Engine Switches Off

chamindaa · March 23, 2009

Guys, I have a Nissan Cefiro A32 and lately the engine shut down for no particular reason. About three weeks ago down on Kinsey road the ABS lights came up and the engine shut down. My mechanic came down with a battery and figured out that the alternator rotor was busted. Then we found out that the chip in there was busted. With 20K and with some local help we managed to get it up and running in a days time. However after that at idle the engine starts to stutter and tries to stop. But when I'm moving the engine works fine. And to make matters worse last week when i was coming downhill the freakin engine stopped and being an automatic I could not stop the damn thing and banged a wall. Front buffer, bonnet, lights all busted. When the recovery vehicle came to pick it up the damn engine started and my mechanic actually drove the car all the way to his garage. I'm speechless. So with a thumping bill and a bit shaken up I'm left with the car again. My question to all the experts here are 1) Why did the engine shut down? 2) In an automatic how do I stop the car with no brake, power steering working? 3) How do I fix this issue?

charitha19 · March 23, 2009

my goodness.. anyway.. the handbrake is there mate... ,and u could have qucikly shifted to the park when the engine died... i have a feeling it was not the alternator that is doing this.. u need to check ur ECU, have a feeling it is something to do with that...

when the engine die, does it compeletey go, o when u crank the key does the engine turn over but no start..

isam · March 23, 2009

I'm no engine expert, but you could use the handbrake to stop the car. However the effectiveness depends on your speed. A combination of Foot Brake (you would have to press the pedal hard, because there is no boost) + Hand break would do I guess.

Edited March 23, 2009 by isam

GearHead · March 23, 2009

charitha19 said:
and u could have qucikly shifted to the park when the engine died...

this would damage the gear box machan

Edited March 23, 2009 by GearHead

Bugatti · March 23, 2009

isam said:
I'm no engine expert, but you could use the handbrake to stop the car. However the effectiveness depends on your speed. A combination of Foot Brake (you would have to press the pedal hard, because there is no boost) + Hand break would do I guess.

This could work... also, if i'm not mistaken, the Cefiro has the emergency brake operated by the left foot..?

Bugatti · March 23, 2009

The same thing happen to me last week... except that I was driving a K11, Nissan again. Similarly, the ABS light came on, then the EPS followed by the Battery light.

The fault appeared to be a main electric wire going out the possitive terminal, had burned out at the connector.. took a while to figure it out.

Try also checking your electical system...

AMG · March 24, 2009

charitha19 said:
,and u could have qucikly shifted to the park when the engine died...

This will make heavy damage to the auto tranny box machan. The only way is the hand brake and the foot brake. Also can't rely on the hand brake as it will skid the car also the stopping distance will be so long.

So you must press the foot brake so hard.

Pethum85 · March 24, 2009

I think i can help you out cos i faced the same scenario last saturday when i was driving to colombo from ratmalana and all of a sudden my car (nissan fb 15 99 model) engine stopped and i was doing around 80 and i almost knocked a truck. I used my hand brake thats the only option u have since the steering gets so hard.

I had my battery checked and my mechanic found out that its something wrong with a sensor not the common air flow sensor. he told me the name but can remember now. I replaced it and now shes is doing fine. When i was towing my car to garage i notice that the car starts all of a sudden holds up for few minutes then dies down again.

So mate better check ur sensors normally nissans are renowned for sensor issues...

isam · March 24, 2009

Pethum85 said:
I think i can help you out cos i faced the same scenario last saturday when i was driving to colombo from ratmalana and all of a sudden my car (nissan fb 15 99 model) engine stopped and i was doing around 80 and i almost knocked a truck. I used my hand brake thats the only option u have since the steering gets so hard.
I had my battery checked and my mechanic found out that its something wrong with a sensor not the common air flow sensor. he told me the name but can remember now. I replaced it and now shes is doing fine. When i was towing my car to garage i notice that the car starts all of a sudden holds up for few minutes then dies down again.

So mate better check ur sensors normally nissans are renowned for sensor issues...

Is it the cam angle sensor When I replaced the MAF on my car, the mechanic said there are three sensors that are prone to error, including the MAF and CAS. Don't remember the third one though

Pethum85 · March 24, 2009

Not sure bro!!! i will ask from my mechanic... Anyways this is an serious issue i guess with the nissan models

isam · March 24, 2009

Pethum85 said:
Not sure bro!!! i will ask from my mechanic... Anyways this is an serious issue i guess with the nissan models

BTW, how much and from where did you buy the sensor?

Pericles · March 24, 2009

Pethum85 said:
Not sure bro!!! i will ask from my mechanic... Anyways this is an serious issue i guess with the nissan models

Correction, with the FB-15 models. Not the whole brand.

dhp · March 24, 2009

I have a 99 maxima and I have heard of a similar issue from other owners. This could be due to the front-02 sensors going bad. From what I know, a bad intake-02 sensor(s) play a vital role in adjusting the fuel mixture and RPMs to stall the engine.

I personally have a failing rear-02 sensor and haven't caused any issues yet, but that just fine-tunes the mixture to get lower emissions but the front 02 sensors will actually effect your engine operation.

Ripper · March 25, 2009

isam said:
I'm no engine expert, but you could use the handbrake to stop the car. However the effectiveness depends on your speed. A combination of Foot Brake (you would have to press the pedal hard, because there is no boost) + Hand break would do I guess.

i once had to do that and it wasn't pretty

the handbrake doesn't do a good job in stopping IME

and the pressing down on the normal brake pedal is such a monumental task without the boost especially when it happens when you least expect it....

but handbrake and some effort on the foot brake is far better than no brakes at all..

chamindaa · March 25, 2009

Guys thanks for the feedback. I shall get my sensors checked.

BTW, Pethum, you said you changed the sensors. How much did they cost? Did you go for genuine Nissan parts? I'm under a very tight budget now.

As for how to stop the car I did apply the hand brake which is operated by the left foot. I could not get the car to stop because I was in a 40 degree inclination going down. And to make matters worse the road was concrete, so not much grip.

As for the car I need to pass that downhill every time I take my car out. so I've resorted to shut down AC, no music, 2nd gear, ensure rpm at 1000 and prey when going down.

Devinda_Z · March 25, 2009

it wouldn't hurt to take it over to A*W and have them hook it upto the "Consult" and run a full diagnostics scan - it'll show if any sensors are outta whack..

JadeyBlitzen · March 25, 2009

chamindaa said:
As for how to stop the car I did apply the hand brake which is operated by the left foot. I could not get the car to stop because I was in a 40 degree inclination going down. And to make matters worse the road was concrete, so not much grip.

I'm with you mate! the parking brake on cefiros is a bitch to operate. firstly you gotta brake with left foot and unlike on a handbrake lever the release is located away from it on a rather obtuse location. so basically you need 2 limbs and a good bit of skill/luck to keep the vehicle under control.