help vx dies while driving

[Ruflyf]

just died while i was driveing about 10mph engine turns over sound fine but is not trying to start..lack of fuel or spark ? timing belt maybe ??

any ideas on what to check and where ?

[biju]

Both my VX's had similar problems - sometimes the issue was getting the VX to stay at idle after initially starting, and at other times getting them to stay running after coming to a stop.

Turned out to be the fuel pressure regulator. Roughly a $50 part. Not sure if that's the issue you're facing, but you might wanna have a mechanic check it out... After mine were swapped out I've had no issues at all.

-biju.

[Ldub]

Spray a little starting fluid (ether) into the intake while someone turns it over.
If it tries to start, the problem lies in fuel delivery (fp reg./fuel pump/ fuel filter)
Unhook one of the coil packs & put a spark plug into it while grounding it to the block or elsewhere, have someone turn it over to see if there's a fat blue spark jumping the gap...no spark = ignition sys. problem.

Just a couple of quickies that'll get you going in the right direction.

Ldub

[Ruflyf]

ok, will work on that....anyone know if our vx's can be put on a 2-wheel tow dolly for about a 5-10 mile run?

[Ldub]

ok, will work on that....anyone know if our vx's can be put on a 2-wheel tow dolly for about a 5-10 mile run?

Don't know for sure about that...have read before that they shouldn't be towed (4 wheels on the ground), so I'd be wary of dollying 2.
Something to do with TOD as I recall.
However, you could dolly up the fronts & disco. the drive shaft in the rear.

Ldub

[Nazrat]

If it is a low speed (under 40 to 45 mph) tow you are fine putting the rear end on the dolly and unlocking the hubs. Isuzu says that you can tow those transmissions in neutral for 50 miles at up to 50 mph. For you you'd want the transmission in neutral and the hubs unlocked.

Good luck!

-Tad

[uncle_asa]

just died while i was driveing about 10mph engine turns over sound fine but is not trying to start..lack of fuel or spark ? timing belt maybe ??

any ideas on what to check and where ?

Try to do the following (in either case it would be good for your VX):
- buy carb cleaner spray
- remove intake air hose from throttle valve side
- spray a lot with carb cleaner untill throttle valve will cleanup from carbon and will look like a "brand new", you might want to move valve with throttle lever to clean it better, especially close to the axis.
- unscrew idle control valve, remove rubber gasket (it is reusable, so keep it) from it and spray a lot on the valve (do not spray close to the painted parts, it might be damaged by the spray) then clean up it with cloth.
- spray a lot into the hole where idle control valve is installed
- assemble everything back and start engine (do not worry if RPMs at idle will raise up to 3000 for the short period: it is because of carb cleaner burning in the engine)

Hope it will help.

[jagusmc]

I had a second machanic look at it and he pulled out the starter and said it's fine, said it's the crankshaft, which is under warranty I beleive cause this is the 2nd engine in it and thats got a 5 year, 100,000 mile warranty on it.

[disasterlady]

mine did that and it turned out to be just that I didn't tighten the gas cap and the so the vacuum wasn't there for the fuel... you could try it?

[Knigh7s]

Ditto what disasterlady said. That happened to the 1.8t jetta after boosting it to hard. about 1/4 mile the car died, checked the cas cap in it was only half screwed in. all i did was tighten it and cranked it a couple times and it started right up. i recal having to do that once with the vx to, minus the boosting O_o

[Ruflyf]

The final consensus for me was a short in the wiring harness behind the drivers side headlight area. I started looking for the short, but couldnt find anything, apparently moving it around made it to where it no longer is touching anything because it hasnt done it since.

[climbcovey]

I am having a similar prolem to this, see major problem thread. What was the final consensus? did this problem recurr after fuel filter, and regulator changed?

[AREA 51]

You asked for other suggestions.........Egr stuck open? Possible trans mode switch?

[Anita]

I had a problem with my engine reving high at start, just dying or starting normally. Intermittent and driving me crazy. Took it in and had the Idle air sensor replaced. Problem solved.