Help - Total Power Loss

rigby

rigby

Well-Known Member
State Event Organiser
So here's the issue. At intermittent points during driving whether under WOT or not, the car seems to hesitate or have basically no torque, then randomly kicks back in 1sec later. No misfiring, no noises, no smoke, no CEL, no nothing, just the loss of power. It is most notable when taking off from a stop but there's no way of predicting when it happens. It happens through the entire rpm range and there is no rhyme or rhythm to it.

I have also only noticed it lately (within the last few weeks), when I swapped back to the Proton ECU and injectors.

So what are your thoughts? I assume if it was injectors it would be constant not intermittent. Could it be ECU related? O2 sensor? Old dying engine? (260k kms). Just need some advice on what and how I can check so I can eliminate potential sources of the problem.

Thanks guise.

Checklist (red = not culprit, blue = untested):

ECU
AFM
Throttle Position Switch
Spark Plugs
Ignition Leads
Loom/unseated plugs
O2 Sensor
TPS
ISCV
Oil Filter/Oil (from noisy lifters)
 
Last edited:
Haven't checked every loom plug so I'll have a geez. Engine bay only or dash loom too? And I shall do a smoke check for any intake vacuum leaks.

Any other ideas?
 
If auto tourque converter not working properly or manual the clutch could be slipping. Mate had a problem with air-conditioning coming on and off and slight losse of power as it engaged probly not your problem.
 
Shouldn't be the torque converter as I just had the gearbox rebuilt 5 months ago, massive pain in the ass if it is that.
 
I'd hope not, but in the torque converter it has a stator inside that helps with take off and i think stops the car rolling back when you take your foot off the brake (from memory) it was what came to mind when you talked about take off.

Might be able to get the computer scanned as they can plug in there OBD/OBDII scanner and diagnose a little bit further.
 
Had similar problem years ago with Ford Telstar. Markedly on long uphill incline occasional miss. Proved to be loose timing belt.

Not sure if your car has a timing belt? If so could be worth checking. If chain well maybe loose chain!!!
 
I was for a time, yes.

Is there a way to diagnose/check if it is actually the AFM before I buy a new one?
 
I had this problem on the lancer a few months back . it started when I bought the evo years back, and tried to replace everything from maf x 3 , coil packs x 6, ignition leads x 8 and numerous spark plugs ranging from bosch ngk denso oem mitsu whenever I changed something it will work good for a good few days then back again. lol I even replaced the clutch thinking it was slipping!

someone suggested the o2 sensor. I bought a 2nd hand one as I was very tired of buying parts that wasn't working. and that was the culprit all along, a $80 part that I just overlooked. im not saying its the same as the problem you have but if you haven't replaced yours in a while it might be a good chance that it needs replacement.
 
rigby said:
So here's the issue. At intermittent points during driving whether under WOT or not, the car seems to hesitate or have basically no torque, then randomly kicks back in 1sec later. No misfiring, no noises, no smoke, no CEL, no nothing, just the loss of power. It is most notable when taking off from a stop but there's no way of predicting when it happens. It happens through the entire rpm range and there is no rhyme or rhythm to it.

I had new spark plugs and a big service in October and after that one of my ignition leads died. They have since been replaced. I have also only noticed it lately (within the last few weeks), when I swapped back to the Proton ECU and injectors.

So ehat are your thoughts? )
Click to expand...

Hi,

Not sure if you have sorted this issue yet.... I had this happen to my Satria GTI. Changed air filter, spark plugs, cleaned the MAF.... everything worked ok for a couple of days then it started again. I was going to give up and take it to a mechanics when I read a random comment on some overseas forum. Noisy lifters can cause the knock sensor to cut in. I do have noisy lifters so I changed the type of oil and the oil filter.... no more random power loss.

NB the car was running rich when the problem was occurring.. black soot particles on the back bumper....
 
Probably going to sound a bit dumb, but when it happens if you change the throttle position is there any change in the acceleration?

I had an issue very similar where anything more than about 8-10% throttle and the car would just balk. Motor would make lots of intake noise as I changed the throttle, but just no power and no torque. Would happen randomly and for varying lengths of time, but no more than a few seconds at most. After dicking about a bit, tried a different distributor and that made all the hesitation go away. For some reason the coil had died in my original one, and I found that out through switching individual components out until the problem came back. New dizzy = no mo problem. Obviously this was a solution for a distributor driven ignition system - but if you've got coil packs I'd still be looking at coils. Buy one and test by swapping each coil pack out. Hopefully by changing one you solve the problem. If the problem's there with both, potentially you have two dead coils but I'd be looking at something else, still on the ignition side of things, dirty terminals, loose plug, bad contact - something of the like.

Just my 2 cents worth :)
 
Do have a distributor. The engine matches the power being delivered so it doesn't make noise and not go anywhere, just hesitates upon throttle.

Trying another ecu and afm this week
 
o0o.paw said:
Hi,

Not sure if you have sorted this issue yet.... I had this happen to my Satria GTI. Changed air filter, spark plugs, cleaned the MAF.... everything worked ok for a couple of days then it started again. I was going to give up and take it to a mechanics when I read a random comment on some overseas forum. Noisy lifters can cause the knock sensor to cut in. I do have noisy lifters so I changed the type of oil and the oil filter.... no more random power loss.

NB the car was running rich when the problem was occurring.. black soot particles on the back bumper....
Click to expand...

Did you find out what was causing it to run rich? Fairly sure I have the same issue. Will try an oil swap soon, did you go thicker, thinner, semi synth oil?
 
o0o.paw said:
Hi,

Not sure if you have sorted this issue yet.... I had this happen to my Satria GTI. Changed air filter, spark plugs, cleaned the MAF.... everything worked ok for a couple of days then it started again. I was going to give up and take it to a mechanics when I read a random comment on some overseas forum. Noisy lifters can cause the knock sensor to cut in. I do have noisy lifters so I changed the type of oil and the oil filter.... no more random power loss.
Click to expand...

This wins the internet. You're a legend mate. Dropped the oil and put in some thicker 15w-40. Lifter tick gone. Power loss gone. Was also about 1.5L low on oil so that didn't help.

But seem to have got all my power etc back. Might even try 20w-50 next oil change.
 
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OK so the problem isn't gone after all, it's worse than ever. It is now a constant power loss instead of intermittent, slower than a g15, and I am sad.

I recently had a regular service, the problem remained unchanged, then I had a timing belt service which involved the following:

New timing belt, pulleys, idlers and seals (also fixed a cam seal oil leak)
New lifters
20w-50 oil and new filter
New power steering belt

The new lifters do not make any noise, and I thought it may just need them to bed in before the power comes back, but that's not the case. Also the idle was lowered from 1300 to 900rpm, and the cam seal leak was falling onto the timing belt, hence the replacement. Now would the timing belt being out by 1 tooth be the culprit here? Because if there was oil on the belt, my initial thought would be that maybe it slipped a single tooth ad just started making it run like *Richard*, and now that it has been swapped to a new belt, the new belt was also fitted 1 tooth out. But then that doesn't explain why it was formerly intermittent and now it's constant power loss. There is no misfiring, no shuddering, no shaking, no other symptoms except power loss.

I have no idea where to start here, I have no idea what to look for and I feel completely overwhelmed by the thought of trying to fix this issue with my now extremely depleted bank account.

Any thoughts/tips/etc? And more importantly if anyone knows how to check if an ISCV is actually working or faulty could you please tell me as it's a $300+ part and I don't want to pay that to find out that mine is still fine anyway.
 
At what stage did your idle go to 1300.
Disconnect your tps and test
Have you been in any deep water or heavy rain?
How old is your cat? They dont like water when hot
 
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