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close to desperation ... have tried everything (long!)
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Posted by Graham (more from Graham) on Sun, 3 Mar 2002 15:07:31 Share Post by Email
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Hello,

Still trying to troubleshoot a problem in my 92 9000 2.3, 16-valve, non turbo, 105 k miles. manual tranny. Have spent hours working on the car, plus hours perusing this board (great site, lot of smart people here!)

I bought the car about three months ago. It ran pretty well, but fuel pump was noisy. Replaced with new Walbro insert, noise disappeared, car ran fine for about a week.

Tank was near empty, filled it a quarter full. Car promptly started running like shit. Here are the symptoms:

--very hard to start (as in almost impossible). Engine will fire, but when I release ignition key, it usually dies. Foot off gas, foot to floor -- doesn't matter.

--when it does start, engine sound smooth good, but idle will sometimes slow and die. Or, if it's idling and I hook up a vacuum gauge, goosing the throttle will drop vacuum to zero and engine will die or almost die. (idling, vacuum is normal, around 16).

--engine produces very little power until it's totally warmed up. Doesn't want to rev beyond 2,000 rpm unless I do so very slowly. Hesitates when I step on the gas (feels like a vacuum leak). But once it's warm, it will at least start and run.

--"check engine" light comes on, and pulling the computer codes generally produces those indicating bad 02 sensor, lean fuel mixture, vacuum leak, etc. I haven't checked 02 sensor, but that shouldn't affect starting ... should it? and the 02 sensor code doesn't always appear.

Here's what I've done.

--new Walbro fuel pump insert (mentioned earlier; is there any chance I could have botched this?)
--new fuel filter
--new plugs, properly gapped.
--DI unit seems OK -- took it out, inserted grounded plugs, turned on ignition and saw them fire. Also, you can hear the cleaning "buzz." And, occasionally, the car will start and idle just fine, but very low on power.
--cleaned throttle butterfly (both sides). It was pretty clean anyway. After cleaning this, the car started right up (once!) -- I think it liked all the residual cleaner in the intake.
--checked for vacuum leaks, and blocked off vacuum lines from intake manifold. I need to replace the grommets for the small lines that come off there, but I don't think they're bad enough that the car wouldn't START. And when it does start, the vacuum is fairly normal.
--removed intake plenum, checked rubber fittings. Added clamps for big vacuum hose to auxiliary idle control. Cleaned out auxiliary idle valve (but I don't think that was the problem -- 'cause when the car ran, idle was normal and it seemed to control it pretty well.
--haven't worried too much about air mass meter, 'cause the car does run (sometimes). However, if it is running, and I unplug the AMM, engine dies (so the computer's default doesn't seem to work.)
--I have NOT checked fuel pressure 'cause I don't have a guage. but that's probably my next step. Vacuum line to fuel pressure regulator is fine.

thoughts:

--is it possible that I've just got some really bad gas in the tank?, and/or that it's loaded with water?(car had been mostly sitting for a couple of months, so condensation likely.) I added some alcohol to attract the water, and I added about half a tank of gas from the Exxon where I normally buy it and I haven't had problems.

--is it possible that I botched the fuel pump installation? (though, as I said, the car sometimes runs pretty well (when it starts) and will rev fairly high without load, which would seem to indicate it's getting fuel and the injectors are working. At one pointt, I pulled the fuel hoses and confirmed the pump was pumping gas.

--I have difficulty thinking the computer is "going out," since in my experience generally they work or they don't. ditto for relays.

but I'm desperate ... so all help appreciated.

Thanks.

posted by 66.61.18...
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