Engine cutting out

Hi all,

New poster here.

Recent garage history - new ignition coil (was misfiring in November), then new crank shaft sensor (December)

Now suddenly - car starting fine after sitting all night then after 20-30 mins of driving the engine suddenly cuts out - pretty much instantly, no juddering - just complete loss of power - I get a beep and the engine management light comes on. This was kind of during normal 1st or 2nd gear driving on surburban London roads (~30mph)

The car does not start again immediately. If I wait - possibly 45 mins to an hour, I can start the car again - but it is likely to cut out much sooner, within a minute or so.

In the mean time - recovery person comes and says the fault code on the system is P0113

Intake Air Temperature Sensor error P0113 - is this actually capable of disabling the engine? I thought it was a warning -
So if it is able to disable the engine -

I am guessing - either the air filter is blocked and the air temperature is getting too high where teh sensor is?
Or the sensor itself is faulty and reading a dodgy temperature?

Any suggestions?

If I re-create the problem and invite an electrical auto guy over - what should I be asking him to check?

Thank you

Lewis

Hello MrLondonLewis, welcome to the forum

MrLondonLewis wrote:In the mean time - recovery person comes and says the fault code on the system is P0113

Intake Air Temperature Sensor error P0113 - is this actually capable of disabling the engine? I thought it was a warning -

The IAT (Air intake temperature sensor) can fail or there be a wiring fault including an earth fault or a power supply fault.

An easy thing to do would to be just disconnect the sensor and plug it back in again, then if that's no good, check as much as the wiring as possible. Then stage 2 could be just change the sensor and see how things go.
This is an IAT for the C3 diesel engines, but I don't see on one fitted to the petrol engines.

MrLondonLewis wrote:I am guessing - either the air filter is blocked

This shouldn't happen, but its easy to change the air filter if it as become clogged.
Try this link to euro car parts for an air filter.


You can read your own codes with an OBS reader from Amazon for those with a petrol.

MrLondonLewis wrote:If I re-create the problem and invite an electrical auto guy over - what should I be asking him to check?

Check for codes, let him know the symptoms and see what he advises.

Thanks guys
My other question was

Does throwing the code P0113 actually disable the engine on C3? I thought it was just a warning

Failed to mention the first time this happened the engine breather pipe was not attached to the air filter section. I wonder if this changes diagnosis as to the on-going problems? (It may have been disconnected for some days/weeks )

MrLondonLewis wrote:Does throwing the code P0113 actually disable the engine on C3?

No fault codes disable the engine. They are just codes stored from faults detected by the engine ECU.
An engine that cuts out due to a fault condition can lead to the ECU storing a code.

The engine ECU can put the engine in a 'limp home' mode by limiting the fuelling and it will also store codes for faults that put the ECU programming into a limp home mode, these are usually to prevent excessive emissions.

MrLondonLewis wrote:Failed to mention the first time this happened the engine breather pipe was not attached to the air filter section.

I don't know if that is enough to stall an engine, but you may have more than one fault.

Thanks Arfur Dent

I have checked the air filter - nothing there of note.

So if the sensor can't disable the engine then hot air (worthy enough of setting off that alarm) in the manifold is a symptom of the problem

I think I'm going to webuyanycar.com