I'm offering $100 to anyone who can solve my car's nightmarish issues

[KnifeySpoony]

Not any clearer tbh. How can you be at zero rpms with the car in gear, clutch out, and moving? 

[Ted7]

1 minute ago, KnifeySpoony said:

Not any clearer tbh. How can you be at zero rpms with the car in gear, clutch out, and moving? 

Now you're just asking the same question as me.

I can go through simple issues.  Complicated ones, I'm out.

[KnifeySpoony]

Maybe just your tach is showing 0 rpm? And you've lost power. But you're not actually at 0 rpm. 

[Vovchandr]

10 minutes ago, Ted7 said:

Now you're just asking the same question as me.

I can go through simple issues.  Complicated ones, I'm out.

 

Your tach shows 0 before you push clutch in? That's what's confusing some people. 

 

Your engine rpm is not at 0 while you're moving in gear, that means tach loses signal at same time you lose engine power. 

 

So you lose power, tach goes to 0, you clutch in and engine goes to idle

 

I'll still be waiting for you to try to a stop next time it happens before I make further assumptions. Video would def help

 

Tach going to 0 is a clue to ECU or ignition system. See Crocs post

Edited July 29 by Vovchandr

[Ted7]

4 minutes ago, KnifeySpoony said:

Maybe just your tach is showing 0 rpm? And you've lost power. But you're not actually at 0 rpm. 

But can it be only the tach that is losing power and nothing else, like headlights and dashboard? You can clearly hear the engine cutting off the same way it would with  the key.

[mrmustang]

3 minutes ago, Vovchandr said:

 

Your tach shows 0 before you push clutch in? That's what's confusing some people. 

 

Your engine rpm is not at 0 while you're moving in gear, that means tach loses signal at same time you lose engine power. 

 

So you lose power, tach goes to 0, you clutch in and engine goes to idle

 

I'll still be waiting for you to try to a stop next time it happens before I make further assumptions. Video would def help

 

Tach going to 0 is a clue to ECU or ignition system. See Crocs post

Now we are getting somewhere, for without the engine/transmission turning, or the starter engaging, there is no way for the engine to start from "0". We are back to electrical issues, and now that we are narrowing things down, an ECU issue, corrosion or bad diode/capacitor on the board within the ECU along with the potential still for a broken/frayed wire under the dash.

 

Bill 

[Ted7]

5 minutes ago, Vovchandr said:

 

Your tach shows 0 before you push clutch in? That's what's confusing some people. 

 

Your engine rpm is not at 0 while you're moving in gear, that means tach loses signal at same time you lose engine power. 

 

So you lose power, tach goes to 0, you clutch in and engine goes to idle

 

I'll still be waiting for you to try to a stop next time it happens before I make further assumptions. Video would def help

Tach shows zero as soon as the engine cuts off and before I depress the clutch.

 

[mrmustang]

1 minute ago, Ted7 said:

But can it be only the tach that is losing power and nothing else, like headlights and dashboard? You can clearly hear the engine cutting off the same way it would with  the key.

Your engine needs three things to run, fuel, spark, and compression, if the motor died, and is no longer running or turning over (clutch out, transmission still in a gear), the engine has lost all of it's motion and cannot spontaneously start without some type of momentum within. 

 

Bill

[Ted7]

2 minutes ago, mrmustang said:

Now we are getting somewhere, for without the engine/transmission turning, or the starter engaging, there is no way for the engine to start from "0". We are back to electrical issues, and now that we are narrowing things down, an ECU issue, corrosion or bad diode/capacitor on the board within the ECU along with the potential still for a broken/frayed wire under the dash.

 

Bill 

 

I'm with you there, if the engine was just turning off, but what I don't get is that it restarts immediately without hesitation as soon as I depress the clutch 

[Ted7]

1 minute ago, mrmustang said:

Your engine needs three things to run, fuel, spark, and compression, if the motor died, and is no longer running or turning over (clutch out, transmission still in a gear), the engine has lost all of it's motion and cannot spontaneously start without some type of momentum within. 

 

Bill

And yet... it does restart. Every time.

[Vovchandr]

3 minutes ago, Ted7 said:

 

I'm with you there, if the engine was just turning off, but what I don't get is that it restarts immediately without hesitation as soon as I depress the clutch 

 

This is why I want you to do neutral thing and come to a stop. 

 

You can also try to jiggle a bunch of wires at idle with engine off to see if you can trigger it. 

 

If time with sorted car is more important than money and troubleshooting I'd do what Croc did. New ECU and ignition. Ecu is anout $100. Coil should be less. Here's old auction for reference. 

 

https://ebay.us/m/Ysv6QO

[mrmustang]

Just now, Ted7 said:

And yet... it does restart. Every time.

Then the clutch is not releasing 100% and is dragging the flywheel to continue to turn the motor. Without compression from the pistons moving, your engine will not run. As others have already alluded, you are thinking because the tach drops to zero that the engine is not still running, and this is a misconception on your part. At this point, you are going to have to try and catch this situation on video so the rest of us can see and hear what you are experiencing. Either that, or you need to find a competent mechnic in Irvine (California I have to assume). Steve Beck is in LA 310-391-9774 I highly recommend you give him a call. He not only knows Caterhams (he owns one), but Ford electronics.

 

Bill 

[Vovchandr]

6 minutes ago, Ted7 said:

And yet... it does restart. Every time.

 

Not to be too pedantic but I'd stop calling it restarting. By all accounts it loses ignition and regains it. 

 

I have a feeling if you come to complete stop without pulling clutch in and engine at true 0 rpm it won't "restart" without key, it will gain ingnition back however. 

[Vovchandr]

2 minutes ago, mrmustang said:

Then the clutch is not releasing 100% and is dragging the flywheel to continue to turn the motor. Without compression from the pistons moving, your engine will not run. As others have already alluded, you are thinking because the tach drops to zero that the engine is not still running, and this is a misconception on your part. At this point, you are going to have to try and catch this situation on video so the rest of us can see and hear what you are experiencing. Either that, or you need to find a competent mechnic in Irvine (California I have to assume). Steve Beck is in LA 310-391-9774 I highly recommend you give him a call. He not only knows Caterhams (he owns one), but Ford electronics.

 

Bill 

 

I think you're misreading what he says. He doesn't claim engine restarts from 0 rpm just that tach says so even thought engine  is rotating with drivetrain connected. 

 

As soon as clutch is pressed engine gets ignition and tach shows true RPM going to idle with clutch in. 

[mrmustang]

1 minute ago, Vovchandr said:

 

I think you're misreading what he says. He doesn't claim engine restarts from 0 rpm just that tach says so even thought engine  is rotating with drivetrain connected. 

 

As soon as clutch is pressed engine gets ignition and tach shows true RPM going to idle with clutch in. 

I know it, and you know it, but the OP in his continued posts appears to believe in my previously posted "immaculate compression" 

[Ted7]

7 minutes ago, mrmustang said:

I know it, and you know it, but the OP in his continued posts appears to believe in my previously posted "immaculate compression" 

Needle shows zero, it's obvious the engine components and transmission are still moving...

 

I sent a message to Steve Beck. I wouldn't mind driving the car to LA.

[KnifeySpoony]

53 minutes ago, Ted7 said:

But can it be only the tach that is losing power and nothing else, like headlights and dashboard? You can clearly hear the engine cutting off the same way it would with  the key.

 

47 minutes ago, Ted7 said:

And yet... it does restart. Every time.

 

22 minutes ago, Ted7 said:

Needle shows zero, it's obvious the engine components and transmission are still moving...

 

 

More conflicting information here...

 

When the engine "dies", is it rotating or not? 

 

Not to speak for the group but with each post we get more confused by your description of what's happening. I agree that a video would be helpful.

[Vovchandr]

I thing I got the gist. 

 

Everything is fine then engine stops responding to throttle and rpm reads zero. Car starts engine braking. 

 

He pushes the clutch in, tach shows idle and RPM idles happily like nothing ever happen. Continue blatting as normal. 

[Ted7]

2 minutes ago, KnifeySpoony said:

More conflicting information here...

 

When the engine "dies", is it rotating or not? 

 

Imagine driving and turning the ignition key off.  That's what it does.

If I'd let it roll to zero mph it'd feel the same as stalling.

When it happens, while driving, I depress the clutch and it restarts without releasing the clutch (not like if I was trying to start a car with a dead battery). 

 

 

[Ted7]

2 minutes ago, Vovchandr said:

I thing I got the gist. 

 

Everything is fine then engine stops responding to throttle and rpm reads zero. Car starts engine braking. 

 

He pushes the clutch in, tach shows idle and RPM idles happily like nothing ever happen. Continue blatting as normal. 

 

This ^