kmacht
Probationary Member
- 7
- 0
- May 6, 2013
-
Colchester,
Connecticut
I need some help. I'm about to just call the local junk yard and tell them to come pick up the car. I have a 94 eclipse 1.8 non turbo front wheel drive that is completely stock except for an aftermarket radio. I bought the car with a little over 120,000 miles on it to use as a fun daily commuter car. It drove great for a year but over the past few months I am starting to have major problems. After driving the car for 20 minutes or so it will randomly start to severely stutter. It doesn't matter what gear or speed I'm at. The engine sounds like it quickly looses power and then just as quickly gains it back several times in a row. It is bad enough that it causes the car to jerk back and forth. Just as quickly as it start it will stop and run normal again. Yesterday driving home it started doing the stuttering thing and then all of a sudden the dash just completely shut off and the RPM gage went to zero like someone turned the key off. I heard a relay click off when it happened but don't know which one. The engine was still running but slowly winding down. I kept my foot on the gas and after a few seconds it would come back to life and run like nothing happened. This went on for about 5 miles turning off and on and then it stopped and started running normal again. The stuttering was a big annoyance but this shutting off thing could leave me stranded on the side of the road and either needs to get fixed or I need to look for another car.
Here is what I have done over the past few months trying to fix the problem. I replaced the plugs, wires, rotor, cap, and coil thinking it was ignition related. I changed out the fuel filter thinking it might be plugged and replaced the battery since it was due anyway. I pulled the ECU tonight and took a look at it and the caps look fine. There is a little bit of corrosion on the green power transistor legs up by the connectors but it doesn't look like anything that would cause an issue as the corrosion is limited to just the top of the legs and doesn't go down to the board or into the traces. I have checked for vacuum leaks the best I could, replaced the coolant temperature sensor, and the coolant gage sensor. I checked the throttle position sensor with a digital ohm meter and it tested fine. To be sure I unplugged it and drove it like that and still got the stuttering. I also checked compression and while somewhat low all four cylinders were close to each other. I'm at my wits end here and need some advice. I can't afford to keep throwing money and parts unless I can figure out what it is first. Any help or suggestions would be very much appreciated.
Keith
Here is what I have done over the past few months trying to fix the problem. I replaced the plugs, wires, rotor, cap, and coil thinking it was ignition related. I changed out the fuel filter thinking it might be plugged and replaced the battery since it was due anyway. I pulled the ECU tonight and took a look at it and the caps look fine. There is a little bit of corrosion on the green power transistor legs up by the connectors but it doesn't look like anything that would cause an issue as the corrosion is limited to just the top of the legs and doesn't go down to the board or into the traces. I have checked for vacuum leaks the best I could, replaced the coolant temperature sensor, and the coolant gage sensor. I checked the throttle position sensor with a digital ohm meter and it tested fine. To be sure I unplugged it and drove it like that and still got the stuttering. I also checked compression and while somewhat low all four cylinders were close to each other. I'm at my wits end here and need some advice. I can't afford to keep throwing money and parts unless I can figure out what it is first. Any help or suggestions would be very much appreciated.
Keith
