engine sometimes "skips a beat"

[zippitta]

I dont know what the problem could be, but sometimes when I drive down the road, 80% of the time it happens when I hit a bump, it "skips a beat"....that is the best way I can explain it...it almost like shuts off for a split second....what could the [problem be?

[puppet]

Loose wiring most likely.

[boost geek]

My car used to skip a beat now and then, changed the hep sensor, never happened again.

[NAJ]

+1 on HEP.
My Daughter in Law had an old K-Car that would just shut off when hitting bumps and it was a faulty connection with the HEP. Start the car and wiggle/pull on the wiring and connectors in an attempt to duplicate the problem.

[zippitta]

New symptom, today I was driving back home and at low speed it started running pretty rough and when I pushed in the clutch the idle would drop to like 500 rpm and then climb back up to 800-900 like normal. It seems to accelerate pretty normal, maybe a slight hesitation when I hit the gas, but other than that it seems fine, but when I try to cruise/maintain speed it starts running real rough. Could this also be an issue from the HEP? I read another post of someone who had the exact same things going on with his car, but then it went capput and he darn near replaced the whole car before it was fixed....

[NAJ]

Are there any fault codes set?
Did you perform the wiggle test with the HEP wiring?

[zippitta]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NAJ Are there any fault codes set? Did you perform the wiggle test with the HEP wiring?

no fault codes all it sends is "55"

and I cant check the HEP because I dont know where it is....hehe and I havent asked yet because I was hoping I could search on here for someone else who didnt know who had already asked so I didnt look like some goofball....I cant even find the part listed on the autozone website

[NAJ]

The HEP (Hall Effect Pickup) is located beneath the distributor cap. There will be wiring coming from the distributor that runs to 2 connectors, should be gray and black, each having 3 terminals.

[zippitta]

Do you know what autozone, advance, pepboys, or Oreilly's calls it? They dont have anything listed as HEP or Hall effect pickup

[zippitta]

Gosh darn it, I went out and I decide to pull the spark plug wires one by one to check and make sure it wasnt just missing or something, well it ran for about 1 second then shut-off and now it wont start at all.....WTF did I do.....it is giving codes 11 and 12 now. I tried pulling the neg. on the battery to reset, it didnt work.

[NAJ]

Code 11 is "engine not cranked since battery was disconnected" so if you cranked the engine after battery disconnect and that code reappeared you lost the crank signal to the controller which is in the HEP circuit.
To verify this check for power at the + coil while cranking the engine, if power is not present and the connectors are clean of corrosion, tight and secure it is a 98% chance the HEP is faulty.
CAUTION, when replacing the HEP DO NOT bend the wires down the side of the distributor as the factory had them or internal damage to the wiring will occur.
Also, NEVER hold a spark plug wire more than 1/4" from ground while cranking/running the engine or controller damage may occur.

[zippitta]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NAJ Code 11 is "engine not cranked since battery was disconnected" so if you cranked the engine after battery disconnect and that code reappeared you lost the crank signal to the controller which is in the HEP circuit. To verify this check for power at the + coil while cranking the engine, if power is not present and the connectors are clean of corrosion, tight and secure it is a 98% chance the HEP is faulty. CAUTION, when replacing the HEP DO NOT bend the wires down the side of the distributor as the factory had them or internal damage to the wiring will occur. Also, NEVER hold a spark plug wire more than 1/4" from ground while cranking/running the engine or controller damage may occur.

What do you mean controller damage?

[NAJ]

The engine controller(computer).
When you create an open in a high voltage circuit like the secondary ignition the current looks for a path back to ground and that is usually back thru the circuit where it came from and it may spike the circuits in the engine controller.
Here is the page straight from a Chrysler Powertrain Diagnostics Manual.
See the 3rd line of the flow chart.

[NAJ]

One more thing, be sure the distributor is turning and that the timing belt did not break.

[zippitta]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NAJ One more thing, be sure the distributor is turning and that the timing belt did not break.

It's all fixed, I replaced the HEP like you said. It tirns out that the whole assembly wasnt that old though(I would say less than a year), but whoever replaced the original put a duralast one in place of it...unfortunately I had to replace it with another crappy duralast one, atleast until I can swap in my CB TII.

Thank you so much for the help, I really appreciate it. You truly are a human service manual...lol.

I am just glad it wasnt anything major, I really dont feel like do anything else major until I put in the new motor.

Thanks again....