Car stalling/Sudden loss of power

[mmac]

I was driving along the motorway/freeway yesterday doing about 80-85 mph when all of a sudden the power dropped off. I tried freewheeling while revving to clear it and also tried dropping down a gear and letting clutch out(effectively bump starting it) but it wouldn't clear completely.
I pulled over and called The Auto Association. They arrived, but by then the car was starting okay and iding fine so he couldn't identify any problem. He followed me round the block and still it didn't play up. So I continued on my way. About 20 miles later the same thing happens again but more frequently(at varying speeds & in different gears) and it is proving harder and harder to start car. Called out AA again but with same result, couldn't find anything. They did suggest it could be either fuelling problem or ignition module(but he qualified that by saying when module goes car usually dies and won't start again at all).
So I coaxed the car back home(stopping & starting along the way).
Today I started looking over car and started okay ran on idle till it started to come up to operating temp and then stalls and won't restart again(If I leave it for about 1/2 hr and try again same thing happens). Below are a list of the things I've checked
Ignition seems okay , getting a spark.
Cleaned rotor arm and contacts in distrib cap.
Fuel injectors are clear & clean.
Fuel still getting pumped through from tank.
The ducting between VAF & In/Man is intact and no holes or cracks.
Switched ECU's but makes no difference.
No warning lights coming on in the dash.
Unfortunately I havent been able to interrogate diagnostics cause I haven't got LED at hand.<p>I've serviced the car recently and the plugs,HT leads, O2 sensors, oil, oil filter were all replaced and the car had been running as well as it ever has up until now.<p>My car spec is KLZE, KL36 ECU, JE50 VAF, Millenia IM<p>Any help or advice would be appreciated as I am at a complete loss as to what to do or check next.

[sapper]

My car did the same thing and I found it to be a problem with the vacume. Try un-pluging the little hose connected to the top left of the stock air box, drive for a bit like that, and if the problem stops that might be the problem. My car now stals whenever the hose is plugged in. I took the car to a mazda dealer ship, and the tech said he's seen a few with the same problem. He solves it by drilling a small hole in the airbox right above where the hose plugged in and pushing the hose in there. He told me for some reason they want the air going into the solinoid from that hose filtered. Mine just hangs right now, has been for a few months and havent had a problem since.

[mmac]

Tried what you suggested but unfortunately didn't make work. <p>Somebody over at MX6.com suggested it may be the distributor and having ran a search here on 'distributor' and followed a link to Jeff Abrams site it would seem to point to that, certainly all the characteristics he quotes seem to match up.<p>Thanks for your input, it was appreciated.

[mmac]

I'm gonna replace the coil and the ignitor in my distributor, but I just wanted to clarify something before I buy the parts.
All the info & the TSB's on replacing the parts refers to the 2.5's disty. Are the replacement coil & ignitor p/n the same for the 1.8.<p>i.e. these are the ones quoted for the 2.5 disty, are they suitable for the 1.8 disty?<p>__________Ignitor______&_____Coil
Ford US p/n F32Z-12A112-BA & F32Z-12029-AA
Ford UK p/n 3974599 & 3974598
Mazda p/n KLY1-18-V20 & KLY1-18-V80<p>Thanks for any help you can provide<p>[ June 21, 2003: Message edited by: mmac ]<p>[ June 21, 2003: Message edited by: mmac ]<p>[ June 21, 2003: Message edited by: mmac ]</p>

[Matrix733]

i don't think ford stock those coil and ignitor anymore, i just opted to cop the aftermarket distributor with lifetime warranty from autozone for $143.

[VizualXTC]

sounds like what my car was doing. Check the accordian looking thing (air intake tube) for cracks. Mine was letting air into the engine passed the MAF. Worth a shot

[mmac]

Matrix733
Managed to get bits from Ford, cost £140(US$235)
If I had got replacement dizzy it had to be Ford or Mazda main agents(nowhere else I could in the UK I could get them). Ford wanted £500(US$835), Mazda wanted £400(US$670).<p>VisualXTC
Checked the air intake duct but it was intact.<p>Worst thing is that I got my new Ignitor&Coil fitted them on, started the car OK, left car to idle, about 5 mins later it stalled and now won't restart.
I am at a complete loss as to what to try/check next.
I would appreciate any further suggestions.

[OVERLOAD]

Ohh man, I don't know how many times I've stalled
out and been stranded on the road with that very
same problem. (Curls into ball and weeps)<p>But anyway, its someting IN the ditributor.
I'm pretty sure that its NOT the coil.<p>Like I previously stated, I had this problem, and
read as much as I could about it, talked to as
many people as I could about it, poked around with
all the insides and replaced the coil.<p>After I replaced the coil, it helped a LOT, but
still ran a rough. I left town for a few months,
came back and the problem started to come back as
well, gradually becomming more and more frequent.
I finnaly stopped caring and replaced the whole
damn distributor. I've had it for over a month,
and the car runs OUTSTANDINGLY well. Not a single
glitch. <p>It cost me $300 at the dealership to buy it, but
when I opened it up to polish all the contacts, I
noticed that this design was a little different
from what I had before. The Mazda MX-3 is known
to have this problem, maybe Mazda finnaly
redesigned the distributor.<p>You could go to a junk yard and get a used one,
but you may run the risk of inheriting the exact
same problem from someone elses car. Plus its
near impossible to get one. TRUST ME!<p>By the way. Anyone who read this, I would suggest
you polish ALL contacts in the distributor.
You'll notice a difference.<p>(If you havent already that is)<p>[ June 26, 2003: Message edited by: OVERLOAD ]</p>

[mmac]

Overload<p>Ended up taking your advice and getting a new dizzy, and it's worked.
I'm still a bit mystified as to why the coil & ignitor 'fix' didn't work, but what the the hell my car works again and thats all that matters.<p>Thanks to all for suggestions.<p>[ July 13, 2003: Message edited by: mmac ]</p>

[Ramdao]

Why don´t you take a min. and see if the fuel filter is clogged, if it´s so replace it and take a drive test.

[mmac]

Ramdao<p>I'd tried changing the fuel filter but it didn't help unfortunately.<p>I've now done about 250 miles since I changed dizzy and there has been no sign of the problem re-occurring.