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Need a pro to help me figure this one out!

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Need a pro to help me figure this one out!
« on: April 27, 2009, 08:09:59 AM »
Ok, before, car would run for 15min then die out, would have a problem starting it but after a while it would start and seem to sputter here and there and die out again. I had the car timed, mechanic said it was way to advanced, he timed it and it ran like new! But I also did the DIY digonistic test after and it only gave 1 code which was the tps sensor. but i kept driving the car and it ran totally fine for the past 3 weeks until now

1. yesterday i drove 45miles on the highway, before my temp gauge used to run slightly cooler but it was at the halfway point and stayed there the entire trip, but it was not the norm position in which im used to seeing it at so i knew something was up. but it cant be the water pump, its new.

2. after i exited, stoped at a light, then excellerated and the car stalled. I also noticed that the check engine light was not turning on anymore, i knew it wasnt the bulb as i quickly checked it with another one it works. the car did not start so I left it there (i was only 2 blocks from the house)

3. came back to it about 4 hours later and it worked! drove it back home and it drove fine for those 2 blocks, but i am not taking the risk of driving it on the street.

I herd that if the check engine light no longer turns on, this means the pcm can be damaged??? is this true?
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Offline brentd27

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Re: Need a pro to help me figure this one out!
« Reply #1 on: April 27, 2009, 09:09:33 AM »
Could be your ECU or a fuel problem.  My parents had an old dodge van once that did similar stuff...  It would run great, then suddenly there would be a big ball of fire to shoot out the tailpipe and it would roll to a stop.  If the van set for an hour or two it would run fine again for a while.  You never could tell when it would do the backfire thing.  Sometimes you'd go two or three days with it fine, and sometimes it would die on you four or five times in the course of  a 2-day period.  We had 5 or 6 different mechanics work on it but never figured out what the problem was.

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Offline Rhinoman

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Re: Need a pro to help me figure this one out!
« Reply #2 on: April 27, 2009, 11:18:22 AM »
I herd that if the check engine light no longer turns on, this means the pcm can be damaged??? is this true?

Yes.
2000 Vitara 1.6, 3+3 Lift, 33"MTs, 5:83s, LWB brakes, Winch, Snorkel, Safari Rack
1986 SJ413K PickUp, 1.6L conversion.

OBD1 - Full diagnostics on a PC/Laptop: http://www.rhinopower.org

Re: Need a pro to help me figure this one out!
« Reply #3 on: April 27, 2009, 03:12:39 PM »
ok, now that the car started again this morning, cel turns on like normal during ignition, but turns off like it should once the car is started. i did the DIY digonistic test and same code pops up for the tps and thats all. So would yal say this is deffinitely the pcm acting up?
« Last Edit: April 27, 2009, 03:15:41 PM by bartolo92 »
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Offline Rhinoman

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Re: Need a pro to help me figure this one out!
« Reply #4 on: April 28, 2009, 04:29:51 AM »
If the CEL is going out as normal then there shouldn't be any codes. If you do have a TPS problem then you need to sort that out first, remember that it may not be the TPS itself, it could be a wiring problem.
2000 Vitara 1.6, 3+3 Lift, 33"MTs, 5:83s, LWB brakes, Winch, Snorkel, Safari Rack
1986 SJ413K PickUp, 1.6L conversion.

OBD1 - Full diagnostics on a PC/Laptop: http://www.rhinopower.org

Re: Need a pro to help me figure this one out!
« Reply #5 on: April 28, 2009, 12:14:37 PM »
yeah, but aint it weird that the other day, it just stalled and when i tried to restart, the check engine light durning ignition wasnt going on??? i drove it all day yesterday and it ran fine but now i noticed something else!

last night, i was driving and i can see that the interior lights would get brighter as i drive and i mean brighter then usual! so i found that kind of odd. i looked under the hood this morning, saw that the battery was leaking from the top just a tad bit but on one side of the battery, it looks as if the battery is swelling or about to blow!  :o
J1 TINTOP FOR 500 BUCKS AINT BAD AT ALL!

Re: Need a pro to help me figure this one out!
« Reply #6 on: April 28, 2009, 12:19:34 PM »
If the CEL is going out as normal then there shouldn't be any codes. If you do have a TPS problem then you need to sort that out first, remember that it may not be the TPS itself, it could be a wiring problem.

yeah, no cel once started but if i do the bridge on the plug near the battery, its throws out code 22. when im driving, the cel is not on, like it appears there is no problem
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Offline wildgoody

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Re: Need a pro to help me figure this one out!
« Reply #7 on: April 28, 2009, 10:19:33 PM »
you might want to check the alternator, voltage spikes do weird things
to ECUs, could be a bad rectifier or voltage controller

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Offline Rhinoman

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Re: Need a pro to help me figure this one out!
« Reply #8 on: April 29, 2009, 04:36:28 AM »
Fix the charging problem first and replace the battery, then start fault finding on the FI. It is possible that the ECU has been damaged, on an 8V a bad battery will put a lot of strain on the caps.
2000 Vitara 1.6, 3+3 Lift, 33"MTs, 5:83s, LWB brakes, Winch, Snorkel, Safari Rack
1986 SJ413K PickUp, 1.6L conversion.

OBD1 - Full diagnostics on a PC/Laptop: http://www.rhinopower.org

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Offline one mile

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Re: Need a pro to help me figure this one out!
« Reply #9 on: April 29, 2009, 09:53:28 PM »
Rhinoman is right..you need to fix what you know is wrong to narrow down the things that could be wrong...a bad voltage regulator can "Cook" your battery and also cause voltage spikes. It seems to me that this is one of your problems if not your main problem. Let us know how you make out! GOOD LUCK!
"WORK SMART NOT HARD"

Re: Need a pro to help me figure this one out!
« Reply #10 on: April 30, 2009, 09:22:16 AM »
Hi again! thanks everyone for you all your help! So far, I have replaced the battery and i thought i herd a slight pop, not so loud but i noticed it as i had the radio off while driving on the freeway. I it was dark last night so i popped the hood this morning and saw a little leak coming from the battery, im guessing this is what must have been the pop i herd. is ok, i have spare batteries laying aroun which are all good but yeah, i deffinitly want to fix this charging problem.
J1 TINTOP FOR 500 BUCKS AINT BAD AT ALL!

Re: Need a pro to help me figure this one out!
« Reply #11 on: April 30, 2009, 09:23:28 AM »
Rhinoman is right..you need to fix what you know is wrong to narrow down the things that could be wrong...a bad voltage regulator can "Cook" your battery and also cause voltage spikes. It seems to me that this is one of your problems if not your main problem. Let us know how you make out! GOOD LUCK!

where can i find the voltage regulator on the tracker?
J1 TINTOP FOR 500 BUCKS AINT BAD AT ALL!

Re: Need a pro to help me figure this one out!
« Reply #12 on: April 30, 2009, 09:33:24 AM »
oh yeah, and also the 60a fuse that i replaced yesterday, the copper color has some sort of discoloration on it like it has been super hot! does this mean the alternator is bad?
J1 TINTOP FOR 500 BUCKS AINT BAD AT ALL!

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Offline Rhinoman

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Re: Need a pro to help me figure this one out!
« Reply #13 on: April 30, 2009, 11:03:43 AM »
Voltage regulator is built into the alternator.
2000 Vitara 1.6, 3+3 Lift, 33"MTs, 5:83s, LWB brakes, Winch, Snorkel, Safari Rack
1986 SJ413K PickUp, 1.6L conversion.

OBD1 - Full diagnostics on a PC/Laptop: http://www.rhinopower.org

Re: Need a pro to help me figure this one out!
« Reply #14 on: April 30, 2009, 11:20:50 AM »
yeah, i quickly searched online and saw that it wasnt external. i just pulled off the altenator and im gonna head to autozone where they test it for free. ill be back in hopefully about an hour, i gotta bike there lol! dont want to take a risk with the leaking battery and its fumes!  ;D
J1 TINTOP FOR 500 BUCKS AINT BAD AT ALL!