FTO AUSTRALIA

Hey all it's almost summer and I got a weird feeling that it's gonna be long and an absolute scorcher.

I thought I'd post early so I can get ready for the heat coz every summer my car every so often plays up.

The symptoms are that during driving all of a sudden the car will just lose power - feel like there no air or fuel pumping into the engine. Just to clarify it loses power progressively so I wouldn't think it's pinging.

It doesn't happen all that much when you're travelling at constant speeds but it has happened before. It more so does it when you're at a stand still. When you put your foot down, the car literally won't go anywhere and the car will barely rev.

Only way to overcome it is to pull over and turn the engine off for a minute or two. The engine has no problems starting at all so I don't think it's overheating. It does eventually come back though after driving a few minutes so you literally have to drive and keep it under 2500rpm if you wanna get home without pulling over every 5 mins.

Already been to 2 workshops and since they couldn't duplicate the problem, they couldn't diagnose it. Only happens about 5-10 times over a summer but still shouldn't happen an all!

Get it down to a mitsi dealer & get 'em to hook it into the matrix.

I dunno, its sounds fuel starvationish, but could well be a sensor packing in...

My first guess would have been sensor as well. It's really bizarre coz it doesn't often on a regular basis. Sometimes I could have been driving only 20 mins or sometimes after an hour.

My crank angle and o2 sensors have recently been replaced but I guess I won't find out until we get a 36-38 degree day.

One of the workshops I took it to was a Mitzi workshop in Brisbane coz it first started doing it when I drove to Qld about 4 years ago. They hooked it up to the matrix and still came back inconclusive. Every other Mitzi dealer in Melbourne pretty much don't touch FTOs.

How does the temp gage read is it normal or is it over heating? I have a problem also with mitz dealrs they dont want to know u its a bitch and stupid.

Maybe the fuel in the fuel lines is vaporising, this used to happen a lot on my motor bike when it started to run hot, but I don't think this would really happen on a EFI engine.

Or another Idea it might be your fuel regulator, heat might be causing it to fault and it is not holding pressure in the fuel rail, not enough pressure to push enough fuel through the injectors.

Hmmmmm that's quite an interesting theory actually. When it starts to happen the more gas you try to apply, the more the revs starts to drop. It does feel that you're losing pressure all together.

Oh and yes the dash temp gauge reads normal. You get a pretty nasty churning noise when the radiator overheats. Plus you can't start the car up again straight away either.

Fuel will only vaporize before the fuel pump but this can lead to fuel starvation, if possible T a fuel pressure gauge into the fuel line and see what its showing when giving problems. Some fuel pumps also have a tiny in the pump inlet these block ( intermitantly sometimes as the blockage falls away after switching off ) and cause starvation problems

oldie wrote:Some fuel pumps also have a tiny in the pump inlet these block ( intermitantly sometimes as the blockage falls away after switching off ) and cause starvation problems

Sorry mate but a tiny what? This seems to be a very important word here that's missing.

Hmmmmm that's quite an interesting theory actually. When it starts to happen the more gas you try to apply, the more the revs starts to drop. It does feel that you're losing pressure all together.

Did we ever find the cause of this?

Mine did it the other day when it was like 39C. I was driving it fine for about 1hr and then all of a sudden it just started losing power and almost died at low revs a few times.

Yet, it was perfect that night, and has been since it's been cooler. Car temp was perfect, no other signs of anything going wrong except random power loss.

Yep that's exactly the problem I'm having. Did it run fine again after you let the car sit for about 5 mins?

Anyway I haven't had that problem occur yet this year so I won't be able to see what could be the problem.

During my major service I've replaced the O2 and Crank angle sensors. I don't know if this will do anything and I won't know unless it happens again.

Nacho wrote:Yep that's exactly the problem I'm having. Did it run fine again after you let the car sit for about 5 mins?

Anyway I haven't had that problem occur yet this year so I won't be able to see what could be the problem.

During my major service I've replaced the O2 and Crank angle sensors. I don't know if this will do anything and I won't know unless it happens again.

Yeah, it goes away eventually. Really odd problem, I'm thinking of getting The Matrix checked and hoping the problem isn't Agnt. Smith.

Ok, after some investigation I'm thinking it could be my crank angle sensor, or the airflow sensor. What did it cost to get yours replaced, Nacho?

I would tell you if I knew........we replaced the crank angle sensor during a major service not long ago. I think I overheard him say a second hand sensor was around $50-$70. Don't know how much they are brand new.

Still hasn't done it yet..........can't replicate the problem

None of your pipes closing up are they, could explain why it does it while revving up.

Not that I know of. It's happened before while I've just been cruising on the freeway at constant revs.

It's really doing my head coz even Mitzy couldn't diagnose the problem when they hooked it up to the matrix.

noccers wrote:Did we ever find the cause of this?

Mine did it the other day when it was like 39C. I was driving it fine for about 1hr and then all of a sudden it just started losing power and almost died at low revs a few times.

Yet, it was perfect that night, and has been since it's been cooler. Car temp was perfect, no other signs of anything going wrong except random power loss.

THAT IS EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM I HAVE!

It pee's me off because i don't want it to happen...

For example: ON FRIDAY it was 40degree's The Car was Hot Very Hot Tempreture gauge was Perfect...Car was running Fantastic For Half Hor From Bankstown - Campbelltown Until In a Space of 15Mins My FTO Turned Off On Me 2TIMES!!! i turned the car off and Turned it back on and drove off! WTF!!! ?

All Of a Sutton i am 5mins away from home...I am On The Lights They turn Green and It's Boiling Outside in 40Degree Heat! And the Car has NO-POWER at all when i hit the accelerator ? ? ? i felt like crying! lol

WTF! ? seriously i cant keep on having this problme on HOT DAY'S...

For the past week Its Been FINE! and i am Loving it the way it run's.

But My Only problem is HOT DAYS...i don't want to embarrss myself in front of my girls lol going to the beach on HOT day's.

Anyone Can Help me and 2 Other guy's IN The same Situation.

Hey Joel have you found a solution to this or anyone else? My car did the exact same thing yesterday comin back from the VIC bbq.. i had my aircon on f/blast and i noticed that the revs kept fluctuating heaps.. sitting around 500 - 1500 rpms.. so i turned it off and drove with the windows down instead.. As i went to go on a green light it felft as if the intakes been blocked or the fuels not pumping through.. the car would take off then halt.. causing the car behind to almost rear end me.. i pulled over to a side street and turned the car off, it just so happeneds to be a mobile mechanic driving by.. so he took a look at my car and recommended that i get my fuel filter replaced and he was crappin on about something that needed water to cool it down..? water pump? I had about 1/8 of fuel left in my car so he suggested i fill up right away saying that it was harder to suck the fuel.. Anyways i started up the car about 5 mins later and it seemed fine, 10 mins later i was approcahing home i hit another light and as i went to accelerate it happened again.. when i kept the revs under 2000 the car was able to move slowly so i just did that all the way home.. I was meant to be cruisin to the beach yesterday but instead i left her sitting at home & hitched a ride.. gonna be heading back there today and contemplating whether i should take my ride or not.. =\ Considering the weathers boiling hot today probs not a good idea..

Is this only on hot days?

have u guys got the air con on? Coolant and engine temp when this happens?

Fuel pump?

I assume the water pump issue might just allow the car to overheat...so its imporatnt to know what the temp of the cra was when this is happening.

m3nG wrote:Hey Joel have you found a solution to this or anyone else? My car did the exact same thing yesterday comin back from the VIC bbq.. i had my aircon on f/blast and i noticed that the revs kept fluctuating heaps.. sitting around 500 - 1500 rpms.. so i turned it off and drove with the windows down instead.. As i went to go on a green light it felft as if the intakes been blocked or the fuels not pumping through.. the car would take off then halt.. causing the car behind to almost rear end me.. i pulled over to a side street and turned the car off, it just so happeneds to be a mobile mechanic driving by.. so he took a look at my car and recommended that i get my fuel filter replaced and he was crappin on about something that needed water to cool it down..? water pump? I had about 1/8 of fuel left in my car so he suggested i fill up right away saying that it was harder to suck the fuel.. Anyways i started up the car about 5 mins later and it seemed fine, 10 mins later i was approcahing home i hit another light and as i went to accelerate it happened again.. when i kept the revs under 2000 the car was able to move slowly so i just did that all the way home.. I was meant to be cruisin to the beach yesterday but instead i left her sitting at home & hitched a ride.. gonna be heading back there today and contemplating whether i should take my ride or not.. =\ Considering the weathers boiling hot today probs not a good idea..

Another Oliver89 Problem...

When i 1st bought the car...My DAD is like lets drive with the AIR CON ON! i was like okay no problem...after a while On a Red Light as i hit the accerlator the car turned OFF! i turned it back on and it was fine...I turned the Air Con OFF it was 40degree's Outside so i put the windows down and the car was perfect from then on BUT!


If i was to REV it heaps High and change Gears The car Will Budge At 5-6,000RPM. Oh well...

I'd Like to go out on Hot days but maybe just Cruise it Lightly ( as i always do ) but still sh*ts me!

have u guys got your stock cat converters?

they might be clogged...a clogged cat shows similar symptoms and might only happen at the high temps and rpms...but dont ask me why