97' S70 Random Stalling

leosondek · Post by **leosondek** » 22 Jan 2021, 20:19

So my car has been randomly stalling every couple of days (car will start back immediately after stalling). Also sometimes while maintaining speed on the highway I can feel like I'm losing power. Sometimes it gets to the point where the car feels like its gonna stall but as soon as I turn the AC off it goes back to normal (not sure if that has anything to do with the issue). Sometimes this happens when i hit hard bumps but not all the time.

Firstly, I did get the fuel pump relay checked out and it had a capacitor that was dead (sent it to my local electrician and he replaced the capacitor). I can hear the fuel pump click when turning key to position 2 (I ordered another one coming soon, just incase).

Secondly, I have an issue with my ignition. Sometimes when I start the car the key gets stuck between position 3 and 2 and when this happens my AC and radio gets no power. I usually just have to wiggle it back a little and I can get power back.

Thirdly, I noticed a little smoke coming out of my dip stick. I've done the PCV test and I'm sure its slightly clogged.

I've sent the car to a dealership to be scanned and was told nothing wrong engine wise when they scanned (I refuse to believe this). I've also sent the car to a friend (Mechanic) to test out the fuel pump and he said that it was all good.

I come from a country where getting parts for this car cost an arm and a leg and the car is a hand-me-down from my dad's friend, so i have no service records of any sorts.

I have 2 parts in order from a parts car which I hope to be the culprit an ignition switch and also a new fuel pump relay.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance!

leosondek · Post by **leosondek** » 22 Jan 2021, 20:31

Also I forgot to mention that the dealership has replaced the timing belt and plugs.

Another thing is the car does not stall when I leave it running in my driveway.

I'm really hoping it is not the PCV because the I cant afford to get it replace at the moment.

Any other parts i should be looking into? Thanks again

Post by **wizechatmgr** » 23 Jan 2021, 01:19

Sounds like it's time to replace the ignition switch for starters.

I'd also replace the fuel pump relay as it could have microscopic cracks that act up when warm. Have your electrician be sure to test the resistors and diodes right near that capacitor. Also have him perform a "shake and bake" test on it - that should reproduce the issue if it has a microscopic crack.

Check your voltage at the battery the next time it stalls. Also make sure all wires that go to the battery clamp are secured and that the battery is situated as it should be and is secure. I had a car do this at one point because the battery would slide around and cause a loose connection to lose conductivity.

PCV shouldn't really cause it to stall, though long term it could cause seals to blow out or leak.

leosondek · Post by **leosondek** » 23 Jan 2021, 03:35

hey, thanks for the suggestion. I have do have a few follow up questions.
1) what exactly is a 'shake and bake' test
2) For the battery i've checked the wires and they are secured, could it be the grounds? if so any idea where the grounds for the battery are located?
3) I do think my battery could be sliding around (the battery clamp is missing) can I replace them with an aftermarket one?

Post by **jreed** » 23 Jan 2021, 06:37

It might also be worth checking the AIC (automatic idle control) valve for cleanliness and smooth operation. When the AIC gets gunked up, it can get jammed and cause stalling.

Post by **wizechatmgr** » 23 Jan 2021, 16:34

Shake and bake test is used by airline and locomotive industries. They literally heat and shake the part to particular specifications for a specific duration. For companies that didn't do this and caused deaths see WABTECH of Plattsburg, NY. They sent bad parts after their production manager went out on leave to deal with cancer. The shipped the whole damn bad batch of several hundred units.

Any battery clamp that holds it still should work. They're usually cheap.

That idea above to check idle air control valve is something that eluded me and is a great idea.

leosondek · Post by **leosondek** » 08 Feb 2021, 08:16

Thanks again for the suggestion, I really appreciate it!

I'm on my way to the parts store right now to get myself a can of throttle body cleaner and a battery tiedown.

I found an article on here regarding the AIC and seems like a simple enough job. I Just hope my hoses are not rock solid when i get to the car later

Another question I have is, could a vacuum leak cause my random stalling?

Edit: AIC seems to be cleaned recently and still original part, hoses are still good as well. Someone probably went through it before i got the car.

leosondek · Post by **leosondek** » 08 Feb 2021, 08:35

Hi guys, another update. Today something new happened! How exciting!

When I made it home from work, I turn the car off and proceed to open my gate. But when I got back into the car to start it back up it just wont start.
After a couple of minutes, the car started and i drove it into my garage. Turn it off and tried to start it again and same issue.

I've attached 2 videos of what the car is like when i tried to start it back up. It cranks but would not start.

I did some reading and some testing and came up with this:
1. Spark Problems (no idea how to check spark plugs)
2. Lack of Fuel Flow (check the fuel rail and fuel shot out vigorously) not a proper check but it is what it is

3. Low compression (out of my abilities)
4. Power Supply Problems (new battery)

Also, I'm still waiting for my fuel pump relay and ignition switch to arrive, should sometime this week.

If they are any other suggestion please let me know.

yanga001 · Post by **yanga001** » 08 Feb 2021, 09:42

How old are the spark plugs, how old is the ignition coil, check your battery leads.

As people mentioned above, loose leads can cause this, had this happen in my v70 while turning into a parking lot, it would get worse with load on the power system. Turned out the battery terminals have corroded to be too small.

Edit:
after looking at your video it doesnt seem to be cranking properly, when my v70 starts all the lights go dim from the ignition coil and starter combination. I once had a sputtering and dying issue due to a faulty ignition coil and airbox that was full of junk. Check those out, i think it might be an electrical fault (coil, starter, battery (unlikely as llights do not go out))

Post by **misha** » 08 Feb 2021, 10:15

Half of little bulbs on the cluster are not working with key in posII.
CEL is among them...and that means that ecu is not getting power with key in pos.II.

Ignition switch MUST be replaced first since it is showing it's failure.

That would be your first step.