My Viper dies and then restarts...could use some advice

[BruceW]

Went to drive the Viper this morning. Car ran fine for about 3 blocks then just dies...no check engine light or error code (felt to me like I ran out of fuel). I turn the key off and then try to start it. Runs fine for another few blocks and then dies again. I turn it off and then restart, it runs fine. I make it back to my garage. The car had plenty of fuel. The battery is only a few months old and reads 12.8 V when standing. Any suggestions on things to check before I take it to a dealer? I have 10k trouble free (until now) miles on it.
Thanks
Bruce

 

[NCVCA]

sounds like the w32.blaster.worm virus. I'm guessing fuel pressure or electrical system. The OBD might have some codes that didn't throw a light.

I'd reboot and do a windows update

 

[Go Hogs Go!]

Check your fuse box. A blown fuse could case such a problem.

 

[Steve-Indy]

Check your fuel pump relay in the back on the left side near amp...these can wiggle out/loose....I got that tip from Sean Roe, and his on-track experience.

 

[Snake Bitten]

It's not the security system is it???

 

[Ulysses]

Low battery, could cause security system fuel shutoff to trigger

 

[monnieh]

do you have VEC1 installed?

 

[BruceW]

I think the battery is fine. It's a Diehard and only a few months old. I keep it on a tender whenever it's not on the road. Tonight I will doublecheck the cables. I don't have a VEC. I will check the fuses and relays, that sounds like a likely cause although it could be the alarm because there has been a few times where the system arms itself without honking the horn.

 

[Ulysses]

Bruce,

Get a hold of a OBDII scanner and scan for any trouble codes or pending trouble codes. (If you need one you can borrow mine)

If that's clear, check the system voltage with the car running, should read somewhere around 14V. (If not, either the alternator took a dump or you got a bad new battery. I used to work in the Sears garage way back when and it was not uncommon to sell a bad battery off the shelf)

Also check second positive battery cable (Yup there are two of them) at connector for any corrosion.

Have you changed your plugs or wires lately? Double check that the boots are pushed all the way down onto the plugs.

If, all looks good, check the fuel pressure.

 

[joe117]

Fuse isn't going to go bad and then get better.
A couple of poor contact plug wires are not going to stop the engine.
Battery isn't going to start the car and then decide to go low enough to stop the engine, and then get better a few min later.
Unseated pump relay could do it.
I don't know anything about alarm system.

 

[BruceW]

Battery cables look good. The battery reads about 12.6 V when off and 13.8 V when idling (I use the Davis car chip and monitor the voltage constantly, it has always read around 13.7 to 13.9 V when driving). Plug wires (MSD) have about 200 miles on them and the plugs have about 4k miles on them. The car runs smoothly and then just dies so I don't think it's the wires or plugs. The fuses are all good. I did notice that the fuel pump fuse in the trunk is 10A (and is good) but the diagram on the inside of the cover lists it as 25A. The OBD scanner shows no codes being set.
Question: What are the symptoms when the fuel filter starts to get blocked? Is there a sensor monitoring the fuel pressure?

 

[Ulysses]

Use the OBD scanner in operational data mode and have a friend monitor it while you drive around. Check to see if it loses contact with the computer when the car dies. Someone on here recently had a like problem where a wire in the tranny tunnel had worn through and shorted out causing the computer to lose power and the car to die.

Edit: Better yet, get underneath there, unbolt the plate and check all the wires.

 

[Ulysses]

Fuse isn't going to go bad and then get better.

I agree.

A couple of poor contact plug wires are not going to stop the engine.

How 'bouts 3, 4, 5?

Battery isn't going to start the car and then decide to go low enough to stop the engine, and then get better a few min later.

Au Contrair, mon freir, a battery with a bad cell will start you up just fine. As it gets hot, the resistance builds and the voltage drops enough to kill your car. Battery cools down and off you go again.

Unseated pump relay could do it.

I agree, too.

 

[Greg W]

Bruce,

Sounds like a fuel problem, but I would email Chuck Tator and check his opinion.

Greg

 

[Matt]

Had the car been sitting for an extended period before this drive? I've had this happen a couple of times with my '96, but the most it shut off was twice. After that I restarted it and drove it around for a while to charge it all up. No problems as long as I take it out regularly.

 

[FE 065]

Loose gas cap? ( wild guess..)

 

[Ulysses]

Bruce,

Did the car die when you were coming to a stop or while in motion?

How's it going? Get it fixed yet?

 

[BruceW]

It was while in motion. It just died, no mis-fire, nothing. I got my hands on a fuel pressure gauge last night so I will check that today. I am going to bring it into John Hine on Weds. I think I have exhausted all possibilities that are fixable at home. Guessing it's the fuel pump or a wacked-out alarm/shutoff system.