My car will die randomly driving around town. It dosen't matter if I'm being gentle with it, or if I'm hard on it...Once I come to a stop light, the RPMs will start to fall at idle. Sometimes I can catch it with the gas. Sometimes, I don't catch it in time and it dies.

I have a fuel cut switch and it's a bitch to start when it dies like this.

Does anyone have any ideas what it could be? It's totally random...

David

 

bad spark plugs? maybe ur switch is messed up?

 

Does your BAC still work?

 

Check your battery and alternator.

 

It's a new battery, and the alternator is charging a healthy 13v.

How do I check if the BAC is still working? I'm starting to think it's the TPS -- sometimes my SAFC shows 1% to 13% at idle for the throttle...could it be flooding out at idle? It's never at 0%...

I've also noticed that my idle can be anywhere between 700RPMs and 1000RPMs when comes to a stop light. It'll be rock steady, but the idle is rarely always in the same place...does that make any sense?

Thanks,

David

 

Definately check the BAC... I think it's in the archive... you just unplug it and then start turning on **** until the car stalls... plug it back in, start the car... do the same thing... shouldn't even notice all the stuff turn on. (Things you can do, try to do them all at once also... turn on the fan full blast, with the AC if available, turn the wheel with PS, pump on the brakes)

I'm going off a very sketchy memory here, I recommend searching it or looking in the archives.

--Gary

 

I had the same problem recently. I had the TPS adjusted and it cured it. Also you may want to change your plugs and get the ones from Mazda. They are expensive ($10 a piece) but will work better than those cheap ones. You will want to keep those changed at least once a year because FCs foul them quickly.

 

The BAC can be checked very accurately from the ECU while driving, without pulling anything apart. It works under the duty cycle principal, which means the voltage falls as the BAC "opens" more and more. In other words, at idle with no loads, it might be 11v, turn on the e-fan, or headlights, or whatever loads, and the voltage should fall to, say, 9v. This verifies the entire circuit (including the ECU) AND that the BAC is doing its thing

https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-generation-specific-1986-1992-17/troubleshooting-your-car-ecu-340578/

 

This test may work but my car does not have a BAC and doesn't stall - either turning things on or just pushing the clutch in (at any speed). So your BAC might still be bad even if it doesn't stall.