....its not coil packs...and its not MAF....

any ideas here guys..this is sending me up a wall...and its so embarassing to be in traffic and your engine just dies and you have to crank that starter again..

anyway i'm going to take it to a shop tomorrow and see what their computer says when they jack it in...i'll let you all know the results...just incase this weird problem happenes to anyone in the future...btw the test is going to cost about $300 TTD..

[AxiOn419]

My initial thought was MAF but since you say that is not it..

Have you checked your gas tank? Sounds like it could have possibly got water in it over a very long period of time which would cause it to rust. The rust then clogs up the fuel pump filter which causes the fuel pump to overheat. Once it overheats you get a drop in fuel pressure resulting in a sluggish engine and random power cuts. You can go directly to the gas tank and check it or you could quickly check your fuel line's fuel pressure when the engine starts to act up.

Just a suggestion, I have seen this in a couple 240's, mine included. I know you do not have a 240 but thats not the point. It is worth looking at.

[C33_RB20DET]

well i took out the fuel pump and the filter in there was black and really dirty..so i did a quick clean..the tank does have a few rust spots in there so i still have to get that cleaned...i took out the fuel filter ..the one in the engine bay...and the gas in there was black too..so i'm thinking that can be my problem....i put everything back together and went for a run...when first gear changes i'm getting a back fire from the tail pipe...dont know why that is happening ? ? ?

the engine still cut off but fewer times than before....Another problem is happening now..its with my transmission...first gear is running all out to 8000 RPM and it wont change unless i take my foot off the gas..any ideas here on this other than the transmission is going???

i want to make it in to a manual but i need the center console with the handbrakes and stuff for my car (Nissan C33 Laurel Medalist)....does anyone know where i can get this for a resonable price? ? ?

[AxiOn419]

Glad to hear my suggestion pointed you to your problem

Get that cleaned up and it will run great!

Also, if there is rust in your tank then that means water is getting in somehow. Make sure to seal off the trunk so it does not happen again.

As for the transmission.. check your fluid level. And for parts to switch it to a manual, check the classified section or ebay.

[C33_RB20DET]

i checked the oil..its good ..a little discoloured tho....it does'nt smell burnt...i still added some fluid just incase...

didnt drive it for the day tho....but yesterday in gear 1 and 2 if i didnt take my foot off the gas it was not changeing...i think maybe the transmission is going....casue i used to use it like gears...like id run out 1 then tap it to 2nd and so on....so maybe the clutches have had enough...dont know for sure...these transmissions supposed to be really hard and able to take that kind of stress..but again i dont know for sure....

thanks for your help on the gas tank tho saved me some money there and thats never a bad thing dont understand the backfireing tho when 1st gear runs out and changes when i take my foot off the gas :S

[AxiOn419]

My car (rb20det) backfires quite a bit as well when I am shifting between gears. Mainly when I am getting on the gas alot then letting off. Just running a bit rich I am guessing. The other problem you described does sound like a transmission issue though.

I saw you said your gas was black, thats definitely a sign of a rusty tank so thats is the issue for sure.

[leesredgt]

mine is doing the same thing, and i also have rust in the gas tank.How do i go about cleaning it and sealing it up?

[BoostFab]

if you are back firing, your are running too rich, if your swap was done without a FPR; get one asap.

[AxiOn419]

mine is doing the same thing, and i also have rust in the gas tank.How do i go about cleaning it and sealing it up?

I would suggest just replacing the gas tank with a clean one.

[C33_RB20DET]

the radiator repair places over here do that kind of stuff..what they do is clean out the tank and re-coat it then all you need to do is put it back up and you should be good....

as for sealing off...i'm going to use silicone......

[C33_RB20DET]

i have the stock RB20DET FPR on there still....would that be the problem ?btw what pressure is standard about 40psi?

[dwnshfter]

i also need to know this, i am replacing mine with an aeromotive unit this week, lol

[ichriscaines]

i also need to know this, i am replacing mine with an aeromotive unit this week, lol

Hi, Did you find the problem? I'm having the same stalling issue. It's like the car is running out of gas but it does not cut out it just fuel starves,

I tried it all, someone please help!!!!!!