*$%^$*#(#$*@#$)@#$*@#%)#@$*&@#%!@#!)^!))!)!@#!@*$@ #(%@%@!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It ****ing happened again!! I spent $500 ****ing dollars that I didn't have to have that ****ing dealership screw me over!!! I'm going over there in the morning and I'm going to kick some technicians @$$ for this! I can't have my car freaking shutting off on me!

I was getting into a turn lane at 40-ish mph, put the shifting into nuetral, kept my foot on the clutch (because it's a manual), heard what sounded almost like a grinding noise from my shifter (started mild, got louder...almost a whine), and I notice my radio turns off and my steering wheel lock. I drift into the oncoming traffic lane and THANK GOD no traffic was there or I'd be screwed.

This is become a threat on my life. I absolutely cannot deal with this %$*#ing $#!t! Depending on what they say at the dealership tomorrow, I may not have this car by weeks end. This is getting rediculous...sure I'd miss the power, but I like my life. Things are finally going right in my life. I can't get killed because some crap mechanic can't turn a f'ing wrench.

sorry for the rant, just had to...

 

u fail...

 

I'm sorry, my car shuts off at speed, the steering wheel locks, and the brakes don't work and I still manage not to wreck my car. That's more than I can say for you....

 

Ya that is rediculous, there must be something else wrong if it jsut shuts off. I would check all th wires and harnesses? Perhaps a simple wire is broken or almost broken?

 

Also....

 

dude i lol'd for real on that one

 

Damn, dude. I feel your pain. My '93 was having problems and it wouldn't start and would do kind of the same thing. I'd be sitting at an intersection and the whole car would be idling fine, and then just die, and it is an automatic. Horn didn't work, lights didn't work, power windows didn't work, power locks didn't work (so I couldn't even get out of the damn car). This happened to me at like 1am. Luckily, no other traffic was around, so I waited about 2 minutes, started it up and it was fine.

I love my '93, but that was the last straw. I took it to several mechanics who replaced everything from wiring harnesses to the brain, and it still isn't fixed... $1,500 or so later. That is why I went and got the GTO. I couldn't take it anymore. All I could think about was 'what if that happened to me in the busy afternoon hours'? I could have gotten hit, caused an accident, or worse. As much as I love that car, it wasn't worth it to me.

Do what you feel you should do. Even if you love the car, there are others out there just like it. You can get another one, but you already know you can't get another life.

 

Is it throwing any codes?

 

It should throw some kind of code but.....

Will you please have your fuel pressure checked and look at the fuel pump as the main culprit

 

if the fuel pump was shot it wouldnt start after the first shut down would it?

 

Not necessarily. That could happen if it were completely shot, or it wouldn't even start at all. What I read about the Mach issue was that their pumps were heating up while driving and sticking randomly (irritated by various issues like volume requirement, fuel level, gunk on the sock). Once they had a couple seconds to cool down, they would kick right back on.

I had an old MGB with rust in the tank that would do the same thing but it did it consistently. Would start, idle, and drive fine under 25 MPH. Anything above that and it would suck up some rust into the line and dam up near the pump and shut it off. Then it would wash back to the tank. Start right back up and do it all over again. In King's case I am speculating that his pump is heating up and causing the issue and then cooling back down (with no voltage to the pump and sitting in a tank of cool fuel) so it goes away quickly and starts back up.

 

They supposedly have already checked the pump and everything checked out fine (a week ago anyway). It's not throwing codes or anything.

The scumbag I talked to said that it's probably my IAC again. I guess they didn't replace it before, they just cleaned the excessive carbon deposits off of it. So they're going to drive my car all day and see if they can replicate the problem and then we'll go from there.

I have ZERO dollars to spend on this, so if they come back telling me that it's going to cost x amount of dollars then screw this. Like Sunshine said, I love this car but it's not worth my life.

 

how does the steering will lock if your key is still in the ON position...oh wait maybe because you lost power steering you couldnt turn the wheel anymore. than you put in that your radio turned off...which brings me back to thinking that your cars problem is most likely electrical. hope the ford nerds can figure it out

 

I will gladly trade you my fully operational 98 v6 for your quirky mach 1

 

Yeah I'm starting to think that it doesn't fully lock, but when you're used to power steering it feels like it. It doesn't make the locking sound, so that's probably not what's going on.

 

my 87 automatic ranger used to do the same thing. I would be driving at like between 40-60 mph and when I would take my foot of the gas it would sometimes shut off. Just like you said you lose power steering and your brakes pump up and get hard. But mine would take a couple trys to get restarted sometimes and then sometimes it would restart right away. I can't tell you exactly what fixed it but I replaced the IAC, fuel pump, fuel pump relay, and and fuel filter and it hasn't done it for years.

 

My thoughts are this. If it was your IAC, it should do it more frequently at varying RPMS and you should be able to easily replicate the issue. When my last one went out, I noticed it at first when I would back up and press in the clutch with the wheels turned, it would die. It eventually got to the point that it would never come down from 1200RPM at idle. Replaced IAC ($70 and 5 minutes of time) and problems went away. I did try cleaning it out and it didn't do anything.

This issue seems to me more sporadic. I know you said they checked the fuel pump but was it to see if it simply worked or not? Or did they log your pressure at varied RPMS and under load to see if it stayed within range? Get it under 1/4 tank of gas and have them look at it.

Also, if it does it to you again and your pump is OK, there should still be pressure in the fuel rails after it stalls out. Next time it stalls. press your schrader valve but keep something over it so you don't get gas in your eye or on your paint or hot engine. It should squirt out with some decent pressure behind it. If no pressure or it dribbles, then you have a fuel issue.

 

You want a 2000 gt? We can trade. P.s. I agree with Cobra1923, fuel pumps gotta be doing it.

 

it has to be electrical, fuel pump failure wouldnt turn power steering off.

 

No thanks on the gt...

And call me an idiot, but what's a shrader valve (I'm going to Wyotech in January so I can understand more of this stuff)

 

I'd still put my money on the IAC, seems to me if it was the pump, it would fail under load more so than at idle, not being about to supply enough fuel. Maybe the dealership has an updated calibration for the car?

When the motor stops running, so does the power steering pump, even worse is if the car has hydroboost brakes, which runs off the power steering pump also, so it makes for a bad day been there, it sucks

like the valve on the tires, there should be one on your fuel rail

 

that's cool, I learn something new every day...

So the car has been at the dealership for 23 hours and 15-ish minutes and still no word. I'm starting to question if they know that I'm not paying for any of this...I don't have the money

 

The most '03 cars and '04+ Cars do not have a sharder valve on them anymore. I would look into a fuel or tune problem as well. I would have checked the fuel pressure sensor on the fuel rail, the pump, and then move from there.

 

Well supposedly they retuned my car last week, so I doubt it's got anything to do with that.

 

Got the car back today. The dealership said it's the clutch. Sure the clutch isn't in the greatest of shape, but I assure you it's not the clutch. So we're taking it to the dealership I bought it from on Monday to have them check it out too and get another opinion.

Took it to the pontiac dealership in town because they've got a GTO I've been interested in, but they quoted my trade-in value at $12,000 which would put me $8,000+ behind on my car loan. So getting the GTO which costs less than my car would actually give me bigger car payments...something I cannot afford.

 

that's the nature of the car dealerships right now. give people the run around and charge them a crapload of money. i would just buy another fuel pump and replace that. purge all the fuel lines, replace the IAC. WITHOUT the dealerships.

 

Forget the stealership. It appears they are just clueless and are naming parts. Do the work yourself. Plus, don't go to GM, Ford muscle is always superior.

 

your lucky to get 12 for your car. do it.

 

he's 8 grand upside down...your financial advice is just as good as your driving skills.

 

He IS lucky to get $12k for a trade in, especially considering how the economy is going.