Help! Engine Stalls While Driving

[sandorasan]

Hi,
I have been facing engine stalling for past 1 month. Everytime I send the car to TC (Bukit Timah), they cannot detect the problem - they will go through routine computer check then say no problem, change some parts and then release the car back to me. The car will stall again next day or within next few days.

First time - they reloaded the ignition program (stalled 2 weeks later)
Second time - they replaced the accelerator pad sensor (stalled 2 days later)
Third time - they replaced the throttle chamber and test drove car 6-7x (stalled the next day!)

Everytime the engine signal (yellow colour) light up on the dashboard, the car will turn sluggish and then soon stop. Luckily I usually have enough time to move the car to the side lane. Sometimes even when I manage to restart the car, the car does not seem to respond very well when I step on accelerator (like no engagement) even though the senor has been replaced.

It has been incredibly stressful driving the car in this unpredictable and dangerous condition.
Has anyone has faced this problem before, or able to give any advice on what I should do?
Thanks heaps!!
SY (I drive a Latio Sports 2006)

[cjkannan]

bro
did you try other workshop? better to take alternative opinion on this.

[sandorasan]

Am considering.
Any suggestions? Especially for mechanics who are good with Latio?

[jonpaul0104]

High chance is the MAF sensor.....

[sandorasan]

MAF sensor ...? Oh dear, what's that?
Does it cost a bomb to get it replaced?

[jonpaul0104]

some call it the oxygen sensor...MAF if i am not wrong is Mass Air Flow sensor.....tend to get choked or dirty.....

then car will vibrate before dying off.....

is that the symptoms?

if i am not wrong cost abt $200+

but seek a second opinion at other workshops that specialise on Nissan cars.....

[sandorasan]

Thanks Jonpaul0104!

No, the car does not vibrate before dying off.
Usually, it just becomes sluggish, ie the speed does not seem to correspond to the usual pressing of accelerator, or the engine feels as though it has disengaged (ie not responding well to the accelerator or a long lag time before speed picks up), after which the engine signal will light up and I will have about 5-10 secs to maneuver the car to the left lane before engine dies.
Thereafter, I would do a complete shutdown, wait for another few seconds before restarting the engine. Mostly, the car can restart without problem and I can continue driving, just that as the driver, you know it is not in its usual responsive condition. Sometimes, the engine signal will remain lighted up, and the car cannot move.

A friend has suggested it could be the ECU. That sounds rather major and frightfully damaging to the wallet...?

[dsrio]

from your posting, it seems like your car no longer under warranty, i can understand that if pay for some parts replacement, but the problem still happen again, then waste of $ and the cycle repeats.

i also hate problems tat are intermittent, very hard to show the mechanic.

i wish you luck in finding a mechanic tat can solve your problem.

[sandorasan]

Ya, the car is no longer under warranty.
I don't mind if the replacement parts can resolve the problem, but what they have done so far does not work.

Have spoken to a trusted mechanic recommended by a friend.
His advice is to take the car back to TCM as it concerns electronic components   

[jonpaul0104]

i guess is not ECU problem else the engine consult done in TCM would have picked up the problem.....

i guess is some mechanical problem.....to me I think MAF sensor is highest chance.....

anyway, go check it out at other workshop.....

[sunnyong]

been there for 3 times?? and TCM not know wat is the root prob 
OMG.. better take hammer and bang table..

Tell them $$$ not the issue.. it's SAFETY issue now..

[Enzoni]

Thanks Jonpaul0104!

No, the car does not vibrate before dying off.
Usually, it just becomes sluggish, ie the speed does not seem to correspond to the usual pressing of accelerator, or the engine feels as though it has disengaged (ie not responding well to the accelerator or a long lag time before speed picks up), after which the engine signal will light up and I will have about 5-10 secs to maneuver the car to the left lane before engine dies.
Thereafter, I would do a complete shutdown, wait for another few seconds before restarting the engine. Mostly, the car can restart without problem and I can continue driving, just that as the driver, you know it is not in its usual responsive condition. Sometimes, the engine signal will remain lighted up, and the car cannot move.

A friend has suggested it could be the ECU. That sounds rather major and frightfully damaging to the wallet...?

In the 4.5yrs with my latio, i had experienced twice or thrice the scenario u were saying.  Suddenly the car lost power for 3-5 sec (abit like gear din engage properly), but in my case the engine din stall n there was no engine light on n it recovered straight after.

Told TC but they juz brushed it off n i cant show it to them...

Hope u can find out the problem n post it here.

Maybe u can try autoaid as the mechs there are ex-TC mech.

[sandorasan]

Indeed it is a safety issue now.
TCM released the car to me on Fri after they had test drove 6-7x using up half a tank of petrol and found that all is well. So on Sat, I took the car out for a long test drive myself. It seemed fine in the beginning (at speeds of 60-90km/hr) so I decided to move into high speed. As I was driving along SLE down a slope at 110-120km/hr, the engine disengaged and engine signal light came on.
It was very scary and I was just very lucky that during that space in time, the road behind me was clear and I could move to the road shoulder immediately.

Yes, I will post the results once they have isolated the problem.
TCM came and collected the car. So far, they said it is not the MAF; the MAF readings are ok.
And the car was performing fine during the drive from my place to the workshop.

[jonpaul0104]

Frankly intermittent problem is the most difficult to resolve......

[pizzaboy]

Frankly intermittent problem is the most difficult to resolve......

ya man juz like dashboard vibrations & rattlings sound damn hard to detect keep comin on & off...

when u r drivin alone keep hearin funny sound but when u brin it to agent and take the tester out for a spin, all sound gone.

bro sando try washin the throttle body and reset ur ecu 1st and see if problem persist anot

[jonpaul0104]

yah yah.....had troubleshoot the dashboard noise for 2.5yrs.......to the extent of TCM providing me courtesy car.....while car in w/s.....

[sandorasan]

Thanks for suggestions. Will talk to TCM.
I don't want the car back until they have confidently resolved the problem.
And to be fair, they have done a good job with my car these past 4.5yrs, maintaining it without any problem.
I hope they will come through. I don't wish to cause any accident lor.

[jonpaul0104]

hope the charges by TCM will not frighten you........

[Gone with the wind]

I have a friend driving the Latio.  TCM changed his car ECU after 31/2 years FOC, his car also had some intermitent problems.  I think you should ask TCM to put in a new ECU and test it out. 

[sandorasan]

Really?? Okok!!
... hang on ... is it FOC because it happened only half a year after warranty expired?