Engine Stall on Emergency Brake Release

[unclekyky]

First off, hey all! This is my first post here. I really didn't want to post this, but I couldn't find anything on google or the forums here.

My rig is the 1995 3vz-e 5 speed. I bought it a couple months ago for cheap. I get three different codes from the diagnosis.

• 42 - Vehicle Speed Sensor Circuit
• 43 - Starter Signal Circuit
• 53 - Knock Sensor Circuit

I guess 14 was thrown a couple weeks ago, but that was because the ground wire came off the battery. I've regrounded it and assume that the code is no longer thrown (though I haven't checked). I know why I get 53 (for some strange reason, the knock sensor isn't plugged in. I see the connection on the harness, but can't find the wire coming off the sensor). I don't know why I get the other two codes.

The Problem
So I went out wheeling tonight with some buddies (braving the Idaho weather ) and my engine died as I went over a cattle guard. I couldn't restart the engine, so I popped the hood and realized the ground wire came off again. I reattached it and she started. A hundred feet later (no bump this time) she died again. After some time I realized that the truck would start just fine with the emergency brake engaged. If it was not engaged, the engine would just keep turning over.

The really strange part is that after the engine was started, releasing the e-brake would cause the engine to die. Additionally, the battery was giving enough juice to the starter to start the engine, but the headlights were super dim.

If you didn't read any of that, read this: So, in short, my truck will start with the e-brake engaged, but dies as soon as it is released (even in neutral).

Any ideas? I could really use some suggestions as she is sitting on the side of a dirt road in the middle of the desert. I want to make sure I know what's wrong before I head back out there.

 

[KidVermicious]

You have crank, and with the ebrake engaged it fires? That's really odd. I've got no idea myself, but I can think of a couple things to check for...

Did you check for spark with the ebrake released?

Did you try disconnecting the ebrake linkage under the truck and then engaging the handle in the cab and starting it then?

Did you look under the dash to see if maybe the ebrake handle was snagging a wire or something?

 

[GonOvr]

Sounds like something is making the ground circuit through your e-brake cable. Check under the runner and look for wires hanging around the e-brake cables and exhaust.

Pull the dash panel and check the wiring around the ebrake handle itself. Make sure nothing is rubbing against it.

Check all of your grounds

I had a similar problem and come to find out my O2 wire fell on the exhaust and ground out on bumps. Everytime I hit a bump it would die.

 

[unclekyky]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. After two hours in the freezing desert wind I figured it out (looking back, it shouldn't have taken so long). In short, the ground wire off the negative terminal wasn't allowing enough current to flow. As I released the e-brake the engine would start to die. As I released the brake I would hear some ticking from the passenger kick panel. My guess is that the ECU was killing the engine because it detected a fault in the grounding. I don't know if that's possible (or if the ECU does that), but to me it makes sense.

So, I attached the ground better and even decided to throw on another wire to the body. Problem solved.

Now to fix the bloody knock sensor problem...