Lexus :: Power Loss On Highway When Traveling At 80 MPH
Feb 21, 2013
The other night around 11pm my car lost power on the highway. I was traveling 80 MPH. The RPMs would not stay up no matter how much I pumped the gas pedal. The car did not die though. I would hold an idle, but felt like it was missing a little.I had the car towed to my hotel. Two days later I tried to drive the car to a mechanic. The car started up fine. It drove for about300 ft and stopped moving again. The car did not die and would hold the idle.Towed to the mechanic. It sat over a Monday holiday in his lot. On Wednesday I called to see how it was coming on the car. They put it on the computer and the only thing that came up was an engine misfire. They have been driving the car for 2 days with no incident.They have not done anything to the car as they don't want to throw money or parts at it not knowing what the car is doing. Feels like a fuel restriction but it idles. Stalling Lexus IS300...
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I bought my 2001 Prius used about a year and a half ago and had no problems until the past couple of months. On three occasions now, the triangle warning light has come up on the screen while I was driving and the car wouldn't accelerate when I pushed the gas pedal.
Fortunately, the I was able to coast to the side of the road on each occasion, and when I turned the car off and restarted it, it worked fine. The first two times, it happened on the freeway after a lengthy drive and while traveling at about 70 mph. Today it happened on a surface street, but after I had been on the freeway (in gridlock) for nearly an hour.
I should have dealt with this sooner, but somehow every time it has happened, it was on the weekend and/or when I was out of town, so I couldn't immediately take it to a shop, and since the car started back up immediately and ran fine after each occurrence, it didn't seem urgent.
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1989 Camry, 2.0L A/T- 97K mi.- This car has developed a violent shaking condition when traveling at highway speed. It only occurs after the car has been driven for at least 1/2 hour. It does not appear to be related to an individual wheel or axle, and happens only when the accelerator pedal is depressed and the car is in gear and moving at 50+ MPH. Steering is not affected, nor does turning the steering wheel increase or decrease the shaking. The shaking stops when the accelerator is released. The engine runs smoothly, with no misfire or vibration.
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Any clue as to why when im sitting at idle or at very very low rate of speed my A/C seems to work like a charm, but if i am traveling down the highway or basically anything above 40mph it seems to die down, like doesn't even keep me that cool..
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I'm a mechanic but work only on cars so I'm a little shy on diagnosing trucks. I have a 2001 7.3 f250 4x4 short bed, when I give it gas I can hear a clunk, when I let off of the gas I also hear a clunk. Also when traveling at high way speeds I can feel a strong vibration when I very lightly give it gas but the vibration goes away as I give it more gas.
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Recently I had a radiator hose split while traveling. The EOT got up to 250 degrees before I could pull over and stop the truck. I flushed the cooling system with water, replaced the thermostat, and added Ford Gold coolant as per the recommendations in the Tech folder. My oil temps are higher now than prior to this incident. Unloaded on a flat road my deltas are about 10 to 12 degrees @ 60 mph.
My water temp will stay around 190 to 195 degrees while my EOT have reached 212-215. I pulled a small utility trailer and saw a delta of 17 degrees this was at about 75 mph. Typically unloaded I would only see a delta of about 8 degrees and this was at 80mph. My question is do you think a EOT of 250 would burn the oil, I had Shell Rotella T5 5W40 in the engine. Would it be possible that the oil cooler is partially plugged from this temp?
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I have a 97 Pontiac Transport and I was traveling down the road and suddenly i lost oil pressure the light came on and it started clattering so I checked the oil level and it was fine so i had it towed home. I changed the oil using a higher grade oil and lucas oil treatment and started it ...I still have the problem what do i do...
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I've been having a problem which i cant seem to find the fix for. My ABS and ECS dash light keep turning on. Its intermittent and does not stay on. Ive noticed that it usually happens if I travel at highway speeds for more than 15miles. I had the brakes x4 changed 1 year ago and all brake pads show good life. Brake fluid is at a good level with no leaks to be seen. I am wondering if its one of the sensors? How can one check for that? I have a 2006 3.3l GLS with 86k.
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I know this will sound strange, but starting the other day, I notice that it sounds like sand is hitting my Treg windshield when traveling at highway speed. At first I thought it was coming from the truck in front of me, so I passed him, and it didn't stop. It is just about all the time now, and I cannot imagine what is causing this noise.
It is not incredibly annoying, but how will I know when I am being pelted by real sand? Any clues out there? With 48,000 miles on it, there is not much time left to get it under warranty.
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I have a 2000 Jeep Cherokee Classic with 214,000 miles on it. Ok......this hasn't happen too often, but scares the CRAP outta me when it does.The other day, it happened twice. Traveling on the highway, 65 - 70 MPH, the car suddenly jolts with a loud BANG!I've had the transmission fluid flushed.Each time I go in for service at my local garage, I have them check ALL the fluids. They never find anything. And are at a loss as to what it could be. They've dropped the pan and found nothing wrong with the transmission. No metal in the fluid. They've check the rear diff. Still nothing. I've gone about a year without the issue until this past Monday when it happened twice. I'm a little paranoid to go faster than 60 - 65 right now.
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So over the past couple months when driving on the highway I would notice that sometimes my car would lose all power and slowly coast to a stop, but then the power comes back on and I'm off after a few seconds. It happened again today and I notice when I do hit the gas when it decides not to accelerate my boost gauge shows that there is vacuum building up in the engine. It just doesn't make sense to me. Would my car be getting thrown into a limp mode? Or is it something to do with fueling?
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I've been driving my V10 for 3 years now without a problem. The other day, while I was on the Highway in Italy driving at around 140KM/H, I suddenly had a loss of power. I could continue to drive the car, but I had no more tork... I stopped at the next gas station, turn the engine off, turned it on again, and the car drove normally again as before. About 200KM later the same happened again...
I went to check with the dealer - he hooked up the car to the computer - and told me that they had to change both turbos... What I find weird is that when I turn the car off and on again it works again. If the turbos would be defective, they wouldn't work again just by turning the car on and off. I think that it is more a problem with the turbo controller and if that's the case why change both turbo.
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I am using a Hyundai Santa Fe (Petrol, 2011 Model) here in Saudi Arabia. On July 17 (11:30 pm), I was driving in a highway at about 80-90 kms/hr when suddenly my vehicle lost power (steering wheel, brake, etc).
Baed on the diagnosis of our company mechanic, it was an alternator problem. He said the alternator bearing got stuck up.
Prior to this incident, on July 7, the same vehicle got stalled twice while it's parked. In the first case, I was able to use it after jumpstarting. In the second case in the same day (4 hours after the first case), jump starting didn't work so they have to replace it with a temporary used battery. I noticed that I had a hard start (the engine responds only after 3-4 key ignition). After replacing the battery with new one, I was able to drive normally from July 9 to Jul 17, and then the incident happened as I described in the first paragraph.
Question: Is there a way to detect the alternator bearing problem before it actually breaks down? If there is, what procedure or predictive test is normally followed to identify potential problems in an alternator?
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2003 Santa Fe - Loss of power while driving on highway. Dropped from 60 to 15 MPH in matter of seconds. Feels like a couple of cylinders (3.5 liter) are not working.
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On my '03 Santa Fe 2.7, this has happened twice, with 500 or so uneventful miles in between. At highway speed, it just all of a sudden loses power and will only go about 50 mph with accelerator to the floor. When you stop & put in neutral, it only revs to about 3000 rpm, with pedal to the floor -yet idles fine. Then when you shut it down, wait a few minutes & start it back up, it's fine. Is this a fuel problem or what?
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About three nights ago I had a complete power loss on the highway and the car began to bog down alot under throttle (and surge at points as well although with no boost). It also idled very rough/erratically. When I unplugged the MAF it cleared up right away; Idle was smooth and it ran without hiccup but in safe/limp mode so very tame (again, without boost really, gauge shows it stays in Vacuum and never passes "0" or goes into boost).
I scanned it this evening and got 2 misfire codes and a MAF code, along with a code related to traction control which I noticed had activated as a result of this and could not be turned on (by activated, I mean the light came on, disengaging T/C). These things make me think it is MAF related, especially because I have bolt down Hitachi coil packs so I do not think that is what it could be in relation to the misfire codes (which I think may be old and needed to be cleared).
Fast forward to last night: I can pretty confidently say my MAF is not the problem and I think I saved an unnecessary expenditure. I was able to meet a friend with a 337 as well and his MAF did not change my car at all and my MAF ran fine in his car so I think my problems are something else. Although with the MAF plugged in my car runs very poor and unplugged it clears up and just runs "limp" (no boost and slow but stable) from what I tested this evening the MAF unit seems to not be the issue.
I think there must be a vacuum leak of some sort between the MAF and the engine which allows more air in than the MAF signals when plugged in which causes the issue. Also, I know a common thing to think is "coilpacks" but I have bolt down Hitachi coil packs so I would imagine that would eliminate those from being the failure they tend to normally be. Agreed ??
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Ok, so I was driving normal highway speeds and all of a sudden, I realize a major drop in power. I pull over and restart it and it changes nothing. Now when I floor it, it takes 20-30 seconds to get to 90K.
I checked the air filter... Nothing. Used a code reader... Nothing. Then I decided to pressure test the cylinders... Nothing, except now the check engine light is on.
The Ol Dub is still drivable, but it is extremely slow and rough at idle. I am thinking it might be a MAF or fuel filter.
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We have had had our Santa Fe for a year, done 38000 km and love it. The car will start up and drive around town fine but as soon as the engine is under load at highway speeds or driving up a hill it loses all power.
In Automatic when this happens the gear will drop back to third. You can switch it over to manual mode and slowly accelerate back up to around 80-90km/hour with your foot flat to the floor but the rpm don't get above around 2000 to 3000.
If you stop and turn the engine off for a minute or so, when you start again everything will appear to back to normal but after another minute or two the problem will be back. The engine malfunction light comes on and sometime it's flashing but at other times it's constant.
The car's been in at our local Hyundai dealer for a week but at this stage they still can't quite figure out the exact cause of the problem. The code they pulled out suggested it was the exhaust particulate filter (apparently quite an expensive part) so they replaced that but it didn't fix it. They've also replaced the fuel filter and some temperature sensors that are part of the particulate filter apparently but still no joy.
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My 2006 Sonata V6 (88k miles) has an occasional power steering loss. It has only been noticed right after slowing down from highway speed. Total loss for a few seconds then comes back. No dash lights or noises, just cant steer - then can. Did all required maint. until 60k then just oil changes by me. Have read other forums about fluid flush, but that was for noise and I don't have any noise. This has happened with and without the Electronic Stability Control turned on. Other than that, runs great. MPG is about 25 or so (wish was 30 or so).
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The primary electric fuel pump in the fuel tank of my 2004 W12 failed last month, shortly after I had set out on a cross-Canada trip from Vancouver Island to Toronto. The whole process of diagnosing and identifying the cause of the problem, mitigating it so that I could continue the trip, and finally replacing the fuel pump was kind of complex, so, here's the write-up.
The problem presented itself as a surging of the engine - a momentary loss of power - at normal highway operating speeds. The onset was progressive, but it didn't take very long - only about 60 miles of driving - from the first little cough of the engine until total failure of the pump. The first indication was failure of the car to maintain speed (while on cruise control) when climbing hills. That progressed to failure to maintain speed on flat surfaces, and finally led to the car coasting to a stop, engine stalled, at the side of the road.
I soon learned that if I floored the accelerator pedal and held it against the floor, the car would cough and burp for a few seconds, then take off like a rocket. So, for the next 40 miles, I coaxed the car into the next city by flooring it, accelerating to about 80 MPH, then coasting until the speed dropped to 20 MPH, and flooring it once again and accelerating to 80 MPH. Fortunately, I was on a remote road with few other cars, and no police.
I checked the fuses for the two fuel pumps - fuses 34 and 35 in panel C (above the left battery), and they were both OK.
The next day, I visited a VW dealer in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, and together with the parts manager and one of the technicians, we looked at the Self-Study Guides (SSGs) for the Phaeton, and looked at wiring diagrams. Eventually, we came to a tentative conclusion that the primary electric fuel pump in the fuel tank had failed. The SSGs stated that the primary electric fuel pump (the pump on the right side of the car) operates all the time, and the secondary electric fuel pump (the pump on the left side of the car) only operates during starting and during 'periods of high demand'. That made sense to us - the car started fine, and worked OK when the accelerator pedal was held to the floor (high demand). It just didn't work worth a darn at any other time... the engine would stall, or, the car would not accelerate at all.
Here are two illustrations taken from the SSGs that describe how the fuel delivery system works. The first image is taken from the 'Phaeton Overview' SSG, which applies to all vehicles. The second image is taken from the W12 engine SSG. I kind of suspect that all the Phaetons operate in the same way, regardless of engine, because the fuel tank in all the Phaetons has the same shape - two lower lobes, which means two pumps are required.
Descriptions from the SSGs
I think that there may be an error in the description above. My experience suggests that the right hand pump (identified as G6, above) is the primary pump, and the left hand pump (identified as G23) is the one that switches on during starting and periods of high demand. Note also how the identification of G6 and G23 in the illustration above is reversed from what is shown in the illustration below. I believe that the text and illustration below is correct, and the text and illustration above is incorrect.
The 'effects of failure' in the description above would, I believe, make sense if it was the left-hand pump that failed. In my case, the right hand pump failed, and the effects of failure that I experienced were as I set them out in the beginning paragraphs of this post - quite different from the 'effects of failure' of the left hand pump that are described in the SSG above.
After coming to the tentative diagnosis that the primary electric fuel pump (the right hand pump) had failed, we checked the parts stock status in North America. There was one pump in stock, but it was in the United States, and being that it was a Thursday, the pump could not be delivered before the following Tuesday. I didn't want to spend that much time waiting for it, so, we started thinking about other possible solutions.
If we could somehow get the secondary electric fuel pump - the pump on the left side of the car that only operated during starting and heavy demand - to operate, that just might put me back on the road again. So, I removed the plastic cover from the small relay that operates the secondary pump, and wrapped a rubber band around the relay, thus keeping the relay in the closed position. A short test drive proved that this solution worked just fine, the car once again operated normally. The only "problem" was that the last 25% of the fuel in the tank would be unusable, because that fuel would be left behind in the right-hand lobe of the tank - the lobe with the defective primary fuel pump.
Electric Fuel Pump Relays
Here is an illustration from the Phaeton wiring diagrams identifying the various relays above the left battery.
Here you can see the two relays for the electric fuel pumps. They are identical part numbers.
Here you can see the relay for the secondary electric fuel pump, with a rubber band wrapped around it to keep it continually closed.
Aside from the loss of use of the last 25% of the fuel in the fuel tank, the car worked just fine with the secondary electric fuel pump running all the time. There were no problems noted even under heavy acceleration. It was, however, necessary to physically remove the rubber-banded relay from its position in the relay panel whenever the car was shut down for more than half a hour. The power to this relay comes from Terminal 30 (battery direct) - it is not switched on and off with the ignition as Terminal 15 power is. This meant that if the rubber-banded relay was left in position overnight, the left hand battery would totally discharge, because the fuel pump would operate continuously all night. I discovered this the morning after the first night...
So, for the next 8 days, I drove across Canada, removing the relay each night and replacing it each morning. I didn't bother to remove it when I stopped for meals or fuel. The rest of the 3,000 mile trip was uneventful - except once, when I let the fuel tank run down a bit too close to the 1/4 full mark, and the car began surging again because the left hand lobe of the fuel tank (with the functional secondary pump) had emptied out. That was a close call, but I managed to get to a gas station and refuel.
After arriving in Toronto, I called the parts staff at my home VW dealer and ordered a new primary electric fuel pump. I discovered that the left and right hand pumps are slightly different (the various hoses coming out of the pumps are different), and I also discovered that a pump costs about $400. The parts staff suggested I order two seals (one for each side of the tank), because I would have to remove both the right and left fuel tank covers to change the right pump. The seals were not expensive.
Here are two pictures that illustrate where the pumps sit in each lobe of the fuel tank. Note the fuel filler port on the left side of the pictures (as we know, it is on the right side of the car) for orientation.
Phaeton Fuel Tank, showing pumps
Fuel Pump Access Panels
Below is a picture that shows where the access panels to the two fuel pumps are. It's easy to get to these access panels, just remove the carpeted panel from the floor of the trunk.
Here's a close-up of the right side (primary) electric fuel pump access panel.
The instructions (from the VW Repair Manual, or the ELSA / ErWin system) for replacing the fuel pump are quite well written. The repair manual suggests that the fuel tank be drained before replacing a pump. I didn't want to drain the tank, so, I ran the fuel level down as low as I dared (remembering that 1/4 full is effectively 'empty' with a failed primary pump). That proved to be adequate.
There are a heck of a lot of steps involved in disconnecting all the hoses and loosening the various components before the pump can be removed. I strongly suggest that anyone attempting this task have a printed set of instructions before starting disassembly.
The fuel pump has quite a few hoses and connections on it, but fortunately, each connector is unique in design, thus it is not possible to hook things up the wrong way when installing the new pump. It is possible to 'lose' a hose inside the tank... for this reason, I attached a small piece of string to each hose I disconnected from the pump.
The process goes more or less like this:
1) Remove the two 404 relays, to ensure no power is sent to either fuel pump.
2) Lift the rubber cover, and remove the electrical connections from both pumps (left and right).
3) Using a special tool, lift up the three fasteners that hold the cap over top of the access panel (these are NOT threaded fasteners!)
Here is a side view of the three fasteners that hold the plastic cap in place - they are friction fit, not threaded.
4) Now you have a clear view of the access panel. It will probably be dusty and rusty, and should be vacuumed clean before proceeding, to prevent crap from falling into the fuel tank when the cap is removed. The rust is due to condensation forming on the cold metal part whenever the car is filled with cold fuel from an underground storage tank.
5) A special VW tool is used to remove the locking ring from the access panel.
6) After removing the locking ring, I buffed it up with a wire brush to remove surface corrosion.
7) The plastic access cap can now be lifted. There are two electrical connectors on each fuel pump, but three possible fittings on the plastic cap. Fortunately, the three fittings are keyed differently.
8) This is what you see inside the tank after removing the plastic cap.
9) After following all the detailed instructions for disconnecting and stowing hoses, disconnecting the fuel measurement probe from the pump housing, etc., it is possible to lift the pump out. It will be full of fuel.
10) The old and new pumps, side by side. I was very surprised at the amount of crap that was trapped in the filter screen at the bottom of the pump. The car only has 60,000 miles on it, and I have always used premium fuel in it.
11) I was also a bit surprised at the discolouration of the pump components. Below you can see the old and new pumps side by side.
12) It is necessary to get access to the opposite side (in this case, the left side) fuel pump, because hoses from each pump travel horizontally across the tank and connect to the other pump.
13) Here you can see a new hose from the right side pump connecting into a T fitting above the left side pump. It is easy to thread this hose across the top of the inside of the tank.
14) As mentioned earlier, there are three possible fittings on the base of each plastic cap, but only two connectors within the fuel tank. Everything is keyed, thus improper assembly is not possible.
Once the new pump has been installed, the hoses connected, and the fuel measuring probe reset into the side of the new pump, re-assembly of everything is quite straightforward. I replaced the rubber ring around the access panel opening on each side of the tank, and I also buffed up the locking rings using a wire brush (to remove corrosion) on each side.
It was not a pleasant job - your hands get covered in fuel, and there are some hazards associated with working on an open fuel tank with vapour escaping, but it is not a particularly difficult job. It is time-consuming, though.
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I recently picked up a 93 ranger sport 4x4 with 2.3L engine and 5spd.. Has run fine for the first 2 weeks of ownership but yesterday morning, it started cutting out on the highway. When I say cutting it is like all loss of power for a brief instant and then it right back without even losing any speed, I could watch tach drop from 2500 to 2k and then right back to 2500 again..
Did it sporadically all the way home about 10 miles sometimes once in a mile other times 6-7 times in a mile. Truck has 126k on it, and within last 26k miles PO replaced timing belt, coil packs, plugs, wires, ICM, and just before i picked it up from him a new EGR and fuel filter.
No check engine light
Fast forward to this AM
Wouldn't start at all, i can hear fuel pump spinning and she cranks and cranks but no start up.... played with multiple things including the ICM but found 2 of 3 heads rounded off so i cant remove it until i can get it in to my garage and dremel those suckers off..
Went and bought a replacement ICM figured i could plug it in run a ground from the bottom left hand bolt hole so i could get it fired up and in to my garage.. plugged the new one in grounded it and it still wouldn't start...
So I decided to replug the original ICM back in and grab my spark plug tester, remove number 3 plug wire on passengers side insert the tester and have my wife crank it over and wonder of wonder it fires up...
shut it down remove the tester and have her start it up again and it fires right back up so i let it warm up for 15 minutes.. grab my autoxray.. shut it down hook up the scan tool and run the KOEO scan.. gives me a passed 111 code... OK lets start it back up and run the KOER test.. wont start back up.. reinstall the spark plug tester to #3 wire and NOW it has no spark..
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