Help!!!! Cold weather related issues AGAIN....

Yesterday was the first REAL cold day that we've had this winter.

When I got out of work, my Stealth started fine and idled without issue.

I backed out of my space and moved toward the lot entrance, again no issues.

I pulled out onto I-35 (two lane fairly busy road) I accelerated normally for about 100 yards and then the car lost all power and stalled. Attempts to start repeatedly produced running for about 2 or 3 seconds (or until I started to attempt to move).

Panicked, I put on the emergency flashers and opened the hood and checked for obvious issues (blown off Y pipe...). I was dead in the right hand lane, closed the hood and attempted to start again, after a couple futile attempts it stayed running and I moved off the highway. I let it run for a few minutes and then made my way home without further issues.

Fast forward to this morning. Auto start the car from in the house. It runs for a few minutes and I hear it shut off. It attempts twice to restart, runs for a few seconds then dies.

I run out and give it a start and feather the accellerator and the car runs and idles fine.

I drive to work without issue.

Things I have tried to resolve the issue:

Coil packs
PTU
MAS
ECU

What I am trying today:

Swap injectors
Do fuel pump relay bypass
Reset ECU

Things I have checked:

Coolant temperature sensor (logged it from cold to warm with no issues)
Air temperature sensor (same as the coolant....)
Measure fuel pressure with external gauge...perfect

I have two ECU's and both act the same, the fuel trims eventually all go to 81%.....

Any advice is greatly appreciated.....

Bob. :)

Change your fuel filter and get some dry gas.

Fuel filter was changed shortly after purchase. Once the engine bay warms the car runs like a top.

Until the bay warms I can hear a "clicking" which is NOT lifter tick (too high pitched)....

Bob.

Find the source of the clicking. Might be EGR related.

Hans was just telling me to come in and post to bypass the fuel pump relay. :)

after a huge outside temp change over night, I had very similar symptoms. Up to the point when car would not fire at all, ever. It was bad CAS.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by OhioSpyderman

Fuel filter was changed shortly after purchase. Once the engine bay warms the car runs like a top.

Until the bay warms I can hear a "clicking" which is NOT lifter tick (too high pitched)....

Bob.

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Purge control solenoid tend be loud in cold temperatures. Mine becomes quiet once the engine bay warms up the solenoid.

I had clicking from the FPR solenoid when it was cold out. Didn't seem to affect anything, but maybe yours is sticking?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by OhioSpyderman

Fuel filter was changed shortly after purchase. Once the engine bay warms the car runs like a top.

Until the bay warms I can hear a "clicking" which is NOT lifter tick (too high pitched)....

Bob.

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Is the clicking coming from the throttle body area?

Haven't pin pointed the clicking yet, but when I went to do the fuel pump relay bypass, there was water INSIDE the rubber cap and rust on some of the terminals.

I cleaned things out and sprayed some contact cleaner in the sockets.

Bypass complete, relay bye-bye...

Will advise on what happens tomorrow morning....

Thanks for all the input :)

Bob.

The water was likely your issue. I had an issue last winter where water got in my auto lamp shut-off relay and when it froze it caused the relay to stick and made the headlights come on and kill my battery.

Heh, I hadn't seen that you had quoted me Brian....

Thanks for your input (and friendship)....

Bob. :)

Bob, not sure if you remember the other thread we had going for this. IIRC Greg showed something in the stock ECU warm-up map that was pretty convincing to me. My issue was never solved until I stopped running stock ECU's. Runs without a hiccup now, and nothing was changed from before to after besides the computer.

Well, it was 28°F this morning and the car started and ran without issues. No stumbling at all.

I am waiting for some REAL cold weather to say this is fixed, but for now it seems to have cleared up the issue.

DAMNED fuel pump relays!!!

Bob. :)

wooo hooo!!

the real issue is that you own a stealth. bypass that and everything in your LIFE will be solved! BAM! :p

You forget, I own a VR4 too :)

lies.

and is your VR4 having cold weather issues?!

I DIDNT THINK SO!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by futurevr4man

and is your VR4 having cold weather issues?!

I DIDNT THINK SO!

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That's because that prissy bitch is under a cover with a battery maintainer on it!!!

Bob. :)

pampering the mitsu... sounds about right. let the stealth be the one to rack up the miles hahaha

When you say fuel pump relay are you talking about the fuel pump resistor? cus I was going to suggest bypassing that.

oh and hi Bob :Welcome: Can we swap weather? cus it's fuck off hot here :(

Here's EXACTLY what I did Joe......

Stealth 316 - Fuel Pump Relay/Resistor Bypass

I'll take hot over cold any day....

Bob. :)

LOL yeah that's what I was going to suggest. Mine was causing wierd issues as was another member in Australia. I have lost count how many times I have suggest that fix LOL. I would take cold over hot any day. As long as it's not snow cus that's just plain inconvenient.