On July 6 I posted: Our 1994 Excel, with 71,000 miles, just stops every so often. No noise, no warning. Full tank, 1/4 tank, moving or stopped. Accelerating or coasting. We took it to our mechanic. He says if it doesn’t happen to him, he cannot help. While waiting for the diagnosis, I’m asking for ideas. Some friends think it is electrical.
We took it to the mechanic, twice. Well, it isn’t the fuel injector or throttle control sensor. Those were both replaced.
It is as if you turned the key off. (It restarts fine.)
Sounds like electrical…Anyone check the ignition switch. Could be a faulty switch or a loose wire or bad ground.
It is difficult to troubleshoot for a problem which is fleeting. There isn’t a major system to pin down as the suspect system.
Does the check engine light ever come on? If it does, bring the code, here.
Do you make a lot of short trips (now, and historically)? If you do (did), you have actuated the ignition switch many times; which can wear it out. It’s not that expensive to change the ignition switch (NOT ignition lock).
Does this come with an ironclad guaranty of a fix? Nope.
Clean the battery terminals at least. Have your radio code handy.
I’ll take a guess at a bad solder joint on the power relay (or the relay itself). If this relay is at fault, it would cut off all power as though the key had been turned off.
Are You The Original Owner? . . . This Is A Real Looong Shot, But . . .
. . . If you are the original owner then you have probably been involved in one or two recall campaigns, already and this may not apply.
However, apparently several hundred Excels manufactured between January 19 and January 31, 1994 have been recalled for stalling problems. Your car should have a date stamp stamped into the distributor’s metal housing on the side that faces the left fender. If that number is not between 4A20 and 4A24 then your car is not subject to the recall.
If that number is between 4A20 and 4A24 then further investigation is necessary and the cap and rotor have to be removed to inspect the date stamp on the internal optical sensor. If it is 4A15 then the distributor is subject to recall and must be replaced.
Have a look yourself, have your mechanic look, or call a dealer.
CSA
P.S. Should a recall apply, I have always understood recalls to be performed basically for free (parts/labor) when done by a dealer and that there is no expiration date. Somebody correct me if I am wrong.