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So my car broke down today, I have a 2001 VW Cabrio. I was on the highway and all of a sudden my car no longer accelerated when applying the gas and after 10 seconds or so it stalled. I tried to get it started again while moving since it’s a manual and it would start and stall almost immediately. I pulled off to the side of the road and there was a smell like rotten eggs. I tried to start the car again and it would crank but the engine wouldn’t start and applying gas while cranking made no change.
Due to the smell I’m assuming there may be something wrong with the cat or at least something else malfunctioning that made the cat overheat. I just have a simple engine scanner and when I plugged it in there were no codes found with the engine. Since it’s a 2001, is it possible for the cat to go bad where my car won’t start but it doesn’t produce a check engine light code? I’m just not sure where to start looking to solve it, I don’t have an infrared temperature gun and they seem to be about $50 and my scan tool is a cheap one that just reads ODBII codes so I can’t do the live scan of the voltage like in Eric’s video. Is there another way to check the cat and can it cause the car not to start even without a check engine light?
Thanks for any help you guys have.
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I would actually if you can; take off the cat and see if you can see a clog. If your exhaust system is clogged up to where the exhaust gasses can’t get through it will eventually stall the engine, just like if you were not able to exhale your breath you would pretty much sufficate and well eventually die. Same thing with your engine. Since you don’t have a infared thermometer or a better quality OBDII reader, I don’t know of any other ways to check the cat besides taking it off the car and inspecting it for any clogs. I am supprised a cel didn’t come on and throw out a code. usually it would if the computer does not see any to hardly any O2 in the exhaust so it would try and compensate that by adding or removing fuel.
But that’s my best bet. take the thing off if your able to and inspect it.
I hope this information helps you!
[quote=”LanEvoX” post=49767]I would actually if you can; take off the cat and see if you can see a clog. If your exhaust system is clogged up to where the exhaust gasses can’t get through it will eventually stall the engine, just like if you were not able to exhale your breath you would pretty much sufficate and well eventually die. Same thing with your engine. Since you don’t have a infared thermometer or a better quality OBDII reader, I don’t know of any other ways to check the cat besides taking it off the car and inspecting it for any clogs. I am supprised a cel didn’t come on and throw out a code. usually it would if the computer does not see any to hardly any O2 in the exhaust so it would try and compensate that by adding or removing fuel.
But that’s my best bet. take the thing off if your able to and inspect it.
I hope this information helps you![/quote]
No, that helps a lot. I’ve never worked on a cat before so I wasn’t sure that if it was clogged if it would be visible. I’ll try to pull it off, hopefully it’s not too stuck on. Thanks for the help!
If you yank it…Might as well try to clean it with scotty’s method mentioned at the 1 and 2min marks here:
[quote=”Wayne613″ post=49783]If you yank it…Might as well try to clean it with scotty’s method mentioned at the 1 and 2min marks here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5icTmYItwiE%5B/quote%5DEh… I watched that yesterday but I’m not wild about the idea of pouring lacquer thinner into my gas tank. I don’t think this would even work if it’s not starting though would it? I would think that can only work if it’s still running but giving you the error code. If it’s not starting it can’t move any of that to the cat to try and clear the blockage. The other cleaning stuff is fine but I just want to diagnose, if there’s no way to do it without cleaning then I’ll do it but I don’t mind buying a cat, just don’t want to buy and then it still doesn’t run.
Would it run without the cat attached? I don’t mind replacing the cat I just want to make sure that’s the problem before replacing it is all. Is there any sensor or anything that if I remove the cat it still won’t run? If I can at least getting it idling again and I know it’s the cat then I’m good. I know there’s usually a sensor by the cat, just not sure if it will stop it from running for any reason if the cat isn’t connected.
[quote=”OrsonWelles00″ post=49787]I don’t think this would even work if it’s not starting though would it?
Would it run without the cat attached? I don’t mind replacing the cat I just want to make sure that’s the problem before replacing it is all. Is there any sensor or anything that if I remove the cat it still won’t run? If I can at least getting it idling again and I know it’s the cat then I’m good. I know there’s usually a sensor by the cat, just not sure if it will stop it from running for any reason if the cat isn’t connected.[/quote]My point really wasn’t to try this with the cat on. Just if you go through all that trouble, might as well clean it out first with one or both of those methods. Yanking the cat, then trying to start would at least narrow down the focus to either the muffler or the cat as the likely issues if nothing else. You could try just pulling the o2 sensors. First the one beyond the cat (muffler or collapsed exhaust pipe in that section would be the issue), then the one before (that would indicate the cat), see if it were to run.
Won’t run “well” pushing exhaust through that small hole and no o2 sensor(for the “front” one, closer to the engine), but it should be enough to let it run so you can make a diagnosis on a cold engine.
O2 sensor does not cause stall. It’s cause excess gas consumption. Yes rotten egg smell is found in the exhaust. Not when you open the hood. But to be sure use a laser thermometer and follow the video. A lack of electricity can cause also bas consumption, low heat and bas CO to CO2 conversion whit the catalyst than give you rotten egg smell.
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VZ5K8n5jj0[/video]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VZ5K8n5jj0%5B/url%5D
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBUYs539cy4[/video]
After that, you need to check you fuel pump and you fuel filter. Because fuel filter can block the fuel send to your engine because It’s became too dirty. The fuel pump can also fail and no fuel will be send to your engine.
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2TrjxYLyj4[/video]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2TrjxYLyj4from what i learned..rotten egg smells means ur cat is working properly or could be misfiring. All those raw fuel dump into heated surfaces catalyst..chemical reactions occurs, hydrogen sulfate is the smell. Anyway you dont you start checking the basic first like sparks, could be ignition coil? Smell rotten egg in exhaust..i assume there fuel being sprayed in..catalyst converter clogged up is possible, take out O2 sensor or part of the exhaust could be a b%%Ch..test the easy things first..hope it help !! :cheer:
If it’s fuel spray in your exhaust pipe It’s a dirty open exhaust or a failing exhaust spring valve that It’s close to lately. Be sure to do a pressure leak test (whit a air compressor) if you smell fuel trough the O2 sensor during the car engine is running.
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgrfT0LFMhc[/video]
[quote=”Tran” post=49798]from what i learned..rotten egg smells means ur cat is working properly or could be misfiring. All those raw fuel dump into heated surfaces catalyst..chemical reactions occurs, hydrogen sulfate is the smell. Anyway you dont you start checking the basic first like sparks, could be ignition coil? Smell rotten egg in exhaust..i assume there fuel being sprayed in..catalyst converter clogged up is possible, take out O2 sensor or part of the exhaust could be a b%%Ch..test the easy things first..hope it help !! :cheer:[/quote]
I didn’t think it was this but it may just be… The reason I ruled it out was I did a tune up (new plugs, wires, rotor, cap, etc.) 20k miles ago and I even got the nicer plugs and wires for it. I tried to get Bosch parts since there wasn’t much difference but I just checked when I got home from work and I’m getting no spark. My ignition coil went about 2 months ago and I replaced that no problem and everything was fine so I though with all the parts being so new it couldn’t be that but I’m not getting a spark at the wire. I’ll have to start probing with the multimeter tomorrow to see what’s not giving it power.
Thanks again to everyone who’s responded, you’ve all been a huge help!
Fuel pump. Those Cats almost never go and if they do, you can count on it throwing the engine light on. Now that the car wont start, crawl under and bang on the gas tank with a rubber mallet and have a buddy crank away. If it starts or sputters chances are its the fuel pump. Just my opinion. Im a newb but ive done a few of these haha good luck!
Alright, so I’m not getting electric at the plugs and ignition coil seems alright but not positive. The wiring coming into the ignition coil I checked and it’s getting 12v when I turn the engine to on. The problem is though, usually to test it they say to run a light across the contacts with the key to on and it should be a solid light, which it does. The problem comes in however is when I crank the engine, the light does not blink, it stays lit the whole time. Does anyone know what that could mean? I don’t know enough about it to know what would make it not blink when you’re cranking. The guy at the autopart store told me thought it could be the ignition module, the cam sensor, or the crank sensor but he wasn’t sure and he didn’t want me to spend the money and not be sure if it would fix my problem. Does anyone know what could cause it not to blink when cranking? I’m just not sure so I can’t even test anything unfortunately.
I have a 2 web site for you. It’s the coil in problem
http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/should-timing-light-blink-while-cranking-76521.html
http://www.justanswer.com/car/74s3w-300se-testing-coil-voltage-battery.html
Thanks for the websites, I think it’s the ECM in my car though. I can’t figure out how to get the cover off to get to it but it seems from reading online that if it doesn’t blink it means it’s not getting a ground signal from the ECM. :/ I’m assuming it’s not cheap either if it’s that. Hopefully I can figure out how to get the cover for it off to get to it.
The only thing that has me puzzled still though is how there’s no CEL code when I turn on my car.
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