rbeggs

Over the last week the engine of my '96 C4S has cut out at speed 4 times. The first two were of very short duration. About 1/2 second the first time and a few days later a full second. Nothing amiss for about a week then two more today. The first about ten seconds. I was going downhill, so I could maintain speed, but the engine fluttered and sounded like it was hitting on one cylinder. Then it started running fine again. It happened once again after a startup, stranding me briefly in traffic. This is not good. I replaced the DME relay but the cut-out syndrome persists. Each incident is longer in duration than the previous. Monday's shop day but till then, any ideas. Fuel starvation? Ignition?

Thanks

Garth S

Ignition failures usually are instant shutdown .... no 'fluttering' - so will place my dime on a dying fuel pump.

Jack Ennuste

... or engine management relay...

RallyJon

This sounds dumb (and if it doesn't help, with good reason) but replace your battery negative terminal braided metal ground strap.

Same thing happened to me a few times when I first got the car. I replaced the strap and carefully cleaned the point where it screws into the chassis. The problem never recurred. Also, the old strap looked fine.

smh

I had the same symptoms, turned out to be the DME relay. Initially, the cut out was about every 6 months, then it got more and more frequent. After replacing the relay, it completely stopped cutting out.

YMMV,
good luck.

tropheus

DME relay! First check.

jdistefa

He's already replaced the DME

TMc993

+1

rbeggs

True I did replace it. And it failed once afterward. Chanced it this afternoon with another relay I found in my toolbox. 1/2 hour drive. No problem. That's not good enough to risk a 700 mile road trip next weekend though as the meantime between incidents is more than 1/2 hour. I'll see what "Al, my car pal" says tomorrow. I noticed a fuel pump post. I think I'll indulge a little morbid curiosity and take a look.

Thanks