The KL's engine stopped today while I was idling in drive with foot on the brake waiting for a light. Never had this happen before. Just quietly cut out as if the key had been turned.
Air-cond was on at the time. No warning lights on the dash, temperature guage was fine.

Started perfectly. Pulled over and checked ATF, which looks perfect, a couple of mm's over max level but fine.

Drive cautiously home on the fwy. At one point in cruise at 100 it *felt* like the tranny downshifted to 4th and quickly back up to top, but I may be wrong on that, it was quick.

Got home, drove it around back streets for a while, used tippy a few times, no problems.
Let it idle in drive for a few minutes and it was rock solid.

Does this sound like a potential fuel issue? Anyone seen this before?

I had this happen when I was having ignition problems. Since replacing the coil and leads it has not happened again.

I had this happen when I was having ignition problems. Since replacing the coil and leads it has not happened again.
What happen, engine cutting out suddenly or a possible shift issue as I described?

Gee, I hope it was just some once off freak event. This car is doing The Great Ocean road trip, including side trips, in a couple of days.

This happened to me as well once.
And also a few times while moving it felt like the engine cut out for a second (similar to A/C kicking in much a lot harsher).
I am not sure if it is related, but it started after a timing belt service, and stopped after the tensioner was replaced (fitted wrong).
Hasn't happened since (about 10,000km now)

Hmm, well on the way to work this morning I'm sure i felt a kind of hiccup while idling.
Only happened once and i'm like 'did i imagine that?'.
I'll have to have it all checked out.

This happened to me as well once.
And also a few times while moving it felt like the engine cut out for a second (similar to A/C kicking in much a lot harsher).
I am not sure if it is related, but it started after a timing belt service, and stopped after the tensioner was replaced (fitted wrong).
Hasn't happened since (about 10,000km now)
Were the leads replaced at that service?

I'm assumng that if it was a coil problem there'd be an engine light showing (error), anyone know?
I dont know if a faulty lead could throw an error tho?

Were the leads replaced at that service?

I'm assumng that if it was a coil problem there'd be an engine light showing (error), anyone know?
I dont know if a faulty lead could throw an error tho?

The Magna ECU watchdog/error recording isn't sophisticated enough to pick up ignition errors. sorry.
ie misfires through dud plug/lead/coil won't set an error code or light.
Crank and cam angle sensors acting up will give you the CEL and throw a code though.

I had the misfire that you describe, bought new coil and leads, found a good S/H cap at the wreckers.
Pulled the cap and leads off, problem was evident - one of the leads inside the distributor cap had let go of the metal end, and the arcing there had burnt away at the conductor (carbon impregnated fibreglass strands (?)) inside the lead itself. Replaced cap and leads, misfire went away.

If anyone is planning to replace leads, look carefully at how the leads run, and where and how various standoffs are positioned. Don't want a lead to rest on a metal edge and rub through or arc.

Also worthwhile to check the length of the leads as you replace them, the originals are just long enough, anything slightly shorter will cause problems. Fortunately the leads in the set I used were all 1 to 2 cm longer.

The Magna ECU watchdog/error recording isn't sophisticated enough to pick up ignition errors. sorry.
lol, well thats not ur fault Max! Lets blame the bean counters on that one.


I had the misfire that you describe, bought new coil and leads, found a good S/H cap at the wreckers.
Pulled the cap and leads off, problem was evident - one of the leads inside the distributor cap had let go of the metal end, and the arcing there had burnt away at the conductor (carbon impregnated fibreglass strands (?)) inside the lead itself. Replaced cap and leads, misfire went away.

If anyone is planning to replace leads, look carefully at how the leads run, and where and how various standoffs are positioned. Don't want a lead to rest on a metal edge and rub through or arc
I didnt even think of checking the cap! I'll do that later today.
So one of those metal connectors in the cap had failed leading to arcing? Have u checked the plug gap fr that one? If too wide it will increase voltage on that lead.

I'm suspecting my leads or coil ... And now ... Dizzy cap!

lol, well thats not ur fault Max! Lets blame the bean counters on that one.

I didnt even think of checking the cap! I'll do that later today.
So one of those metal connectors in the cap had failed leading to arcing?

I'm suspecting my leads or coil ... And now ... Dizzy cap!

In my case, the arcing was happening outside of the cap, between the metal attached to the end of the plug lead and the internal conductor of the lead itself. Basically, because the metal bit had come loose.
I replaced the cap only because the arcing had damaged the outside of the cap where the lead plugs in.

You are thinking about the air gap between the spinning rotor and the 6 carbon contacts, I think. They do show signs or burning and erosion, but that is never a problem. Check your cap that the central carbon bit is free to move in and out under spring tension though.

You are thinking about the air gap between the spinning rotor and the 6...
I meant the actual spark plug, at the other end. If the gap becomes too wide it will increase the voltage across the lead, possibly leading to breakdown in the lead and arcing. Worth checking.

Plug gaps don't change if you have the right plugs in the car - single or double platinums, etc.

Plug gaps do change with age. The tips erode. The original NGK plugs I had in my Pajero (1.0 to 1.1 mm gap originally) had opened up to about 1.6 or 1.7 @ 105000 km. OK - it was running on gas, but even with colder plugs, I still found the gaps increased, although not as badly. The centre electrode had worn almost to the insulator. Incidentally, at 105000 km, it was still running fine - no misses etc, but after the new plugs were installed (and the leads disturbed to access the plugs), all hell broke loose after that. Iridiums seem to have fixed the erosion problem , although I didn't have either of our vehicles for the 100000 km to be sure about that.

What happen, engine cutting out suddenly or a possible shift issue as I described?

Gee, I hope it was just some once off freak event. This car is doing The Great Ocean road trip, including side trips, in a couple of days.

It started out as a stumble at idle when the engine was fulley warmed up, then progressed to the engine misfiring under load. I replaced the leads with second hand ones which solved most of the problem but I think running with bad leads ruined the coil. Replacing the coil solved the problem.

It started out as a stumble at idle when the engine was fulley warmed up, then progressed to the engine misfiring under load. I replaced the leads with second hand ones which solved most of the problem but I think running with bad leads ruined the coil. Replacing the coil solved the problem.
Well, the leads are being replaced tomorrow. Will see how it goes after that. Oddly, the hiccup didnt happen this afternoon despite the heat here today :confused:

Cars been running fine with the new leads. Maybe one of the old leads was damaged.