My car is from 2000, and i am living in the netherlands. so we were not sure if we could plug it in

 

if the check engine light is not on, there will be no code. if the light lights up for a second when you turn on the engine, then the bulb is not blown and you really don't have a code unless it stays on.

 

The ECU stores pending codes, which have not yet become real codes yet. If the fault is intermittent, it may be a pending code only and not a full blown verified code.

 

kinda like self troubleshooting? it has an idea but has not hit the criteria to trigger a CEL?

 

Yes. the On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) troubleshoots itself. It's impossible to troubleshoot MFI and distributorless engines without obd-II... Almost impossible.. Expensive.

 

Is the motor getting hot? Remove the oil cap is there a milky yellow ish brown ish white ish stuff caked in there? Maybe a blown head gasket. Althought I would think it be hard to do with a closed deck motor, but possible. Timing belt, how many miles are on the motor, when was the last time that was done. Check your coolant levels. There are so many possible things that could cause the motor to shut of. But being that you said that it will go and go then shut off, then you have to wait like 7-8 minutes, im thinking that it could be the motors getting too hot tripping a fault in the computer that will shut it down so that you dont blow up the motor, or warp the head. Check the exhaust for blue smoke and lots of condensation.

 

@jim,

- the problems is there also when the engine is not hot.
- under the oilcap its oke,
- timing belt new one 5000 kilometers back
- coolant level, a little bit above full. (can that give any problems?)
- and the exhaust, no blue smoke.

so first i thought the same about the engine getting hot, but thats not the thing. sooo what next??

 

Next is get the codes read so we're not hypothesizing on what your problem is.

 

Next monday my car goes to Den Haag (above Rotterdam) to read the stock ecu and the unichip computer. and hoping they find the problem!