Some more variations on my engine problem theme -

I've been keeping an eye on my rpms a lot more frequently now as a habit. I've noticed that my engine often (at least 1 out of 20 decelerations or so) drops to zero revs for a fraction of a second before popping back up to a normal range. This happens at any speed.

Also, I've now experienced one 'stall' where the check engine, check oil, AND 'engine in sleep mode' blinking green were all on. Frickin weird.

Still absolutely no idea how to recreate these problems when I want so they can actually get diagnosed.

/Why did I have to draw the short straw with my car...?? Why not someone else!?

//Also, I've noticed a little perk of being a hybrid stick-shift... if I stall out while trying to slowly start in 1st gear, the car kinda assumes that the engine is in sleep mode and kicks it back on in a second. No need to crank the key!

 

I get this problem when I'm driving uphill on a mountain pass. I'm in 5th gear, move to neutral and the engine shuts off. I think it's because my IMA battery was depleted because when the engine cuts off the battery light would come on (and no it's not auto-stop because I'm doing like 50mph). So I'd glide a little, go into 4th and the engine would come on again. It's happened to me twice and on the mountain pass, and everytime it happens I noticed my battery has depleted.

 

Check the 12V battery make sure it is good and has good connections. If the 12V isn't supplying enough current you might lose the ECU. In a normal car you wouldn't be able to start it, but since the 12v is charged from the IMA battery it can get you enough charge to run the ecu and start the car again.

I suggest for real technical info go to this forum and ask these guys. They have done lots of experimentation with insights and might be able to diagnose your problem. http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=33

disclaimer: I co-own the site so I'm kind of biased. But from my experience those guys know the insides of how our cars work better than any shop mechanic (which some of those are).

 

I didn't mention my IMA battery level before. Mine is not depleted when this happens. I usually keep the pack at about half charge or more in-town, where I see the problem most often.

 

I'm not saying your IMA battery is depleted. I'm saying maybe the 12v is. our cars do not have an alternator. It uses the IMA to charge the 12V as well as to start the car. The 12V doesn't start the car. The electrical system in the car uses the 12V so if it is drained your computer will cut off. But the 12V might get enough current from the IMA to get up to enough voltage to power the ecu when you let off the gas.

I'm probably not getting my idea across to you. I'm sorry If I'm not wording it well.

 

I have a 2005 MT. I have this problem also, also intermittent.
I have assumed it is just a stalling problem. I have owned other cars
that stall like this (press clutch, release gas pedeal, stall occaisionally).
I see the drop to zero and come back a lot also.

It is only annoying when it happens during a downshift to get more power.

I view it as a symptom of modern cars that try to keep the idle speed
very low (which depends on everything working perfectly), and essentially
flame-out because of not enough gas during a high-speed engine wind-down
because the car no longer has perfectly clean injectors or whatever.

More likely to flame-out when letting go from high RPM's is my take on it.
An automatic won't have this problem either, unless they shift into
neutral from 3k RPM frequently.

And short of a software update (since modern cars don't have an idle speed
screw anymore), not likely to be a fix. You could try things that clean injectors,
air filter, O2 sensor, that kind of stuff, it might help, but my car has less than
10k miles and it does it too.

A lot of my recent computer controlled cars have had this problem,
it is just slightly more noticeable on the HCH because it happens
more often.

 

"More likely to flame-out when letting go from high RPM's is my take on it."

That pretty much sums up my problem. In one sentence. Instead of all my posts.

Before this car, it had been years since driving a stick and that was in an older car (late 80's Sundance). I didn't know this was a general habit of newer vehicles.

 

Not the habit of mine . . . and I have over 100,000 miles. In the last 15,000 it has stalled out maybe 4 times and each time there was a reason for it. Occasionally I take the RPMs too low while trying to get regenerative breaking. I have taken to glancing at the charge meter when breaking and when it starts to decrease on its own I put in the clutch.

I really don’t think you should be having the problem. Checking the sensors and running some stuff through to clean the innards out may be a good idea. May want to have the dealer put it on a machine and monitor its functionality at low RPMs as well. Maybe you have a coil or two going bad?

Did you get the recall work done . . . the computer reprogram that fixed a too-lean condition?

kernk

 

No recall work on mine. I've received no notices via mail/email/the owner website.

None of the systems gave off error codes, so the dealer didn't know where to start and told me to 'keep an eye on it and bring it back if it's acting up'.

 

Sorry, yours is an 05. I don't think it had the problem.