1985-1998 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
Okay, so I have a story with two parts, which may be connected.
FIRST:
Two days ago, while driving my mother's 95 9000CS (148k), we were going downhill and suddenly for a brief second the car hiccuped -- very briefly the power cut out. Not only did we feel the hiccup, but simultaneously all the dash lights (i.e. the gas mileage readout etc) went out and the gauges dropped to the bottom. Then, a millisecond later, everything came back and the car continued running just like normal. We finished the rest of our 45 minute drive cautiously and had no other issues for the rest of the day.
SECOND:
Today, I drove the car for about an hour and then parked it while doing some errands. I came back to the car about an hour and a half later, in the middle of the midday heat (probably about 92 degrees, hotter in the sun). I went to start the car and it just turned over and over. I tried this a bunch of times and gave up, called a family member to come pick me up. My suspicion is the DI has failed. Two hours pass, the family member arrives, and just to see, I try to start the car, and it starts right up. Doh! So we drive 10 minutes to do one more errand, which takes another 10 minutes. Again, the car won't start on the first try, but then does on the second. Whew! We drive to the auto parts store (15 minutes) and try to pick up some new spark plugs (which they were out of), and then in the parking lot the car wouldn't start again. This time, no amount of tries seemed to work.
So, we think, the DI must finally have given up the ghost, and we switch out the DI with a spare one (used). Still won't start. We look at fuses, contemplate relays, try listening for the fuel pump (which we couldn't discern, but it was on a loud street, so it's hard to say for sure). I pull out the fuel pump fuse, see that it is intact, and reinsert it. Just to see, I try starting the car again and it starts up. We resolve not to turn the car off again until it is in the driveway and proceed home (about an hour). All the while, the car runs fine -- still feels like it has power, I accelerated hard a few times, no hiccups, etc. Upon arrival home, I turn the car off and immediately try starting it again. No dice!
What in the world is going on? My father suspects the fuel pump, despite having replaced it in the last 50k miles. Evidently the DI wasn't the issue. We're unsure how/if the one-time cut out a few days earlier is related, but all of this seems to boil down to some sort of electrical issue perhaps?
As a side note, I went out and started the car, twice, without issue this evening (it's much cooler out now).
Any thoughts?!
Puzzled,
Tim B.
95 9000CS LPT 148k
96 9000 Aero 208k
posted by 69.50.4...
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