Engine cutting out when cold

[Alecossy]

It seems like the Princess (I've taken to calling my 2002 1.6 80 KW Black 206 cc like that due to her being an high maintenance lady) doesn't really like the cold.

In the last months (it started in November), the engine would struggle to start on a cold morning or randomly cut out when coming to a stop. This doesn't happen often and the cutting out disappears as soon as the engine temperature gets around 70/80°. I know there's numerous threads regarding engines that cut off at seemingly random times, but I thought it'd be easier to diagnose my specific problem by starting a new one. Let's get into details:

When the car is cold (the car is parked outside in the winter), attempting to start the engine would result in it starting up and immediately dropping revs until it dies. Stepping on the gas pedal and leaving the car at 2000 rpms for a few seconds will prevent this from happening. If the engine dies and I try to re-start it, it normally will restart just fine but the engine oil indicator (the one that appears on start-up) would read full, even if it normally doesn't.

The second problem is a bit more dangerous. Especially in cold weather, the car might just randomly die when I come to a stop. The engine drops revs and dies instead of resting at 1000 rpms and all accessories (A/C, power steering and the radio) die with it. It might then struggle to start up again. This only happens with a cold engine and the problem normally disappears, once again, when the temperature hits 70/80. The same happens if i'm shifting into a higher gear (say 4th or 5th). I

My solution so far has been to start the car up, press the gas pedal for a few seconds and then let it heat up while I scrape the ice off the wind shield and windows. I understand that this specific model was not made to be use in extremely cold temperatures, but I am pretty sure that's not normal when the temperature outside is merely a few degrees below zero.

[IanL]

The power steering and A/C are driven by the auxiliary belt, so you would expect them to stop when the engine does. The radio should stay on, so the fact that it does not suggests an electrical cause.

Unfortunately, there are so many options and differences that one cannot trace through the SEDRE without knowing all the details of the vehicle. If you post the last eight digits of your VIN, it will be possible to trawl through the SEDRE for possibilities.

The radio power comes from the BSI - but the fuel pump and ECU power comes from the BM34, so, if there is a common cause it must be upstream of that.

However, as it is temperature related, it could be as simple as a poor connection which gets better as things warm up. e.g. How tight is the battery positive terminal?

[Capncol]

All good stuff Ian.
How old is the battery and when was it last serviced? These engines should have 5/30 0r 10/30 oil. If it has 20/50 or oil is old and thick, it can give probs when cold due to oil thickening.

[Alecossy]

I'll take some time tomorrow to check the battery and oil.. Now that you make me think of it, I'm unsure about the radio and will have to check that one as well.. Knew about the belt, it actually snapped recently (it was an old one) and was replaced with a new one.

[Capncol]

Which belt snapped, accesory or Cam belt?

[Alecossy]

Sorry, I was just so busy i completely forgot to post. Accessory snapped out, the result was no power-drive, no A/C compressor and a "battery charging fault" message on the on-board screen. It was replaced and everything is fine.
Car's been booked in a garage for a full oil change tomorrow morning... The cutting out issue continues even though the temperature is few degrees above zero, these days. The car would just drop revs and die on start-up and at times, normally within the first few KMs from a cold start, simply die when shifting into higher gear. A distinctive "click" (the sound of a relay, i'd think) is heard before the car returns to the same state it is in when you first insert the key and do the half-turn (dashboard lights on and similar stuff).
The radio does NOT switch off, so I'm ruling out a power/electrical issue.

[Alecossy]

The culprit was a faulty/dirty MAP sensor.
These tend to collect dampness and just need to be cleaned/replaced.
It's an easy fix and roughly 100 £ did the job.
As always, thanks for your cooperation.

[GrandadMonkey]

Well done, and thank you for letting us know the outcome.