Car keeps shutting off while driving

Tiny
ECLIPSEKRYPT
  • MEMBER
  • 2004 VOLVO S60
  • 5 CYL
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 80,000 MILES
I changed the ignition coils and spark plugs about five months ago. A friend told me it is the coils. I am getting a reading that cylinder one is bad. P0301. I have checked all of the coils and plugs and all are good, I even changed a plug and coil between cylinders and still same result. Any suggestions? Can a bad ignition coil shut down the engine?
Thanks in advance.
Monday, May 20th, 2019 AT 1:05 PM

1 Reply

Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 108,192 POSTS
Welcome to 2CarPros.

One cylinder misfiring is not going to shut it down, but instead give you a rough running vehicle because of the misfire. Since you changed the coil to a different cylinder, cleared the code, and cylinder 1 returned, the coil isn't the issue. It could be low fuel pressure, a bad connection at the cylinder 1 coil, a faulty fuel injector, low compression and so on. None of which should shut the engine down. However, there is one thing that comes to mind that will shut the engine down and require the vehicle to sit for a bit to cool. That component is the crankshaft position sensor.

When they start going bad, they can cause loss of spark. Interestingly, they may or may not set a code. Take a look through these links for info and to determine if the symptoms fit what you are experiencing. And yes, it can cause a single misfire.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-a-crank-shaft-angle-sensor-works

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/symptoms-of-a-bad-crankshaft-sensor

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/crankshaft-angle-sensor-replacement

With that in mind, you have a few ways of checking. First, using a live data scanner, see if there is an RPM signal when the vehicle stalls and won't restart. Or, when it stalls and won't restart, check to see if there is spark to the plugs.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-test-an-ignition-system

___________________________________

If you find there is no spark or no RPM signal, the sensor would be my first suspect.

If you determine the sensor is bad, here are the directions specific to your vehicle for replacement. Picture 1 correlates with the directions.

ENGINE SPEED (RPM) SENSOR, REPLACING
Engine speed (RPM) sensor, replacing

Removing the engine speed (RPM) sensor

picture 1

Remove the pipe between the front cover plate and the air cleaner (ACL).
Disconnect the hose between the air cleaner (ACL) and the throttle body (TB). Put the hose to one side.
Remove the throttle body (TB).
Clean the gasket face.
Expose the wiring.
Disconnect the connectors.
Remove the sensor.

Installing the engine speed (RPM) sensor
Connect the connector.

Install
- the sensor. Tighten to 10 Nm
- wiring
- the throttle body (TB) with a new gasket. Tighten to 10 Nm
- the hose between the throttle body (TB) and the air cleaner
- the pipe between the front cover plate and the air cleaner (ACL) housing.

__________________________________

If you determine this isn't the issue, check to make sure fuel pressure is within the manufacturer's specs. Here is a link that shows in general how to test pressure.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-fuel-system-pressure-and-regulator

Here are the manufacturer's specs for fuel pressure.

Fuel Pressure (Key On Engine On) .................... 375-395 kPa (54.3-57.2 psi)

Fuel Pressure (Key On) After 20 Minutes .................... 200 kPa (29 psi)

_________________________________

To shut down the engine, I feel you are either losing spark to all cylinders or pressure is dropping too low.

Let me know if this helps or if you have other questions.

Take care,
Joe
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Monday, May 20th, 2019 AT 8:43 PM

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