Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

Question

Terios Daihatsu mistery. need help!

Jun 20, 2017 3:54AM PDT

Hi, i am the owner of a terios daihatsu, over 10 years old. I live in Canary Islands, Spain. Here, like in the rest of Europe, Daihatsu has no longer any presence, including aftermarket and service.
My car has now started misbehaving and i do not knnow how to solve the issue because nobody is able to provide diagnostics due to the incompatibility of diagnostic software and vehicle motherboard.
The problem i am experiencing is the following. As i turn on he car, it stays on for about 3 seconds and then it switches off. I have been advised this could be an issue due to the keyhole not being able to read the key but after some tests this option has been ruled out. I also tested the sensors, which all seem to be ok. Another option which i thought about is the fuel pump not being able to work properly and as the fuel stream is blocked, the engine stops suddenly. The battery has been tested and it works fine.
The solution every mechanic suggests is to buy a new motherboard - but because nobody has the compatible software any longer, i am running the risk of 1) not being able to configure the centraline and 2) if the car brakes down again nobody will have a compatible diagnostics software and finally 3) the cost of a new mother board is high, might as well buy a new car....
I would like to have more opinions on the matter before i am forced to buy another car as i cant find any mechanic that can fix it.
Thanks in advance for your help, i look forward to reading the responses to my post.

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Answer
Dies after a few seconds.
Jun 20, 2017 1:32PM PDT

Hi; When you 'start it up' and dies after a few seconds, is the engine cold or at operating temp? Will it immediately restart, then run okay? I wouldn't advise replacing the PCM, yet. I seriously doubt that it would be the security system (key/ignition), either. Daihatusu has pretty much gone away here in the US, also. Parts can be a real PIA trying to find. Sad

- Collapse -
More info
Jun 21, 2017 3:03AM PDT

Hi, thank you ever so much for the insight.
The car dies after few seconds (always the same amount of time, 3 to 4 seconds) on a cool engine. It is true thought that one time i went to the supermarket and the car was just fine (car had a normal engine temperature when i reached the supermarket) then after i finished with my shopping (maybe 20 minutes later) the car decided not to start any more. since then the problem has persisted and the car never run stays on for more that 3-4 seconds since.
in my dad's eye this is the proof that there is something disallowing the car to stay on, such as a sensor, a block in the fuel filter, fuel pump not absorbing fuel properly or something else fairly simple... do you think this could be the case?

- Collapse -
Daihatsu
Jun 21, 2017 3:48PM PDT

Hi, aryeedem; Seems that every post I reply to, I suspect the CTS. Happy When an engine is cold, the CTS tells the computer "I'm cold, give me fuel", since fuel injected engines don't have a choke, it's not like back in the good old days with carburetors. If the CTS is "telling" the PCM that the engine is warm when it is cold, it won't give the engine enough fuel. However, when most CTS's fail, they default to -40F which causes OVER-fueling and a flooding condition with a warm engine. It will take some diagnostics to determine the fault. Fuel pressure and VOLUME. Yes, check the filter, first. You should be able to, easily, blow through it once you've removed it. Years ago, I had a customer's car with a similar problem. After dropping the fuel tank, I found debris that would 'get sucked up' at the fuel pump strainer, shutting off the fuel flow. Long shot, but possible?

- Collapse -
Daihatsu
Jun 22, 2017 1:12AM PDT

wow thank you so much, this a new perspective Happy
by the way, does CTS mean Coolant Temperature Sensor?? (heheheh sorry, i am nooooo expert whatsoever!!!).
Regarding being able to run diagnostic on the vehicle, that is when it all becomes tricky. on the island of fuerteventura (where the vehicle is located) there is nobody with the compatible software so no one can tell me what is wrong with the car.
1) is there therefore a way to by-pass a diagnostic done with a computer? is there anything that can be done manually?
2) can i buy a compatible diagnostic hardware and software online?
thanks a million!!!

- Collapse -
CTS issue?
Jun 24, 2017 10:17AM PDT

Hi; Sorry I'm late getting back to you. Recovering from minor surgery.....Yes, CTS is coolant temp sensor. You can measure the resistance in the sensor at varying temps. You should be able to get the chart on line that shows how much resistance at a specified temp. I'm uncertain as to what type of 'computer' system your vehicle may have. In the US, all vehicles manufactured for sale here, after 1996 must be OBDII (on-board diagnostics, gen. 2) compliant. Makes diagnosing all cars much easier, but sometimes still have to go back to basics, first. Note: The CTS is not the sensor that operates the engine temp guage (or light) on the instrument panel. Two separate sensors. Hint: The CTS is almost always has a 2 wire connector, whereas the engine temp switch is a single wire. Please re-read my questions in the previous replies and try and answer as many as possible. Thank you. Loren