I have a 2009 Pontiac Vibe, It seems to run fine on the highway but is struggling with stop and go traffic. When at stop lights, or trying to accelerate from a stop the engine jolts and cuts off. The engine has also shut off while idling, when engine was hot. Check engine light comes on P0351-P0354, ignition coils A-D, “Primary Control circuit/open”.
I took it two 2 shops without them finding a problem, they checked the coils and wiring.
I replaced the battery, spark plugs and throttle body (throttle was getting stuck earlier in the year preventing car from starting properly, improved after cleaning), no improvement, engine still cuts out intermittently. Ignition coils are relatively new, only a few years old.
Since the coils are new… and all 4 cylinder’s codes appear…
My first thought is a damaged wiring harness… Not sure if there is a common feed or a common ground but either way when you brake the engine rocks forward and a short to ground likely occurs.
Since your Vibe uses the same Toyota 1.8L (2.4L) drivetrain as the Matrix/Corolla, one thing I’d strongly consider is the quality/source of the ignition parts… If the spark plugs or ignition coils are aftermarket (especially Amazon/eBay “OEM” parts), they can absolutely cause intermittent ignition issues even if they’re relatively new…
These Toyota engines are VERY picky about ignition parts, I’d only use genuine Denso/Toyota coils/plugs from a trusted source like a dealership or your local big chain parts store (Advance Auto etc), stay away from AutoZone…
There’s been a lot of discussion about counterfeit “OEM” Toyota/Denso parts sold on Amazon/eBay that work for a while, then start misfiring after several thousand miles…
P0351–P0354 all together is pretty rare for all 4 coils to fail at the same time… That can point to something shared between them…
Look for things like:
Low quality or counterfeit coils…
Incorrect spark plugs or plug gap…
Intermittent coil power supply issue…
Bad engine/chassis ground…
Wiring harness issue… (broken engine/trans mounts causing the engine to pull/rub the harness)…
Lastly, if the vehicle is not actively acting up while it’s at the shop, intermittent issues like this can be VERY difficult to diagnose… A quick inspection may not reveal anything if the fault only appears when the engine is hot or under certain driving conditions…
Unless you can leave the vehicle with a shop long enough for them to duplicate the problem during repeated hot soak/idle testing, you may need to monitor the vehicle yourself with a higher-end scan tool capable of viewing Live Data and pending codes…
When the issue occurs, you will need to watch for anything dropping out of spec…
Such as – Crank/RPM signal…
In my experience, I’ve had to warranty more parts from AutoZone (AZ) than from any other major parts chain… After 35+ years in the industry, they were consistently at the bottom of the list when it came to overall parts quality and reliability…
The company I retired from (17 years) had over 2,000 shops nationwide, and some locations preferred using AZ parts… A few of the shops I worked at did as well, but they also seemed to have a noticeably higher warranty rate compared to parts sourced from other chains… Because of that, I personally avoided using AZ parts whenever possible unless the part simply wasn’t available elsewhere… Most of the warranty claims I dealt with involved failed AZ parts…
My advice: stay away from the bargain/value-line parts, especially for critical components like ignition, sensors, or electronics… Spending a little more up front on quality parts usually saves time, money, and frustration later…
There’s a saying for a reason: “Buy once, cry once”…
Coil failures (P0351 - P0354) are rather common on Toyota vehicles, crankshaft position sensor failure is rare. You have been buying inferior parts, replace the ignition coils with genuine Denso coils.
A failing crankshaft position sensor won’t cause a P0351 fault. Replacing the crank sensor with a cheap replacement part will make problems worse.
I doubt all coils quit working or triggered faults at the same time. One failing coil can cause an engine to stall.
Reviewing the freeze frame data can give an indication of when each coil failure was detected. Most stored faults are usually from some time in the past.
Erase the faults and see which coil failure is detected first.
Generally, when a P035(?) fault occurs, replacing the coil is necessary or the fault will return after a few weeks.
There is no regular external fuel filter to replace during normal maintenance.
The filter/strainer is integrated with the fuel pump module in the tank.
I would think checking or replacing the idle air control and cleaning the throttle body might be the first thing to look at. Regardless of the other codes.
When our Mazda had a similar problem we demonstrated it right in front if the mechanic. He cleaned the throttle body with aerosol spray and refused to charge us for a quick fix would have taken longer to do the paperwork. Part of why we’re still there.
They’d rather have us question the price than the quality of the parts. Our Prius uses the same coil. The denso from Napa isn’t much more than their house brand.
Autozone is no different than any other parts store. They sell parts from various manufacturers across several price points. If you shop on price, you’re likely to get a part that may be less robust or reliable than one from a brand manufacturer. You can buy from Autozone anything from the OEM part to a generic equivalent, for example:
I buy parts from Autozone primarily but I never buy the generic parts they offer. Same goes anywhere. I learned that lesson early in life with white box parts. If you try to cheap out, you end up paying more in the long run…
