Hi there,
Does anyone else out there have a problem with their XR8 cutting out at any time, any place, any revs?
Being an auto by the time you put it in neutral and restart it you could have been run over by the semi boring down on you at 120kph.
According to the dealer I am the only one in the world with the problem, and as it does not show as an error when they analyse it so they can't help me.
The fault appears to be random so I can't get it to happen with the service tech in the ute.
The problem has been there since day one and now done 10,000km.
Fitting a Herrod exhaust and unichip made no difference.
Any help/ideas would be appreciated as Ford itself does not seem interested, which is dissapointing.
Did it do it prior to the exhaust?
The only issues like you describe have normally been experienced by Boss owners after replacing the extractors (the o2 sensor gets moved further back on some systems fooling the computer).
I have never had my XR8 stall in 8000 kms of driving.
I'm a software developer/programmer and the issue of not registering on the fault log concerns me, but having said this I'd say that there is something designed to tell the engine to stop that is simply not working properly and firing off an instruction to kill the engine when you least expect it to.. (yes I know this might seem obvious) but this makes me think it's something related to the key, ignition barrel or the engine management software/system.
The engine management system takes input from all over the place and if something goes wrong it's meant to log the fault then if it can recover or adjust it does, it may also turn on a warning light/alarm but if it can't recover it then sends a message to stop the engine.
Since turning the key backwards is the only thing I can think of that the management system should be accepting input from that shouldn't be considered a fault I'd focus my attention there and everything between it and including the engine management system.
So..
If you have the radio on when the engine dies, does is stay on.. as in like you just keyed it back to the key notch before 'run'..? or do the entire electricals on the car die..? If you've never had the radio on when it's died, how about the headlights..? does the headlight warning tone go off..? this might back up the idea of a faulty ignition barrel if everything else stays working but not the engine.
If you haven't done so already I'd ask the service guys to check inside the steering column, in and around the barrel and make sure everything connects properly, and or ask for the engine management system to be flashed or reset.
Also...
Do you have a heavy set of keys.. could the key be twisting backwards under the weight and effectively turning the car off without you realising it..?
Did it do it prior to the exhaust?
The only issues like you describe have normally been experienced by Boss owners after replacing the extractors (the o2 sensor gets moved further back on some systems fooling the computer).
I have never had my XR8 stall in 8000 kms of driving.
Gidday Brett,
Thanks for the reply.
The first time the ute stopped was on the second day I had it, completely standard, doing about 30km/h thru a housing estate. Altough it is autotrans I thought it must have just stalled.
It probably did it 4 times before I got the exhaust, which is a herrod cat back system.
The dealer checked it out completely standard and could find nothing wrong.
I drained the petrol tank in case I got a dose of crap petrol but that made no difference.
At one stage I thought that it only happened when I did not use Optimax, but I have since discounted that theory.
It is just like turning the ignition off momentarily, no coughs or splutters, just instant stop.
It has probably done it 20 times in 10,000km.
It is not really confidence enspiring when you try to cross an intersection quickly, in case it stops half way.
I'm a software developer/programmer and the issue of not registering on the fault log concerns me, but having said this I'd say that there is something designed to tell the engine to stop that is simply not working properly and firing off an instruction to kill the engine when you least expect it to.. (yes I know this might seem obvious) but this makes me think it's something related to the key, ignition barrel or the engine management software/system.
The engine management system takes input from all over the place and if something goes wrong it's meant to log the fault then if it can recover or adjust it does, it may also turn on a warning light/alarm but if it can't recover it then sends a message to stop the engine.
Since turning the key backwards is the only thing I can think of that the management system should be accepting input from that shouldn't be considered a fault I'd focus my attention there and everything between it and including the engine management system.
So..
If you have the radio on when the engine dies, does is stay on.. as in like you just keyed it back to the key notch before 'run'..? or do the entire electricals on the car die..? If you've never had the radio on when it's died, how about the headlights..? does the headlight warning tone go off..? this might back up the idea of a faulty ignition barrel if everything else stays working but not the engine.
If you haven't done so already I'd ask the service guys to check inside the steering column, in and around the barrel and make sure everything connects properly, and or ask for the engine management system to be flashed or reset.
Also...
Do you have a heavy set of keys.. could the key be twisting backwards under the weight and effectively turning the car off without you realising it..?
Let us know how you get on.
Good luck
Steve
Gidday Steve,
A lot of food for thought.
The first time I took it back they said they reset the computer.
As everthing happens so quickly I am not sure if everthing goes off or not. I think the dash looks normal apart from the tacho reading 0 and the ignition light on.
I will have to study things more next time it happens.
Thanks for your input.
probably not relevent, but back in '88 when my dad bought a ZL fairlane he had a similar problem. randomly it would suddenly stall. the ford dealer couldnt figure it out, they cleaned the injectors about 20x, they even put a little shock absorber on the acceletator because apparently my mum was "backing off too quickly". it kept going back to the ford dealer for many months and finally my dad cracked the shits at them because my mum refused to drive it (it would stall 1/2 way through a corner and she'd lose her power steering). Finally they found the problem.
the coolant temperature sensor was faulty and suddenly would tell teh computer that the engine was cold and it would overfuel it - causing it to stall.
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1992 DC LTD 5.0
Duel exhaust, Genie extractors, Ported E7 heads, ported lower HO inlet, 70mm maf, Underdrive Pullies
They got a software flush for it months ago, and since I've had mine done, no more random stalling.
The flush does more than just resetting the computer as it sits. Make sure they do that next time you go in.
Thanks for the reply.
The first time the ute stopped was on the second day I had it, completely standard, doing about 30km/h thru a housing estate. Altough it is autotrans I thought it must have just stalled.
It probably did it 4 times before I got the exhaust, which is a herrod cat back system.
The dealer checked it out completely standard and could find nothing wrong.
I drained the petrol tank in case I got a dose of crap petrol but that made no difference.
At one stage I thought that it only happened when I did not use Optimax, but I have since discounted that theory.
It is just like turning the ignition off momentarily, no coughs or splutters, just instant stop.
It has probably done it 20 times in 10,000km.
It is not really confidence enspiring when you try to cross an intersection quickly, in case it stops half way.
Cheers,
Chris
Hi Chris,
From what you have said there it sounds more electrical than anything else if it just cuts out.....
I am surprised that there is no fault code logged, this will be hard to for Ford to diagnose, maybe they need to start replacing parts?
They got a software flush for it months ago, and since I've had mine done, no more random stalling.
The flush does more than just resetting the computer as it sits. Make sure they do that next time you go in.
:)
Gidday Black Kat,
Thanks for the info.
I gather from your reply that you must have had a similar problem, which is interesting, because when I rang my service manager yesterday, he said that he had talked to FORD regarding my problem and they know of no such problem. He definately did not suggest a computer flush or any other solution.
He said the only fix they had was for a XR6T computer/turbo problem, which is not much help for an XR8.
Do you know of anyone else that has had there XR8 cut-out?
If there is a few cases about, I can then put it to my dealer that they are full of crap, when they tell me I am the only one and it probably doesn't happen at all.
Thanks for the info.
I gather from your reply that you must have had a similar problem, which is interesting, because when I rang my service manager yesterday, he said that he had talked to FORD regarding my problem and they know of no such problem. He definately did not suggest a computer flush or any other solution.
He said the only fix they had was for a XR6T computer/turbo problem, which is not much help for an XR8.
Do you know of anyone else that has had there XR8 cut-out?
If there is a few cases about, I can then put it to my dealer that they are full of crap, when they tell me I am the only one and it probably doesn't happen at all.
Cheers, Chris
Yes there are several of us. There are other threads under the topic of either "stalling" or "cutting out". When I spoke to the Ford CRC they said there were a couple of others. I suggested they read the Forums, because there are more than just a couple.
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'03 BA XR8 Manual, Edit, Hi Flow Cats, HPX twin system, King Springs, Battens C.A.I.
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