stuarty said:

hmmm, never been a fan of cleaning a MAF, they are really sensitive, i just buy another one, the loss of power could be the crank sensor, it tells the ecu when to spark, so if its not sending the signal back, the ecu wont know the engine's running.

hope i explained it ok

Click to expand...

Yep, cheers.

I was kinda hoping the problem was just a one off, but it's not the case. 3 times within a mile (from the Toll of Birness to be exact) I'd a short loss of power this morning. Scarey times at 4am with no chance of public transport to help out! I've limped the car to work but I'm not hopeful that she's going to last the week. Fuel consumption just now is awful!

I suspect you could be very much spot on with the crank sensor being the cause. I did hear a short click from the glovebox/relays when the power dipped, but it was hard to pinpoint for sure.

Problems

Did you try what we discussed when you and Andrew were at the scrappies?
First part was the crank sensor....... second part was:

Disconnect the MAF and see how the car runs with it disconnected? It's a trick I've used on the Stilo and in the past on my sisters old Vauxhall Astra.
Without a reading from the MAF the ECU goes into default mode (not limp home, just a default setting). If it runs better with the MAF disconnected, but not 100%, then you can be pretty sure the MAF is goosed. Not ideal to run with it disconnected for too long. Also worth checking the MAF connections, giving them a clean and making sure it's connecting properly. That worked on a friends Skoda......

I don't want to sound like a cracked record, but did you get the car on a diagnostic machine yet? I appreciate monies can be tight but to be fair m8, dip into your pocket find the cash and get it on the machine. It may find out for certain what's amiss.......:idea3:

Hamish

PS - sell you a nice Stilo

I forgot about the runing without it part, but then the rough runing stopped with exhaust repair and spark change. Then it was just random start issue. I literaly have no funds atm for diag, but it is on the cards if stil reqd. Off to garage after work to get exhaust tightend!

Ok so got exhaust dome - not before she lost power just a mile from the garage. Got a crank sensor priced (£70 odd from Dingbro plus an hours labour?!) and got home...now the car wont start again

Fast running out of patience/ideas/money. Is it likely that disconnecting the MAF will still be of any benefit? Going to give her an hour or so and see if she fires but Im not hopeful!

Small update. Cars currently AWOL after losing all power again on the trip to work this morning (mahoosive cheers to v6 Keik for the run to work at such short notice - and at 5am :eek The good news is she's booked into be looked at tomorrow, just need to try and get there and ideally with the car under her own steam. First port of call is diagnostics to confirm whats wrong (all suspicions STILL point to dodgy crank sensor though)

Hope it gets sorted for you Martyn, hate it myself when my car's off the road

Well shes just literally at the garage now. Fingers crossed. Got a few miles out of her then off again!

Martyn what do you do to these cars?????

Martyn said:

Small update. Cars currently AWOL after losing all power again on the trip to work this morning (mahoosive cheers to v6 Keik for the run to work at such short notice - and at 5am :eek The good news is she's booked into be looked at tomorrow, just need to try and get there and ideally with the car under her own steam. First port of call is diagnostics to confirm whats wrong (all suspicions STILL point to dodgy crank sensor though)

Click to expand...

actually 04.42 & 31 seconds you :tosser:
pmsl
u just dunno how many favours your down for

Voodoo said:

Martyn what do you do to these cars?????

Click to expand...

I look at them. Then I sigh. Then I feel all sad

new theory!!!!!!

well, kind of, lol, crank sensor (yes i know i said it aaaagggeeesss ago) or the temp sensor is duffed:thumbs:

Hoping it's still something relatively inexpensive, whatever it is.

Had a sleep for a couple of hours this afternoon and no missed calls from the garage. So I'm working on the theory that either

i)No news is good news (ie they've been too busy to look at it so it's still sat untouched)

or

ii) My rain soaked note was unreadable, so they've tried to phone work. Hopefully get an idea of whats happening tomorrow!

Maybe, if I wish real hard, it'll have been something silly and she'll be all fixed and ready to go when I get to work in the morning. But I doubt it LOL :nutter:


Edit: Just read this - http://www.fiatforum.com/bravo-brava/212348-think-i-have-lambda-senser-problem.html

i still say crank, the random starting issues suggest that more than anything else, it can also give the side effects you've been having if it doesnt know when to spark.

with the start issue, if you leave it after a non start for a while, would it start normally again later?

Mrcento said:

i still say crank, the random starting issues suggest that more than anything else, it can also give the side effects you've been having if it doesnt know when to spark.

with the start issue, if you leave it after a non start for a while, would it start normally again later?

Click to expand...

So assuming the engine doesnt know when exactly to spark, actual running could be slightly off?

With the starting later, yes, thats exactly what it does. IE yesterday she died at 4.30. I waited maybe 10-15 minutes (seemed longer) for Keith to pick me up from where the car was. That whole time she wouldn't offer to start, just kept turning. We went to move the car about this time last night, fired up first time with no issues. Then died again 3 miles later on route to the garage

its the crank. i'd put money on it.

exact same symptoms my punto hgt had, and thats what it was found to be.

also the same symptoms my mates cally had, and it was a wire to the crank sensor had frayed and shorted. all after some random starting issues just like that.

it could well be running a bit off depending on when it loses signal, it would explain alot of the problems you've had with it also tbh.

Mrcento said:

its the crank. i'd put money on it.

exact same symptoms my punto hgt had, and thats what it was found to be.

also the same symptoms my mates cally had, and it was a wire to the crank sensor had frayed and shorted. all after some random starting issues just like that.

it could well be running a bit off depending on when it loses signal, it would explain alot of the problems you've had with it also tbh.

Click to expand...

Before the first terminal loss of engine yesterday, she didnt seem to be on full power leaving Ellon. I must stress I wasnt booting it, but I just had that horrible feeling something was amiss. When she idled in the carpark downstairs on Monday afternoon she wasnt quite 100%, in fact she died whilst idling. Again, she didnt seem 100% then.

It's pointing more and more and more to crank, which at least may be a cheap repair :drummer:

Hmm just from the cento exp. When the crack sensor goes it usually means there are no fuel and spark. Ifthere is turning does that not suggest there is a spark going on ?

So pointing to a fuel issues like injector or fuel filter clogged up ?

Ming

YcMing said:

Hmm just from the cento exp. When the crack sensor goes it usually means there are no fuel and spark. Ifthere is turning does that not suggest there is a spark going on ?

So pointing to a fuel issues like injector or fuel filter clogged up ?

Ming

Click to expand...

its throwing an erratic signal, until its totaly dead or fried, it will still send some signals as to when it should spark and other times it won't

if it was a clogged filter or injector, it wouldn't have the erratic start problems that the bravo has. it would either work poorly all of the time, or not work at all, all of the time.

the fact it starts perfectly some, then others not at all, before being left and randomly starting again no problem says to me its a definite crank problem.

its the exact same problem both me and a friend have had and both times it was crank related.

any news on the bravo yet?

Mrcento said:

any news on the bravo yet?

Click to expand...

Was speaking to him earlier, and as yet - no news.

i think he said the mechanic had sent for parts but he didnt know what was ordered