Engine very briefly cuts out on highway, repeatedly

Beano

Beano

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I am in Florida right now as I met the love of my life, and she drives a Suzuki SX4....a 4 cylinder car.


Meal3.JPG

Around town I have not noticed any problem but on the highway yesterday the engine would occasionally cut out....VERY briefly....for (say) a tenth of a second. Over 50 MPH usually, and it seemed as if it only really did it on acceleration. However I didn't notice it doing this when accelerating up to that speed.

It's not a slight miss....it is as if everything cuts out on acceleration on the highway, but VERY briefly.

It does this at random intervals ranging from 10 seconds apart to 40 seconds apart.

I'm pretty sure its electrical, and she said her mechanic doesn't know what it is.

The car has over 200,000 MILES on it but is in good nick and she just spent money on it.

I would score major brownie points if I could fix it and am looking for suggestions, please.

There was a thread here a few months ago about something similar but as far as I remember it was an older car and I can't find that thread.
 
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I think what you experience is pinging. Old car, low octane fuel, fraction of a second on acceleration all ties in.

You need a higher octane fuel. Make it dramatic at the petrol pump when you refuel without her seeing what you're refuelling with. Wave your hands around the engine a bit, throw some red magic Aboriginal dirt you had us mail you yesterday at it and say something in french like comporte-vous decemment, miserable espece de merde (which is not far from an SX4) ou je vais vous botter le cul and voila! (don't say and voila!) all is good with the world.

If I am right, I get to meet her first when you land here together.

More prosaically, you might need to clean the plugs as well and perhaps adjust the gaps (wider to compensate for too much advance). But if you get there, your brownie points count will halve.

PS. By the way, you lost major brownie points with us for

a) finding the love of your life in Trumpistan

b) SX4???! C'mon!
 
Thanks, dude !
It hadn't occurred to me that it may be pinging. I am used to that in much older cars. This is a 2007 model, but it still could be doing that. I just asked and she does put the cheapest gasoline in it, which I suppose is 91 octane over here.
It doesn't make that characteristic metallic pinging sound, but it is a bit more modern than a 505. The soundproofing could be masking it, plus it is on the highway rather than up hills, where my 504 and 505 used to ping.
We'll give it a go...plus do the plugs as you suggested.

Since you are up either very very late or incredibly early, here are some breakfast shots you can enjoy vicariously...these are the two of Ann's breakfasts I liked the most...enough to have taken photos of them. The buckwheat pancakes were delicious !

View attachment 117955

View attachment 117956
 
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Hi Beano :)
Good luck with the love of your life. Everyone needs one for sure :) :) :) In the good ol' USA most need two or three ?? :(
I doubt the cause is pinging. The computer just turns back the timing when it senses pinging it does not turn it off. Perhaps better fuel might help but it sounds like fuel starvation from my keyboard. The fuel filter may be clogged, some water in the fuel, or the fuel pump is failing as it only happens at full throttle. Do a pressure check.

Its a guess. But the mechanic may be a bit puzzled by a foreign 4 cyl baby car. Fit new plugs, chech coils/leads ? Enjoy those breakfasts.
Good luck Jaahn
 
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Good luck and on my recent visit there fuel octane levels are much lower, I am sure it was at least 87 if not lower, so do not use the cheapest if you want this to cease, the car will be better too.

Sent from my Mi 9 Lite using aussiefrogs mobile app
 
The American fuel rating is different to ours 87 is anti knock and we use octane rating so their regular is basically the same as ours if not a bit better.


4008
Gone but not forgotten C5 x7 3008 206 GTI 180 306 XR SED 405 MI16 x2 xzara VTS 406 SV 206 XT Berlingo 2011 (best car ever) 306 HDI 307 XSE HDI touring
Fix it right the first time
 
jaahn said:
Hi Beano :)
Good luck with the love of your life. Everyone needs one for sure :) :) :) In the good ol' USA most need two or three ?? :(
I doubt the cause is pinging. The computer just turns back the timing when it senses pinging it does not turn it off. Perhaps better fuel might help but it sounds like fuel starvation from my keyboard. The fuel filter may be clogged, some water in the fuel, or the fuel pump is failing as it only happens at full throttle. Do a pressure check.

Its a guess. But the mechanic may be a bit puzzled by a foreign 4 cyl baby car. Fit new plugs, chech coils/leads ? Enjoy those breakfasts.
Good luck Jaahn
Click to expand...


You're right, I shoulda thought of that. Now I have to stick to it.
 
Start at the start... Visualy inspection for anything loose. Pull off any electrical connector you can find and inspect for loose or corroded connections (plug back in and remove a few times on any sus ones to remake connections), pull the plugs and see what they look like.

If everything passes the visual test, chuck new plugs in. Then leads (or coils in its coil on plug?). Then I'd be looking at the fuel pump. Whats the filter like? Check for old/blocked before a new pump/ Pump relay? Filter might be in tank with the pump...
 
Haakon said:
Start at the start... Visualy inspection for anything loose. Pull off any electrical connector you can find and inspect for loose or corroded connections (plug back in and remove a few times on any sus ones to remake connections), pull the plugs and see what they look like.

If everything passes the visual test, chuck new plugs in. Then leads (or coils in its coil on plug?). Then I'd be looking at the fuel pump. Whats the filter like? Check for old/blocked before a new pump/ Pump relay? Filter might be in tank with the pump...
Click to expand...

What was that you said about 99% of people and opinions that’s shotgun diagnosis.
Being a 2007 it’s obd compliant so throw a code reader on it and check for fault codes and check the fuel trims any code reader from advance or the like should do this for under 20 bucks.


4008
Gone but not forgotten C5 x7 3008 206 GTI 180 306 XR SED 405 MI16 x2 xzara VTS 406 SV 206 XT Berlingo 2011 (best car ever) 306 HDI 307 XSE HDI touring
Fix it right the first time
 
An odd one.

Check there’s not to much junk hanging off the ignition key. If there is, as it swing back and forth in an old ignition barrel it may cause the car to switch on and off momentarily.

Ask me how I know this...
 
schlitzaugen said:
You're right, I shoulda thought of that. Now I have to stick to it.
Click to expand...

And it's good you did !

PROBLEM FIXED !

We put in some 91 octane (which, here in the USA, is apparently the equivalent of about 95 in Oz....and VOILA ! It now goes perfectly well. I never would have thunk it....there was no tell-tale metallic rattling like in my old 504 or 505. Neither one briefly cut out like this either....they just gave that sound.

All hail the great Schlitzaugen...internet problem-solver extraordinairre ! And a heartfelt thankyou from both of us, here amongst the Spanish Moss of Florida !
(photo taken today, after we found the car went great again)....four.JPG
 
Thats a new one, nice one Schlitz! Must be retarding it a bloody long way to feel like a miss...
 
Yeah, nah, mate.

I figured the combustion chamber is clogged up with carbon deposits and pre-ignites a higher (than normal for the car) compressed fuel mixture that the ECU can't deal with (too much retard to apply). Or Haakon's got it, ignition too far retarded.

Clean the plugs, maybe get a colder plug, or at least increase the gap a bit (like a poofteens of a bee's dick - very touchy feely).

On those assumptions, I would hazard a guess the lady in question is driving slowly/just chugging along, mostly short trips around town.

Do her a favour, hoon the car a bit around the freeway/windy roads.

Better still, ditch the car, keep the girl (nice lady, by the way). Get her a nice Renault. I see a Clio on the horizon.
 
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For a replacement vehicle if I was living in the US - Pontiac G8. If you can get a vanity plate that says BOGAN even better!

Failing that, I'd get a Dodge Dart from about 2012 onwards with the 1.4 turbo. Its basically an Alfa Romeo Giulietta with an American body on it. Reliability probably on par with the rebadged Commodore, but still ok and handling as only the Italians can do.

Introduce your partner to the world of cool cars :)
 
schlitzaugen said:
On those assumptions, I would hazard a guess the lady in question is driving slowly/just chugging along, mostly short trips around town.

Do her a favour, hoon the car a bit around the freeway/windy roads.
Click to expand...

Correct...just puddling around town. But I won't fang it around while she's in it. :D

Thanks for the encouragement, Haakon....Cape Canaveral is only 2 hours 50 minutes from Sarasota, where we are.
I'm coming back to Oz in early February and returning here in mid-May to live and get married to her. Will do the trip to Canaveral after that. I will in fact be buying a car, but a 4 cylinder, I think.....and driving on the right-hand side of the road. :rolleyes:
There are many big cars on the roads here and I'll feel intimidated (here are some in a parking lot the other day)

three.JPG

but I won't have much money and Florida drivers are quite considerate and careful. I have had a FEW people stop for me to cross the road as a pedestrian, in situations where they were not at all obliged to do so.

However having said I'll get a 4 cylinder, my VY Commodore in Oz mightily impressed me and its Buick "cast iron lump" V6 Ecotech engine is supposed to be bulletproof. So I may get something like that. Will have to ask around before I leave, and/or research Yank cars when I return to Oz.
 
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