I need some help here folks. I'm new to my 2gnt (just bought it 6 days ago) and having some issues. I've searched and searched and it seems that everyone else who has had the rain problems had the car die and not start back. Mine starts after a couple of hours.

Okay, so there was ankle-deep water in the parking lot at college Wednesday. I hit it about 15mph. Car then died about 2sec later. It got no spark, and wouldn't get spark. 2hrs later I tried and it was good to go. Then Thursday evening the wife and I are driving in it and it does the same thing. This time it's raining but no puddles. It was as I was coming to a stop both times and the car just coasted as if I'd turned off the key. Someone said that the alternator gets wet, but then wouldn't it run off battery power until the battery dies? Because it doesn't use the battery.

90min. later it started. Stupid thing. Any ideas guys? Come on, help me. The engine bay is pretty open to water from underneath. I searched and couldn't find any kinda shroud writeup (although I hear there might be one), but could just be that I'm so frustrated that I know I'm not functioning well. This car is a good little car when it's dry, and I'd love to keep it. I just can't see me keeping a car that I can't drive unless there's a week of sun in the forecast. PLEASE help me fix this issue. It just stops getting spark, totally. It was getting none after 89min, then we pushed 20ft to another spot, and it started just as I was getting ready to leave with my ride. I wanna fix this, so help me out if you can.

I was thinking the coil pack got wet, but there's no way it got wet all the way up on top of the motor. So what else could it have been, and how can I prevent it in the future? I can't let my wife drive a car that won't go through a puddle.

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

You might get under the car and inspect the electrical harness that runs across the lower, back side of the engine block. One of the most critical sensors on the car, the crankshaft angle sensor (CAS), is among the sensors back there and, should you have a knick in the harness which would affect that sensor, it might be that water splashing up there is shorting out the signal to the block, resulting in the ECU cutting spark in order to save the motor.

Some background info (since you made a decent post), the ECU uses the CAS and the camshaft position sensor (CMP) to determine where the pistons are in relation to the valves. These are interference engines, meaning the pistons can come into contact with valves should timing be lost (timing belt). If the ECU loses either of these signals, it shuts the engine down to be on the safe side.

Another thing you might check is your auto-shut-down (ASD) relay, located on the firewall by the brake booster. You'll be looking on the driver's side for two, bigger Lego-looking connectors right next to each other. Be sure they are both connected securely.

Do you get any check engine light when this shut down occurs?

The rain/water connection is what is so damning about this one. Don't give up just yet. We'll get this sorted.

Thanks for the help. I try to do all the searching I can. I'm an old-timer to message boards, and I have another car that I joined forums for. A 2000 Camaro SS with many mods. So I understand how hard it is to sort through stupid questions and I honestly appreciate the help with the first post.

To answer your question, I got no check engine light. It's weird. Only in the rain, and it just dies instantly. I understand the valve/piston relationship (I just put a new cam and heads on my SS) and I'm pretty impressed that the 2gnt cuts power like that. I wish all cars did that. That really could save some MAJOR headache.

Some people are saying it's a crack in the coil housing. I'll check that, but it doesn't seem right to me. If that were it, it wouldn't dry out and run while it's still raining. It would have died again on the way home. Odd, huh? It ran home just fine in the rain after it re-started last night.

I'll check the wiring harnesses tomorrow (if the rain stops or I can get it into a dry garage). Until then, though, let's keep the ideas flowing.

Okay, looked at the harness. All looks good under there. Actually, not, since the lower one looks like a new sensor and harness. It's clean, while the rest of the motor has oil on it.

Bad news is that I unplugged it then plugged it back in, and now it won't start. Gonna unplug my negative terminal for a while and see if it resets.

Water getting into that crank sensor (while the harness was plugged in) when I was cleaning my engine one time killed the sensor. I had to get a new one.

Another idea for you, sir, is to get out the Chilton's manual and try backprobing the CAS and CPS at both the sensor and ECU connector. You should see an alternating 5VDC while cranking. Cam (CPS) will be easier to read, since the cams turn at half crank speed, but they should read the same way.

Sounds like you've got a bit of a poseur you've got there. Fortunately, you're a car guy and used to this sort of thing happening. I don't know how much help this could be to you, but I've got the factory service manual up if you'd like to download it and skim a bit.

http://az2gnt.net/FSM/

I had his exact problem for while before. It was the CAS, I replaced it...and made sure that the connector had that rubber grommet piece on it. After that all was good.

Sweet. I'll do that and follow all the wire probing suggestions if the new CAS doesn't work. Thanks!

When visually inspecting the sensors, they both (cam and crank position sensors) look new. This is not good. What about the MFI relay? Sound like a possible culprit? (Thanks for the PDFs!)

Does this look abnormal at all?
If so, could it be the cause of my problems?

Is that the inside of the ECU? If so, there's only a couple people on here who have opened it up. There are really no serviceable parts insde the ECU on these cars. I've had my car ten yers and have never pulled the ECU apart like that. Come to think of it, the only time people have opened up ECUs in this community is for experimentation purposes.

Did you test the sensors with the meter for switching?

That IS the inside of the ECU. I'd read that some 1st gens were bad about caps in the ECU corroding. Thought it was worth a try.

I gotta get ahold of someone with a good multimeter before I can test my sensors. Might just go get a CAS and toss it in and see what it does sice the car is dead AGAIN. If it doesn't help, I'll ether it off and take it back as uninstalled I guess.

Originally posted by N4cer
I'd read that some 1st gens were bad about caps in the ECU corroding.

Ah. This is true, but you must have missed the parts talking about how the second gen, non turbo DSM have a Dodge motor in them and, as such, have a Chrysler ECU, which is not prone to these issues. Typically, the only 2GNTs with known ECU issues are the 95s and a few early 96s. In those situations, They do have random stalling issues, but moisture has never been something I've heard of as being a culprit. They end up either replacing the ECU or taking it to the dealership to be re-flashed with different, dealer firmware.

I'd really suggest putting the ECU back together carefully, and making a trip (take the Camaro since it's reliable at this point) to Sears. I bought a nice little Craftsman digital multi-meter there for under $20 something like six years ago. I'm sure they have more features for the same price these days. Considering the CAS and CMP are going to run you something like $30 each at Autozone, it's a cheaper alternative and can help you get some real answers.

Good luck to you.

Originally posted by gc8dc95
I had his exact problem for while before. It was the CAS, I replaced it...and made sure that the connector had that rubber grommet piece on it. After that all was good.

+1

that thing inside the ecu doesn't let water through chech the harness too

Well, before checking all the wiring, I messed with all the relays and pulled and re-installed the sensors. Also the battery died and I changed it out. All's well ever since!

Start the car and let it run in the driveway. Take a hose and lightly spray different areas of the motor. Your looking for the area that causes the car to die. I suspect a bad Coil.

Also take a better picture of the ECU. That does not look likE a 2GNT ecu.

Terry

Thanks I'll do that with the water. Great idea.
And it IS a 2gnt ECU. The identifier is:
Mo5269658

Best of luck man in fixing your problem, keep us updated

Guys, I think I fixed it without the water. Here's the deal:
I've been driving the car, with a used ECU and some tools in the hatch. I was hoping it would die on me again so that I could swap them out to see if that was it. Well yesterday at about 60mph in traffic it did it. Luckily I cruised to a turn-off break in the median, and immediately pulled the plug from the ECU and plugged in the new one (after ensuring that it wasn't going to restart with the original ECU). BAM! Car started right up. Granted, it wouldn't idle the first time, but I turned it off and back on and everything was perfect. So here's what I'm thinking the problem could've been one of the following:
- ECU was bad
- ECU wiring harness had a short and when I moved it around like that it reconnected.
- Removing the ECU reset whatever electronic device was telling it to not start.

Thoughts?

Drive it more and let us know. Def try terry's (Star Turbo Talon) suggestion now that you have replaced the ECU. At this point it is either sensors or ecu.