car problems

[dr_bowtie]

I should have mentioned...at the first sign of trouble...make sure you have a good tune up on the car...

 

All the advice given assumes you do...always good to make sure you have fresh plugs, wires, cap and rotor button if called for and all filters should be changed....that is always the basis of a good starting ground..

[wolverineI]

misread that .thought he said changed plugs, wires,cap etcetera,not checked.you wouldnt believe the number of misfiring plugs i get from

hairline cracks in the insulator,or wires arcing to the head especially those

that are inside a tube in the valve cover,notoriously toyota.another good one is the rotors with a burn thru to the distributor shaft.instead of jumping the rotor to cap gap it jumps to the distributor through a hole the size of a pin head directly where it mounts on the distributor.

[TaterSalad]

it was tuned up, but the missfiring caused fouling of the plugs, meaning i needed new plugs.

the new wires was just hoping it would help.

everything i have done has made the car a little better, but it still is no good.

[TaterSalad]

*update*

hooked up a vacume gauge, and it showed bad timeing.

played with the distributer, and couldnt fix it.

tested coil, and coil is bad.

picking up a new on tomorrow, and we will see if that fixes it.

[Guest LookBackX2]

I'll appologise for not just offering a tid bit like even though the behavior doesn't sound like ignition problems, I always check my coil, wires and plugs, if theres a firing problem. I guess yours acted more like sudden jolts of rpm, then it settled back into a slow wollop, or died.

 

It sounds like your definately close to fixing it. Like my Saturn, everything will be new when it gets running right!

 

Grats

[TaterSalad]

I'll appologise for not just offering a tid bit like even though the behavior doesn't sound like ignition problems, I always check my coil, wires and plugs, if theres a firing problem. I guess yours acted more like sudden jolts of rpm, then it settled back into a slow wollop, or died.

 

It sounds like your definately close to fixing it. Like my Saturn, everything will be new when it gets running right!

 

Grats

 

 

lol, its confusing everyone, its like a mix of problems i guess.

when i had my mechanic friend come over, i half expected him to reach in and pull out a fuse or something and be like heres your problem, but it even had him stumped.

 

and ya, thats around how its looking, it just likes shiny new parts. lol

[blackandblue]

A dieing (sp?) O2 sensor can cause problems, but they usually throw codes.

[Guest LookBackX2]

Not in a OBD-I equiped vehicle (generally pre-96) if there is any electronic engine mgmt/emisions controls. We didn't realize that fault codes and monitoring were usefull untill OBD-II emmissions equipment.

[TaterSalad]

coil didnt work:(

i think im just gonna send it to the shop...

idk

[TaterSalad]

got bored and decided to pull my plugs, they were fouled s#$%less (brand new)

so i cleaned em, and went in and got my cap and rotor replaced (warrenty)

now she runs, but very very very rich.

almost there:D

[Guest YuKoN]

I'm an automotive tech- lived and breathed this stuff for around 15 years now. assuming you've got good compression, pass a cylinder leakdown test, and tuned everything up that's possible, then read on.

 

you've probably got a fat vacuum leak somewhere. if the vacuum guage was reading "bad timing"(a worthless peice of diagnostic equipment IMO unless your car is pre-70's) then vacuum is way off the norm. at my shop we use brake clean spray to check for leaks- with engine running spray all places with the nozzle- sparingly of course you don't want to go up like a roman candle lol- but the idle will raise when you hit the leak. suspect mating points at the injectors, intake gasket to cylinder head, etc.......... also any holes in the rubber duct between the intake butterfly and MAF(if equipped) will cause problems. a stuck PCV valve can cause this too. when you have a big vacuum leak the O2 sensor will read a lean mixture, and compensate by dumping down a bunch of extra fuel. unfortunately, obd1 systems do not throw a code for this- in fact if there's a code it will probably be something like "O2 running rich" or some other misleading information.

 

the other possibility: maybe you have injectors that are clogged(i.e. the 2 cyls that are not fouled) or injectors that are stuck wide open(the fouled cyls). a difference of more than 10% in spray pattern or volume will cause very poor running condition. you can unplug each injector one at a time with the engine running to check for a noticeable difference- if there's no change then you've found your culprit.

 

just some suggestions here- let us know on your progress.

[TaterSalad]

tested for vacume leak using starter fluid.

 

tested compression, #2&3 are low...really low. 50% compression.

 

its a head gasket or valve job...