engine cuts out need help**problem solved**

[dustyperez]

ok so i have a freshly rebuilt m20b25 with the 173 ecu. i have only been driving it about a week. well today it starting cutting out under load. rpm or gear doesnt seem to matter. but it just cuts for a second then comes back on. makes the check engine light flash when it cuts out and sometimes the abs light too. and it makes the car jerk violently when it cuts. none of the dash or headlights cut out when this happens.

i made a video of what happens. i am holding the rpm steady at 2k in the vid.

http://s42.beta.photobucket.com/user/dusper4/media/VIDEO0033.mp4.html

Any ideas at all??

**loose plug under the dash. it was a green flat one. it was vibrating every so often and killing the engine. thanks to Jlevie for all the help :D

[jlevie]

Do you see the tach drop significantly when a cutout occurs? That would indicate a loss of power to the DME or a loss of timing data to the DME. If the tach doesn't react, but the econometer drives to zero there is a fuel system problem.

[dustyperez]

well i drove it today to check and really neither the tach or econometer drop to zero. the ecomometer does go up however. it shows that in the video

[jlevie]

If neither the tachometer nor the econometer react I'd first suspect a bad AFM or a problem with the ignition wires/plugs/distributor/coil. But a problem with the primary power/ground connections or with C191 are also possibilities.

[inferno27468]

pull your spark plugs check em out i jus had that problem with sputtering taking off partial throttle and ful throttle

[dustyperez]

where is connection c191?

[jlevie]

where is connection c191?

Under the intake manifold. C191 is the connection between the injector rail and the engine harness.

[jlevie]

I can't see videos at work, but I just watched the video. The tach is reacting.

The behavior of the tach make me suspect the timing sensors, interruption of DME power or ground, a bad engine harness, or even a bad DME. That would be especially true if the tach behaves like shown in the video when the car is moving and in gear.