Big Problems After Using Midgrade Gas!

I ran midgrade for a month now my car lacks power. The valves were rattling bad til the 89octane burned out(i filled up on 93). I replaced a bad idle control valve and then my car lost power the next day. I replaced the spark plugs and fuel filter now my check eng. light is on. It looks as if the HB pulley is warped also. How do you diagnose a bad harmonic balancer? I don't really think its the plug wires. The coil pack and DIS are good. Im going crazy! Any help is greatly appreciated.

It looks as if the HB pulley is warped also

loose bolt, broken bolt, boken balancer
which could make it run bad

93atlsc said:

It looks as if the HB pulley is warped also. How do you diagnose a bad harmonic balancer? Im going crazy! .

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uhmm... a balancer dosent warp.. so that means your balancer is broken. so get a new one. dont drive your car until you fix it unless u want to risk taking it in the anus

So how much money did you save using low grade fuel?

93atlsc> The valves were rattling bad til the ...

That rattling was 'detonation'... pre-ignited fuel knock. But you knew that. Your knock sensor should pick it up and retard timing until it subsides.

Detrimental effects of detonation could include:

• ring-land collapse
• hole'ing a piston
• cracked head
• blown head gasket
• burned/bent/broken valve
• burned/bent/broken sparkplug component
• increased carbon buildup inside chamber/on piston
• damage to connecting rod

...and that's just one cylinder. Warning - damage to wallet may follow

If you are now experiencing what you consider to be sub-par performance from the engine, you may of course have to ask if any damage has taken place. Without simply tearing down your engine, the typical course of action at this point would be to perform a proper compression test, perhaps followed by a leak-down test.

yea. and your balancer is broken. lets not forget this. there is no " WELL OTHER THEN THE BALANCER DO U THINK IT COULD BE...."... fix the balancer or you will have the gape soon

Miller> you will have the gape soon

Oh, nooooo...not the gape! Sounds like a curse has been put on you and your whole family. Any idea what da' gape does to yo' paint!!??

I hate it when that happens. But I think he's already got a bad case of the gape, and until he gets proper medical care, ain't no way he's gonna figure out what's happenin' under the hood of his car.

.....nevermind

As usual Miller, you're right - a broken balancer isn't a good thing when it turns into a missile.

What's the best way to check? Inspect for missing bolts and pull the belt..? Would a timing light make it easier to spot moving off center?

he already said its moving. i cant see there to be any reason for crank to be wobbling then for it to be broken

KMT said:

93atlsc> The valves were rattling bad til the ...

That rattling was 'detonation'... pre-ignited fuel knock. But you knew that. Your knock sensor should pick it up and retard timing until it subsides.

Detrimental effects of detonation could include:

• ring-land collapse
• hole'ing a piston
• cracked head
• blown head gasket
• burned/bent/broken valve
• burned/bent/broken sparkplug component
• increased carbon buildup inside chamber/on piston
• damage to connecting rod

...and that's just one cylinder. Warning - damage to wallet may follow

If you are now experiencing what you consider to be sub-par performance from the engine, you may of course have to ask if any damage has taken place. Without simply tearing down your engine, the typical course of action at this point would be to perform a proper compression test, perhaps followed by a leak-down test.

Click to expand...

You might want to look up the difference between detonation which alot of motors can survive... against pre-ignition that will destroy a motor in seconds. Detonation will lead to pre-ignition.

Frit

fturner> pre-ignition that will destroy a motor in seconds. Detonation will lead to pre-ignition.

Frit...

What part of "'detonation'... pre-ignited fuel" didn't you get?

Actually, I'm flattered - everyone says until frit has given you flack around here, you're nada. Thanks for taking a run at me - betta' luck next time.

KMT said:

fturner> pre-ignition that will destroy a motor in seconds. Detonation will lead to pre-ignition.

Frit...

What part of "'detonation'... pre-ignited fuel" didn't you get?

Actually, I'm flattered - everyone says until frit has given you flack around here, you're nada. Thanks for taking a run at me - betta' luck next time.

Click to expand...

You know what... never mind... just detracts from the point of this thread.

Bye

Frit

It's possible your knock sensor doesn't work. When you do a Key On Engine Running code test with a Ford OB1 scanner the EEC will test the knock sensor during the part where you snap the throttle. A lot of the stations around here have only 91 octane Premium so going to 89 octane shouldn't really hurt the engine under normal driving even up to 5-8 lbs boost even with a broken knock sensor. If the knock sensor is working the EEC will cut timing for the lower octane and keep the engine safe. Get that part checked out.

Sounds like to me that if the engine started to run bad after IAC, then maybe you caused a vacuum leak either at the IAC or somewhere else. Go back and check everything around the area and anything you removed while doing that repair.

Check to see if the harmonic balancer bolt to crankshaft is still there. If the balancer is broke it will wobble and not run true. This will cause base timing to be retarded and cause performance issues. When my balancer went bad I had no power under boost and no high rpm power due to the timing being affected. I finally realized that the balancer was bad when I unplugged the IAC and the car would not stay running. The car should idle around 600 rpm on it's own without IAC plugged in, with A/C off and rad fan not trying to come on.

I purchased two new Ford balancers one for my 89 and one for the 90. The 89 one never had anymore issues. The 90 failed about 3 years later for the new owner. So I would have to recommend the BHJ. The factory Ford balancer is a one time use part and will fail if it's pulled and reusedor it get's old and the rubber dry rots. Even 94-95 5.0 Mustang owners have trouble with the Ford balancer with it's aluminum hub and steel combination.

If you want to save on gas, remove the SC belt and run 87 octane. Just plug vacuum line to bypass and wire the bypass valve open.

Good luck

Jerry

After checking codes, I found that i have a bad ACT sensor. Hopefully this will solve my power loss problem. I'll let u guys know. Thanks for all your help.

93atlsc said:

After checking codes, I found that i have a bad ACT sensor. Hopefully this will solve my power loss problem. I'll let u guys know. Thanks for all your help.

Click to expand...

If the crank pulley is wobbling, that's the first thing you need to fix, and it's very possible you will solve your power loss problem at the same time. Quit using anything less than 91 octane.

David

fix your balancer or order a new engine!!

PS..

Also dave some people including my uncle says that it is worthless to pay for premium gas, that our cars do not need it and it will not pre-det from using lower octane!! Ive tried to explain and even showed him numerous articles in wikipedia and the web but then he says that its not needed! Some people just dont follow rules and end up paying for them.

PSS..

The way i look at it is around here premium is 20 cents more a gallon times a 19 gallon tank i am spending $3.80 more to fill my car up with premium compared to the guy right next to me putting low grade gas in his na tbird. Its really not a big difference if you really think about it!

Hes not listening. Let him blow it up.

It could perhaps actually be a wash if reg. grade leads to your timing being pulled, and your mileage drops as a result. Let's say 14 mpg. on regular vs. 15 mpg. on premium. Over 17 gals. you'd see 17 fewer miles...

You would need at least one more gallon of regular to go the same distance w/premium. You'd have to pay approx. the same total, as you end up paying for premium, just to go the same distance over a tank.

Ok guys i fixed the ACT sensor and the check eng. light went off. I then replaced the wires and presto Im back to full power. i guess the wobbly pulley was just the timing skipping. Thanks everyone.