All,
Quite awhile back, I had a problem with my 96 SE hot stalling & not restarting. If I gave a good shot of starting fluid, it would start right up. In true contour fashion, OBDII codes were random & useless. As it was time to do upgrades anyway, I changed the UIM/LIM/TB/MAF/Injectors to SVT units, as well as replacing the decayed wiring harness. The problem was solved, although the cause was never determined.
Fast forward to today. I recently purchased a high mileage 97 Pathfinder which developed a hot stalling problem immediately. In this case, immediate restarting was possible, although stalling was frequent. The OBDII code was consistently P100 (MAF or MAF circuit malfunction.)
After my Contour experiences, I have learned not to trust OBDII codes. A new MAF for the Pathfinder is $550! I found a used one for $50 via car-part.com at a yard 35 miles away.
It actually solved the problem!
After two days of feeling victorious, the similarities of the situations hit me. I'm thinking the Contour had the same problem of heat related failure, & the shot of starting fluid was cooling the MAF down to where it would work again.
Food for thought.
