Car runs for 5 seconds then dies.....been stranded 3 times already....Please Help!

[2gHiBoost]

Hello everyone,

I am in need of some serious help. I am so confused and mad right now, I don't know what might happen. I have had this problem before and when I woke up the next morning it was fine.. I didn't think anything about it but now I have been stranded 3 times in the last 3 weeks. Today I was late to work by atleast 35 minutes. I will describe what is going on and hope to god someone can shed some light on what the problem is or might be.

I turn the key and the engine turns over and runs. But only for about 5 seconds, never longer than that. Sometimes it won't even turn over...some times it studders really bad and just dies...won't even start. I took out the chilton manual and looked for possible causes. When this happens, I will pull the engine fuse and the ignition switch fuse just to reset anything that might be messing up.

I have also disconnected the CAS wire and I can hear a relay or small motor making noises. I think I might be getting a bad connection on one of the plugs that has to do with the firing of the spark plugs or fuel. I am not the greatest with engines but if you can tell me what it might be, I will be sure to figure it out.

I thought it was a vacuum hose coming off but they are all on and tight. I then thought it may be the turbo timer messing up...nope. I even thought it might have been bad gas or the gas guage went bad....because it sounds like its out of gas but that is never the problem.

I am fixing to repaint my car in the next week and the last thing I need is to take my car to the dealer and get raped by labor charges when it took 5 min to diagnose the problem. Help a poor college kid out please.


Sincerely
Nick

 

[jfdid]

Check your fuel pump, put your head down there(under your gas tank) and listen for the pump while your car is running(for that 5 seconds). If the pump sound stops, and then your engine stops, well, you've got either a wiring problem or a pump problem(more likely).

Do you have a datalogger?

 

[2gHiBoost]

I do not have a datalogger, I wish I did.

I don't think it would be the fuel pump because it will die every time for 30 min straight and then if I push on a few connectors and mess with the fuses, it will start and run fine like nothing ever happened.

I think it has to do with the electronics in the fuel system somehow, just not sure where to look. I am not sure if the the firing order is getting messed up or what. I already checked all the wires for spark and they are sparking fine. I priced a coil the first time this happened and said well I'll figure something out and sure enough I got it to work. That made me even more confused.

This is really bad because I am not sure if I will be at home or at work almost 30 miles away. Its pretty sad when you have to pray for it to start up or when you have to check to see if it is going to start before you can let your friends leave from school....

Keep the replies coming because this problem has got me bugged!

 

[2gHiBoost]

Guys I still need your help....Let me know if you can think of anything..

I am sure someone has had a problem like this and can help me out.

Thanks again
Nick

 

[oldman]

If you have a 2g friend near by, start swaping parts one at a time. CAS, plug, wires, coil, ecu...etc.

 

[2gHiBoost]

Unfortunately I dont' have any friends that have eclipse turbos. I am going to start tonight just checking things over around and see if anything looks out of place. Hasn't anyone ever had this problem? I sure hope so.....

Please keep the suggestions coming and if you know anyone to ask, let me know..

Thanks again

Nick

 

[The Foos]

I'm not too familiar with 2g's, so if I start listing off parts that aren't on the 2g's, sorry.

First off, that sounds electrical, more specifically, electronic. Is your check engine light coming on when it runs for an extended period of time? If so, check the code.

On the 1g, the first things I would check are the ecu and the transistor pack. Maybe you 2g guys can help out. What other electronic equipment has to do with engine function on the 2g's?

Good luck man.

Scott

 

[2gHiBoost]

I appreciate the reply. I think that it is electrical too but what I can't figure out is why will it not start for 30 minutes and come back later and reset the fuses and push on a few plugs that have to do with the coil, the crank angle sensor and another one just under the intake manifold on the left. It might be like a idle control valve or something like that.

Thing is, I know if I sit there and mess with these fuses and connector plugs I can get it to start but something has got to be fixed. It looks like my car is a piece of **** when I am sitting at school with the hood popped and pushin on wires. I guess I need to change my signature because that is obviously not true.

Please keep the replies coming, hopefully some of the 2g guys can give me some info.

Thanks a bunch
Nick

 

[2gHiBoost]

Hey everyone, I just wanted to thank those who have replied and hope to hear more replies. I know a lot of people won't see this so I ask that if you know someone who is really good with the the 2g's engine and wiring, please send them a link or send them my way....

Thanks again.....

Nick

 

[taino787]

got the same problem on my 97 gst. but mine feels like shit on those 5 seconds that is running.

 

[2gHiBoost]

Ok here's an update....

The car did the same thing yesterday and it only took me maybe a minute to get it started and back in shape. I did the following three things and it perked right up... Let me know if you can narrow it down to one....

1. Disconnected the crank angle sensor plug and plugged it back in a couple times.
2. Removed the Engine Fuse and plugged it back in
3. Removed the Ignition Switch fuse and plugged it back in.

I am leaning more towards the CAS wire but am confused if it is the the CAS or the plug that I keep disconnecting and connecting. Please shed some light if you have idea.

Thanks

Nick

 

[taino787]

the problem i have is similar, but now it does not start at all.

 

[2gHiBoost]

Ok heres an update.....


I had another stranded moment at school yesterday. I got out of one of my classes early so I thought I would go and listen to my new cd for a while before my next class started. I figured I had better start my car so that the battery don't run down. Well, that never happened. It kept trying to start or would start and run for like 5 seconds. Sometimes the engine would shake really bad.

I called my dad to bring down a ohm/voltage meter and the chilton manual. We tested the CAS plug and the coil wire and according to the chilton manual, the CAS needs to be replaced.

It was within the voltage range on the first two prongs and then the thrid, the ground, had .014 of continuity.....The book says if that if the first two are in range and the third, the ground, has continuity, the sensor should be replaced. Does .014 count as continuity. Its such as small amount.


Anyway, I was reading in the chilton about engine codes and figured I would try that to see what kind of reading I would get...maybe even a diagnosis on the problem.. Its the ON-OFF-ON-OFF-ON in 5 seconds and then check to see the check engine light responses. Well....it would have probably helped if there was a Check Engine Light BULB in the dash!! I got to looking and there wasn't even a check engine light bulb in the dash. I thought it must have just went out. Nope, the previous owner must have takin it out.

I put the CEL bulb in and now the CEL is on at all times. From the time the key is on to the time the engine is up and running strong. Well, now I have proof there is a problem and still need some help. Please help me so I don't have to take it to the dealership.

Thanks for all the information
Nick

 

[halligoo]

If you have an Advance Auto Parts nearby, they will diagnose the CEL for free. Some other parts places might offer the same service. If the CAS was bad, no amount of fuse pulling and wire shifting would help. Sounds like a bad connector plug. When it is running good, try wiggling the wires 1 area at a time until it sputters and dies.

Also, make sure that your wire is hooked up to your O2 Sensor.

The CEL diagnosis may tell you the exact problem. My kids bought me a code reader for Christmas. Try to convince your dad that he really needs one and then borrow it.

 

[oldman]

Well....it would have probably helped if there was a Check Engine Light BULB in the dash!! I got to looking and there wasn't even a check engine light bulb in the dash. I thought it must have just went out. Nope, the previous owner must have takin it out.

QUOTE]

The bastard probably took it out to hide the problem from you.

 

[JonathanPhelps]

Just run your car up to autozone and have them run their obd2 engine code puller on it. Then find someone who is not a complete **** at a mitsubishi dealer and have them look up the code for you, that is of course if it's not an obvious code

 

[2gHiBoost]

Hey thanks for all the advice. I went to Advance Auto Parts and got a friend that works there to see if I could get the codes like everyone was talking about.. Sure enough it has to rain for like 5 hours straight so finally I just drove down there and waited. About 20-30 minutes after I got there it let up so we hooked up the tester and it came back with the following codes:

02 Sensor wasn't hooked up. (This is why I think he removed the bulb. I think he had a downpipe that was making the light come on and he just removed the bulb. Then when he returned it to stock and sold it to me, he just left the bulb out.)

Cam Position Sensor (I was very shocked to see the Cam sensor and not the Crank Angle Sensor. I have been looking on the wrong side of the engine this whole time.)

I ordered the Cam Sensor today and it should be here by friday. Hopefully I will have this problem fixed by Monday.

Oh yeah, I hooked the O2 sensor back up so that is fine now.

I also called the dealership to see how much it would cost for them to test my car for the CEL codes and they said it would be 85.11 with tax. Unreal.

Thanks for all the advice from everyone that replied. I appreciate it very much.

Nick

 

[taino787]

MY CAR IS DOING THE SAME but my 02 is plugged in. I took the cam sensor/cam position sensor out and cleaned it with the electrical parts cleaning spray and when I put it back it started but back up. I finally got some progress but after a while it began to shut off like before. the sensor is bad...I ordered a new one today and will be in tomorrow afternoon.

 

[taino787]

Update
New Cam Position Sensor Installed problem Solved