Major Car problems, help needed :(, Car engine died... Options

[rentaspace]

Well, started last night, had just finished a National Park Run (Windy roads), I didn't push her too hard since I had GF and her sister in the car. Drove approximately 110km. Got back to my mates house, turned the car off, went inside for about 10minutes and then got back into the car to go off to his GFs house (approx 20km away).
As I was driving around a small roundabout, the engine died... Turned straight off, and I coasted her to the side of the road, where she wouldn't start again... CEL was also brightly illuminated. The starter motor clicked but the engine would not turn over...
I called my roadside assistance and got them dispatched. Using a hammer on the starter motor, I got the car to turn over, run for 10seconds and then die again...
Roadside assistance arrived twenty minutes later, and the car started, but had a really strange noise coming from under the black covers at the front of the engine. (kinda like a clicking/grinding noise).
I decided that I did not want to drive it on the highway with the possibility that the engine could just cutout, so I decided to get it towed to the destination we were heading (I get 8km free towing per job/problem):



The driver complemented my car and said it's the nicest celica he has ever seen, which was nice
Anyway, slowly backed her off the truck at the destination and once back on the ground, started the car and moved it to the parking area... We went inside and I went to bed cause I was pissed off haha.

Next morning, woke up and my dad had arrived to inspect the car. Everything looked fine, the car started first go and sounded normal... Alright, so we drove her from Engadine to Barden Ridge where I live, she drove fine, no weird noises or sounds and held power as usual. Drive into my driveway and pop the hood, I can hear the weird noise again from the same place...
Turn the key off, and back on and she won't start again... I also noticed that now today when it died, every Warning light illuminated (exactly the same as the test when starting the car)
So it seems, when the car is up to normal temperature it won't work, but when cold it's fine...
So far, the roadside assistance checked the battery and plugs and leads. He couldn't run a diagnostics as the CEL had gone off before he arrived...
Any Ideas what could cause an intermittent issue like this? (I have been told to check the fuel pump, but I do not think this is the cause)
Any help would be greatly appreciated...

[eMrock32]

As far as the noise, that's a Tuffy. If the car runs and drives fine when cold then I wouldn't suspect timing. However the belt could be out of place and grinding on the covers if it is old.

You need to run through eliminations. If the car starts and runs fine when cold, I'd look at a crank sensor. When they go bad in some cases, they heat up and expand and are unable to read when they need to send spark to the cylinder.

It sounds like a sensor is controlling this so it will be extremely tricky to Diag without seeing it, but I'll try to help. Best thing you can do is try to find someone with an advanced scanner that will tell you more than codes. Unfortunately you have a obd1 car (if its the 94) and it won't store any codes. If you can read a code when it does die (Dont turn the key off), then that will help.

Other than that, I Dont think it would be electrical if everything in the car continued to run.

You can do a few small tests yourself to hopefully pinpoint where tje problem is coming from. Get a cheap spark tester to see if you have spark after it dies. You can also have a friend lay down next to the car and see if you have a fuel pump prime when you turn the key (also after it dies). Should sound strong and healthy, not like a rc car bound in carpet. (Best way to explain it lol).

[rentaspace]

As far as the noise, that's a Tuffy. If the car runs and drives fine when cold then I wouldn't suspect timing. However the belt could be out of place and grinding on the covers if it is old.

You need to run through eliminations. If the car starts and runs fine when cold, I'd look at a crank sensor. When they go bad in some cases, they heat up and expand and are unable to read when they need to send spark to the cylinder.

It sounds like a sensor is controlling this so it will be extremely tricky to Diag without seeing it, but I'll try to help. Best thing you can do is try to find someone with an advanced scanner that will tell you more than codes. Unfortunately you have a obd1 car (if its the 94) and it won't store any codes. If you can read a code when it does die (Dont turn the key off), then that will help.

Other than that, I Dont think it would be electrical if everything in the car continued to run.

You can do a few small tests yourself to hopefully pinpoint where tje problem is coming from. Get a cheap spark tester to see if you have spark after it dies. You can also have a friend lay down next to the car and see if you have a fuel pump prime when you turn the key (also after it dies). Should sound strong and healthy, not like a rc car bound in carpet. (Best way to explain it lol).

We are going to take the car up to an auto-electrician tomorrow and see if he can pinpoint a sensor, We also have a spark tester laying around somewhere so I will go and try and find that and report back if it has spark or not...
I can hear the fuel pump prime from inside the car, so that is pretty much ruled out...