Recent content by billr

You have often mentioned opening up small. sealed, ball-bearings (even new ones) to clean out "inferior" grease and put in your favorite. So, how do you open those? The only way I can see is to insert a small blade between the inner lip of the seal and the bearing inner race and pry up. This...

What are the actual code numbers?

The next time it cranks and won't fire, pull one spark-plug wire/coil and see if there is spark. You might as well pick up a can of starting-fluid, its cheap and will probably be the next thing to try if you do have spark; you can try that during the same no-fire episode.

Have you scanned for codes, even though the CEL isn't on? There may be code history there we need to know.

Get it scanned for codes. Even if the CEL is off, there is probably a code history that may give clues. If no joy there, then I think you will need to look at live-data for what changes as the engine dies.

It is clear to me that the OP is asking for help in diagnosing the symptom and fixing the problem. Alas, I can't help any, I don't have any diesel experience; especially with ones squirting in "magic juice" to make them less stinky/smokey.

Are they posted now? Is reply #16 the one that would not go?

Let's hope the new shop doesn't find stop-leak in the system; that would have to be removed and add considerably to the cost of repair.

1.8L is a valid engine size for that car, so that is probably it. Check the temperature of the air coming out of the grills on the dash with the blower on full speed. Air there should be in the 40-50F range, no matter what the outside temperature is. If the air isn't getting down in that...

When you got it back from the shop this last time, and it immediately gave warm air, did you immediately take it back to the shop? That would be the first step, and you should try it anyway, even if it has been a few days now, but it sounds like this shop is not all that good at A/C work, you...

Some more comments... I could not find a spec for the response time of the Comp-Peek, but it seems like both units probably use the same class of transducer, because they both have the transducer buried in a box with amplification separate from the basic transducer. Those transducers are about...

Well, to me, "light yrs ahead" sounds like much more benefit than the cost increase from $500 to $1000; that is only double. However, I think a key question is how much diag work you think you will be doing with VVT? That is the only function I see this being really great at. All other uses...

Where do the pressure transducers install? I assume somewhere with the spark-plug, do they space the plug out slightly from its normal depth in the head? What do the traces indicate? 13.8 bar (peak) suggests it is compression pressure, but I would expect you would also want to be looking at...

I would use live-data to check what ECT the PCM is reading, then check that against an immersion thermometer. A poor connection in the wiring to most ECT sensors results in a low reading; so that must be considered as well as the t-stat

Rather than throwing a fuel filter at it, spend the money on a fuel pressure gauge and see if there is really a problem. If fuel pressure is dropping off as it dies, then you have to consider the pump and its wiring, as well as the filter. Tracing an intermittent bad fuel pressure can be real...