Yeah, so my AWD has been neglected for the past few weeks while I put in driving hours in the 380. I have a feeling the AWD now sees itself as the "ex" and it must give me hell for spending more time with a younger model.

I've had to jump start it a few times recently. But, I've made a point of driving it semi regularly since - to maintain the battery at least. This morning it started fine under its own steam.

As I was leaving the yard it stopped then started again - for a split second. Okay.... so I set off on my errand. Next set of lights it did it again.... twice. Then again a few times as I was trying to head back home in a panic. It was cutting out for a second each time, but would gather itself up and keep going.

I get it home, stop the engine, move the 380 out of the shed and get back into the AWD - no start. Just cranks.

At the time, I was in too much of a hurry to deal with it and left the AWD parked where it died.

This afternoon I spent some time looking things over. Cleaned electrical connections and just made sure I couldnt see anything obvious. I do have a shattered front RH engine mount. Not sure when that happened? Point is, it still wouldnt start after some general tinkering.

I searched the forums here to pretty much conclude I have the immobiliser issue.

Armed with that information, I checked & cleaned the connection to the immobiliser antenna. Still no start. Car cranks great, battery is good. The "big yellow" fuse under the bonnet is good. My hearing is not so good, so saying I cannot hear the fuel pump working is a token gesture. According to the fuel gauge I have a quarter tank remaining.

Is the immobiliser something that just happens after a week of not being driven? No mods/hacks/crashes or work done on the car since Christmas last year. It doesn't get driven a lot, and when it does its for short trips.

EDIT:
I forgot to mention that I had washed the car this morning - before all of this started. Nothing special, no high pressure water, and it was just a quick bath to get the dust off.

Just swapped the distributor out, as some forum posts suggest this could be an issue. No change.

So, if its the immobiliser do I need a full ECU+BEM+locks+keys swap? Or, is this just a matter of swapping the antenna?

Have you had a look at the crank sensor?

Have you had a look at the crank sensor?

Maybe hold back on thinking about replacing bits or suspecting things like the CAS without evidence, and look at the error codes instead?

As Max suggests, if the CEL is showing check the codes (with the flashing lights method if necessary).

I had the CAS wiring come loose from the retaining clips - was just lucky that when I started it fairly soon after it happened I had the windows down and heard the sound of a belt rubbing something and investigated; found the belt had only partly worn though the insulation <whew!>

If you've swapped the whole dizzy (not just the cap and rotor) that would suggest the ignition coil isn't the problem, which is something else I've had to replace.

So, if its the immobiliser do I need a full ECU+BEM+locks+keys swap? Or, is this just a matter of swapping the antenna?
If BEM itself is faulty, either full swap or immobiliser neutralised.

Don't mean to be off topic here, but just the title of this thread made me laugh

Don't mean to be off topic here, but just the title of this thread made me laugh

Same here.
And that part about washing the car. It's almost like the suggestion is that even after pampering and paying attention to "her" she is still behaving like a jealous female.

Let me try cover all of the comments here;
- Crank angle sensor appears undamaged. I'll bust out the manual and multimeter to check the CAS (and everything else) when it's cooler in the shed.
- CEL came on once during all of this yesterday, but went out almost immediately. Will the fault code have been stored?
- I swapped out the entire distributor; body+coil+cap+rotor. Wouldn't have wasted my time if I hadn't read other posts similar which has suggested the distributor was at fault.
- No visible damage to any wiring or connectors. Disconnect/reconnect was the first thing I did to everything. Then repeated with contact cleaner.
- The fact the car does get driven a lot, and had sat for over a week, doesn't play into this somehow?

Same here.
And that part about washing the car. It's almost like the suggestion is that even after pampering the car it is still behaving like a jealous female.

Well, I didn't wash+polish+wax it like usual, just washed it... maybe that's it? Until I give it the full service, I get no ride?

- CEL came on once during all of this yesterday, but went out almost immediately. Will the fault code have been stored?


Dealing with a jealous female is no joke, I tell ya!

I had a cam angle sensor act up on a Lancer. The car would do a single hiccup (misfire) while driving, the CEL would go on, then off very quickly, and the car would carry on as normal.
And it would be impossible to restart afterwards, then suddenly come good.
Does that sound familiar? lol
The error code was stored, so I grabbed a couple from the wreckers, 2 for $5, swapped one in, and problem fixed.
Without the error codes I would have been buying and swapping ignition coils and spark plugs in a pointless exercise to cure the misfire.


Except the cam angle sensor for the Magna is inside the distributor, and you swapped that . . . replaced a dud with a dud?

But look at the error codes, if it is still that sensor the code should be there.

Dealing with a jealous female is no joke, I tell ya!

I had a cam angle sensor act up on a Lancer. The car would do a single hiccup (misfire) while driving, the CEL would go on, then off very quickly, and the car would carry on as normal.
And it would be impossible to restart afterwards, then suddenly come good.
Does that sound familiar? lol
The error code was stored, so I grabbed a couple from the wreckers, 2 for $5, swapped one in, and problem fixed.
Without the error codes I would have been buying and swapping ignition coils and spark plugs in a pointless exercise to cure the misfire.


Except the cam angle sensor for the Magna is inside the distributor, and you swapped that . . . replaced a dud with a dud?

But look at the error codes, if it is still that sensor the code should be there.

Thanks Max. That does sound like what is going on. Pretty sure the dizzy I swapped out yesterday was a good one. I'd like to think they're both good actually - one is from my AWD's original engine and the other is the distributor supplied with the 380 engine.

Its still too ****in' hot so I'm not going in the shed until tonight now. I have given the workshop manual a good read over and will start with a fault code check.

Grounded pin 1 of 16 on the diagnostic socket. No CEL at all, flashing or otherwise. No CEL when turning the key to ignition. Car still cranks fine, all other electricas working as per normal.

Attempt #2 - Connected a laptop via my Evoscan cable - cannot connect to ECU

:|

I think it's broken.

No codes at all?
Rules out crank and cam angle sensors, as well as immobiliser IIRC.

Got spark?

Got fuel pressure?

If you earthed the right pin, and you are not getting the standard no-problem sequence, something is seriously wrong.

Check the ECU connections and check for the dreaded coolant-on/in-the-ECU scenario.

I have the tools to check both fuel pressure & spark, but it'll have to wait until tomorrow now. I'm on midget wrangling duty.

I'm on midget wrangling duty.

A stroppy jealous female AWD to sort, and a midget to wrangle?
I don't envy your life at the moment. lol

A stroppy jealous female AWD to sort, and a midget to wrangle?
I don't envy your life at the moment. lol

My life is an extreme sport max.

It appears I have run out of sparks. No spark.

This is where somebody tells me there's a "sparks" fuse.... right?

It appears as though I'm getting fuel, but I didn't connect the pressure gauge to confirm.''

Still no CEL.

This is karma - third Magna now and all this time I've been a smug bastard by saying "I've never had an electrical problem with a Magna"

I found it! I found my "sparks" fusel;
http://i.imgur.com/C7W2b7s.jpg

It melted. Not sure when though. I know, I only gave the fuses a visual check over not a multimeter check. AND, a forum post said "check the yellow fuse in the engine bay"... I checked the large fuseable link, not this 20 amp fuse.

Car started after I cleaned up the fuse holder and fitted a new fuse.

I now have a functioning CEL. Even better, I have a functioning car!

Thanks for all the help and motivating comments.

Just swapped the distributor out, as some forum posts suggest this could be an issue. No change.

So, if its the immobiliser do I need a full ECU+BEM+locks+keys swap? Or, is this just a matter of swapping the antenna?

Car plays up a little and you go straight to this? hahaha

Dedication right there if you want to replace these after it cuts out a couple of times. I was going to say, check battery and check basic things but it looks like it was just a fuse.

Car plays up a little and you go straight to this? hahaha

Dedication right there if you want to replace these after it cuts out a couple of times. I was going to say, check battery and check basic things but it looks like it was just a fuse.

Go ahead, give me a hard time about it, I deserve it.

I feel like such a yutz.

Go ahead, give me a hard time about it, I deserve it.

I feel like such a yutz.

Nah, we all do that. Assume the worst, then do some trouble shooting, and find all our problems are a bit overblown. Well, most of them, anyway.