Engine Shut Down (Temporarily Fixed)

[Ams 23 1 Cars]

Having never performed a coolant changed I enlisted a more experienced mate to help carry out the job last weekend while I helped and took notes . While blethering he decided, rather prematurely, to twist off the rad cap on the expansion tank connected to the bulkhead. The car had not been parked long and inevitably a scalding hot little eruption of coolant gushed out. It actually wasn't that bad and didn't spray everywhere, however I was still rather pissed off due to the risk of electrical wiring/components getting drenched in the immediate area. Predictably he reassured me it would be fine etc as a "little" coolant does no harm. So we carried on replacing the coolant and the car seemed fine though I did notice the second fan coming in a little later than it should when I dropped him off. I then drove the 20 mile journey back home via the motorway. But 17 miles into the journey on the motorway the car silently shut down with no judder and no splutter but with dash lights on ala pre-ignition. The brake pedal went solid so I had no choice but to ease the handbrake up to slow the car down and rolled down a convenient slip road to a stop. Thank fook I was only pottering and it wasn't on a roundabout or worse! I got out and checked the battery terminals (they were fine) belts and so on. Everything was fine. The car started up immediately so I crawled back via streets where it shut down 2 more times before reaching home.

When I got back I armed the car but the alarm was really acting up by blaring the instant I armed it. I also noticed the fuel pump was no longer priming. I started the car one more time and it promptly shut down around 30 seconds later and the alarm stopped responding to commands completely. I think the immobiliser activated as it wouldn't start at all by this point. I got out with the bonnet still up and key in pre-ignition position and noticed erratic ticking relay type sounds and tracked it to this relay hiding in a box:

 

 

 

I then heard another strange ticking sound between the header tank and ECU cover and found this below:

 

 

It had electrical tape applied horizontally across the body and was simply folded over on top, like a badly fitted turban . When I pulled back the sliding red clips and peeled off the flimsily applied tape I realised why it had been applied:

 

 

 

I removed the above item (battery was disconnected), cleaned it out with electrical contact cleaner (when I say clean I really mean bathed ), repeated a couple of times till it was clean and dried it. I then carefully applied multiple rows of crisscrossed electrical tape over the crack, basically all over the damn thing as a temporary measure. While I was at it I actually went a little mental and cleaned up as many terminals, contact points and earths in sight.

Upon reconnecting the battery the alarm went back to its normal self, the pump primed as it should and boom it started with no fuss! I drove the car a to the petrol station, filled up and returned back and all seems well again. Most importantly the alarm is functioning again so I can leave it parked in confidence until I can replace the above component.

 

So, what function do the above bits perform and what exactly happened? And where can I purchase a replacement?

Edited July 29, 2013 by Ams

[jackherer 543]

That's the engine management and fuel pump relay, lots of 90's Peugeots/Citroens use the same one so a scrapyard, ebay or a wanted ad on here is your best bet.

 

For future reference when the engine dies and the brake pedal goes solid due to no servo assistance you can still brake fully, you just need to push the pedal much harder.

[Ams 23 1 Cars]

I'll manfoot it next time for sure, well hopefully there won't be a next time . It just took me by surprise as every previous car I've owned had a little give before going solid bar my old S1 Elise (no servo). So I take it the cracked part is both the engine management and fuel pump relay? What does the other "square" relay pictured do? Guess I'm lucky it didn't knacker the ECU?

[jackherer 543]

The other relay is going to be either the horn or the driving lights I would say.

 

TBH the ECUs are pretty robust, I doubt it was at risk.