Nissan 240SX just dies on track in corners

[midngn]

I have a 95 240SX w/KA motor. Have you ever had the motor just cut out on you while it was on track? It almost always happens in a sweeper and has occurred in almost the same exact spot on track. Car has new fuel pump. Full of gas.

There were some exposed wires in the plastic float thingy in the tank, might have been causing a short, any thoughts??

[turboICE]

Jeff does your fuel gauge work sounds like those are the exposed wires in but shouldn't be causing your cutting out probelm though.

I take it this was at LRP?

[slickS14]

You have mail...Chris

[midngn]

Yeah, Joe borrowed it and had all sorts of issues with the car dying. It was fine at Summit and VIR when I drove it. I too doubt that the exposed wires would cause a short, wouldn't that cause a spark and potentially kablooey????

[turboICE]

Always possible in the wrong circumstances. However I would think unlikely the fuel gauge is not exactly a high current circuit, but would be something to fix. They get scraped on the edge of the access hole when changing the pump or something?

The question is can you just fix it the most direct way since it is a guage which is free or would you have to fix it per the FSM because it is wiring and we know how much advantage can be gained if you don't!

[midngn]

Thanks Sheriff!!

[eclip5e]

Do you get this only at low fuel levels?

In my 2004 WRXat NHIS in corner 6 (the bowl), i get consistant starvation just before the apex if my fuel level is a bit below the 1/4th marker, but only in corner 6.

[Knestis]

Now that it's sunk in what the question is, I had a student at a HPDE last year that had a similar problem with a 240. The car would just shut off, like the key was switched off. Did it in T2 then coming down Rollercoaster. Both times, it just started back up after sitting for a few minutes.

I don't have ANY idea what the problem was but it sounds like you aren't alone.

K

[Ironman]

Are you sure it is in the corners? I don't know the track, but you did mention a sweeper. That is usually where you may gain speed. That is, has the speed limiter ever been disabled on the car? If not, the engine will shut down at 115 MPH. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS for a race car. You may want to have the ECU modified to fix this. This is legal. By the way, disconnecting the speedo drive or gear senders won't work. You need to modify the ECU.

[Knestis]

In the case that i saw, it didn't do it on the fastest parts of the track. Unless it takes it a few seconds (like 5 or more?) to decide to shut off? If that were the case, it might add up based on where this guy's car crapped out. Seems really silly for the programming to do that though.

K

[Tristan Smith]

One possibility. There is a baffle around the fuel pick up that is spot welded to the bottom of the gas tank. They have been known to come loose, causing the pick up to be starved in the corners. Easy enough to check. Just remove the fuel pump/pick up mechanism and check.

[erlrich]

Kirk, the problem you describe sounds like one I had with my old Subaru - car would just cut off, and then restart after sitting for a few minutes. Turned out to be the control module in the distributor. On the other hand, I had almost the exact same thing happen with my Stratus, and that turned out to be the fuel pump. It would just shut off for no reason, and after sitting for a while would work again. In both cases the problem only got worse over time.

If this is only happening in fast sweepers I would bet it's what Tristan said. Sounds like it's starving for fuel.

Oh, and I can say this from first-hand experience, unless they changed something between '90 and '95 the speed limiter is neither delayed nor subtle; when you've hit the speed limit you will know it.

[turboICE]

If this was LRP (which I think it was) I don't think hitting the speed limiter in a sweeper was the problem.

Subaru tank designs are pretty easy to starve to the point of turn off anytime you get below 1/2 tank and tarmac race grip.