Randomly stopping (engine dies), gettin' mad Options

[kavo]

Well its been a long time since ive been on these forums (since I was a young dumb teenager looking to do sick mods )

anyway so my 6gc has been cutting out randomly with no warning. I will be driving along then the engine light comes on simultaneously as the engine cuts (all the other lights come on too) and I have to very quickly clutch to maintain as much momentum as possible and pull off the road. This has happened numerous places, on the way to gym, peak hour traffic and not even at the end of my driveway. THen I cannot start the car.

Sometimes I have just left it and came back several hours later and it starts fine, other times wriggle wires and itll run for 30 sec then wont for a few hours. Very frustrating as it has been a couple of weeks since it happened last, and when the car is running me and my dad (motor mech and diesel fitter by trade) cannot diagnose the problem.


Today when i was wriggling wires I pulled this plug, which has now disintegrated except for the actual connection. I will try and start it later but is this plug needed for the car to actually run?



anybody had similar problems with their car stopping like this? or knows what it is?

[richee3]

That plug is the water temp sensor. It's important for your car to run well but it can run without it. Sounds to me like a ground issue, almost like a bad connection on the battery terminal. I'd start there- make sure the terminals are clean and ALL connections are tight. I'm sure your dad has already checked that, but it's worth double and triple checking. After that, what does it do when you try to start it? Could be a failing battery or alternator.

Can you push start it when it dies on the highway? Put it in a lower gear and let out of the clutch to start the motor, I mean.

This post has been edited by richee3: Apr 25, 2012 - 7:42 PM