Motor cutting out whilst driving. Engine control relay?

Hi everybody, I am hoping someone can help me with a problem. I have been having problems with my 1995 3.0 diesel super custom van. The engine has been cutting out whilst driving and I have to wait aroung 10 to 15 minutes before it will start again (very dangerous on the hwy). When it happens there is a random ticking sound that sort of sounds like a plastic cable tie being tightened (vaguely) and comes from behind the dashboard on the drivers side. Sometimes the engine cuts out completely and others it nearly cuts out but then recovers. My auto electrician has had a quick look online to try and learn about the relays but based on the engine number could only find information about where the engine control relay is on the same 3.0 diesel in a hilux 4wd but not a hiace. According to the auto electrician, who seems to be quite competent, the problem could be the relay or the ignition switch. Unfortunately the problem comes and goes and despite driving around the block countless times today and also sitting outside the auto electricians workshop with the van idling for over an hour the problem did not occur so the auto electrician has not been able to see and hear it happen first hand. Any thoughts, ideas and information about the location of the relay would be most appreciated. Thanks

Hi,

Check out this thread:
http://hiace-super-custom.forumotion.com/t3391-ecu-capacitors?highlight=ECU+capacitors

If it drives OK really slowly and around town it could be a fuel restriction in the fuel filter or tank pickup.

Or it could be both of course. The ECU is worth doing anyway in a 1995 hiace IMO.

Thanks. The problem still happens at low speed and is always accompanied by the noise that I described in my first post. It comes from behind the dashboard on the drivers side. Where is the ECU located?

The ECU is in the LHS door pillar just behind the seat.
It's under the lower trim piece which is not too bad to remove but may require an inconspicuous slot to be cut to free it from the seat frame.

The ECU is bolted to the metal body and has 3 plugs on the bottom to carefully ease out. Probably best to disconnect the battery while you remove it, I put a battery switch on the -ve terminal of my battery.

Thanks for your help GPW. My auto electrician found a leaky capacitor on the ECU board and the problem seems to be fixed (at least so far)
Could you please let me know where to find the moon roof board. Thanks

topsy wrote:

Thanks for your help GPW. My auto electrician found a leaky capacitor on the ECU  board and the problem seems to be fixed (at least so far)
Could you please let me know where to find the moon roof board. Thanks

Great news!
What's up with the moon roof? Make sure the rubber isn't stuck to the van before taking everything to bits.

It's on the RHS just where the roof panels join - just behind the 'hump' in the roof with the fans in:
http://hiace-super-custom.forumotion.com/t2434-moonroof-beeper-roof-liner-removal?highlight=moon+roof#18625

The moon roof has not worked for years. At first it was working. Next when I pushed the button to open it there was a breif sound like it was trying to open but it did not. Now nothing at all when I push the button.