Getting my car running!

jman2000

Registered User
Ok, so a few of you may remember my rebuild thread a while back... took a bit of a change (for the good I think)

So i'm not adding all the performance things I wanted until it's running correctly stock, with all original parts. I'm working on that right now.

I drained the gas, and put new gas in with Seafoam. It's starting to run better. Did an OBD1 test on it, and got a readout of cylinder 6 misfire. Car starts hard sometimes, and also still idles/runs a bit rough.

What are some ideas guys? I think i'm doing a DIS module next, along with plugs and wires. So far all that was done is a fuel filter and new gas and seafoam.

Any experience with this problem?

Thanks for any help!! :)
 
i would start with the plugs and wires, and then the coil and see if the misfire goes away. the misfire can cause the rough idle too obviously. you may also have a vacuum leak too. have you had anything like the SC, intercooler tubes, throttle body off recently? The IC tubes are prone to leaking if you took them apart and did not seal them back with RTV or Teflon
 
i would start with the plugs and wires, and then the coil and see if the misfire goes away. the misfire can cause the rough idle too obviously. you may also have a vacuum leak too. have you had anything like the SC, intercooler tubes, throttle body off recently? The IC tubes are prone to leaking if you took them apart and did not seal them back with RTV or Teflon

I'm gonna go pick up some Autolite Platinums right now, and get some wires. I do have a vacuum leak, which i'm also hoping to have taken care of next time I go to work on it (it's at my dad's friends shop).

The SC and intercooler tubes and throttle body's were never taken off as far as I know, at least I've never taken them off. I believe they all look to be sealed.
 
vacuum hose

Anyone know where that vacuum hose that's hanging right next to the rusty bracket of my BAP goes?

10389962_10202150392156177_3380945186312824197_n.jpg
 
hmm

Does anyone know the symptoms of having a bad BAP sensor?

What about symptoms of bad O2 sensors?

My problems with the car are still this:

Very hard starting, have to crank for a while until you tell it tries to start and then you can help it by hitting the gas.

Once it's started, it won't idle without dying. So you have to keep it revved a bit to keep it running. Once it's warmed up a bit, it will idle, but not good at all. Sometimes it will idle high or low without touching gas at all.

When it does finally start, black smoke will come out of the exhaust.


So far I have put a DIS on it, and that fixed the previous misfire code I was getting. I got a number of codes now but i'm not sure if I read them all correctly from the CEL, but I can list them here if it may help.
 
Further inspection...

Ok guys, I'm stumped.

I checked my wires and plugs with a timing light, all showed up good.

I have new plugs in and half of my wires are new.
New DIS.
New BAP on the way, last one I got was used and was supposed to be new (either way, plugged it in and had no change).
New IAC on the way.
New fuel filter.
New air filter.
New PCV valve.
Oil change and filter.
New Coolant Temperature Sender.

I took out my MAF today and looked at the wires...(filaments?) and they appear to be clean and good, actually the MAF looks pretty new. Both filaments are in good condition, unlike the other I got with the car that had one broken off.

I OHM'ed my throttle position sensor, and that came out to be good.


So, now to what the car is doing. I go to cold start the car, and sometimes it will start and other times it won't. A lot of times it will start, and when it does, it will idle about 1500 or 1800 rpms for about 3-5 seconds, around that time, and then idles very weird. It goes really low, about 500 give or take 100 rpms, and then will idle up again, and it does this steadily up and down for a period of time until the car warms up. Normally to get it warmed up it takes me holding the gas steady at a higher rpm or driving it until it will stop. Once it's warmed up, it will idle pretty steady around 800 rpms, but it still sounds like it's missing (kind of like when it idles really low at startup). When I rev the car or drive it at higher rpms, it does not sound like it is missing. So it seems to be missing at lower rpms, and bad idle at startup.

What does this sound like to you guys?

The hose I was talking about in the above posts actually does not seem to pull a vacuum as I tested it the other day. I still do not know where it goes, but I will try to get more detailed pictures of where it comes from tomorrow and a video of how my car is running.

I think I may have a vacuum leak, in fact it's very possible. How can I start diagnosing something like this?

Is there a way to diagnose if I would have a headgasket problem? I mean, I don't have any smoke coming out of my dipstick when it's hot or anything like that, so I don't think it'd be getting into my oil. Where else could coolant go or cause me a problem?

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!


EDIT: I do believe I have low vacuum...
 
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Total shot in the dark but there's a vacuum coupler underneath the car near the steering linkage. My car ran like junk - I replaced the EGR sensor and valve, really annoying stuff. Found it by accident several months into the issue. Similar symptoms but I was throwing codes too.
 
Total shot in the dark but there's a vacuum coupler underneath the car near the steering linkage. My car ran like junk - I replaced the EGR sensor and valve, really annoying stuff. Found it by accident several months into the issue. Similar symptoms but I was throwing codes too.

I'll try to check that vacuum coupler when I get home. I was planning on replacing my EGR valve and sensor. What kinds of codes are you getting? I have some older codes I got, but am going to check them out again soon.

Thanks!
 
videos

Here are the videos of the car.

Sorry for not getting the tach in the videos, my friend was taking the videos and his camera on the back of his phone is screwed so we had to use the front side camera.

The squeak you hearing or part moving back in forth is the bracket/guard/separator between my exhaust and gas tank. I need to bolt it back up because a bolt or two is out. Hopefully you can get the idea though, it spits and sputters at idle but not when it's at higher rpms like when I rev it. And it's bad when it's first started. Barely stays running once it's started. I think it took 3 tries for me.


First off is me starting it and then it running cold.



Second off, is the car warmed up and idling steadier.

 
I just went out and started my car to make sure and as soon as I start mine up the boost guage goes to twenty in the left of the guage and stays there. I'm pretty sure you have a vacumn leak or something isnt hooked up right with your hoses.
 
That black plastic hose going over your supercharger needs to be connected to another hose. That hose actually goes under your supercharger and connects to another hose.
 
That black plastic hose going over your supercharger needs to be connected to another hose. That hose actually goes under your supercharger and connects to another hose.

I actually do have that hose hooked up to the correct hoses. Right now it's just above instead of underneath the supercharger. I know I am wrong on that, at the time I just happened to hook it up above instead of underneath. But the hose is hooked up to the correct hoses.

Well, if your car idles and has 20 on vacuum, and mine has around 8, I DEFINITELY have a vacuum leak. I'm going to further inspect my lines as soon as I get a chance.
 
Anyone have any ideas yet? Problem is still persisting and I'm getting fed up. Very close to letting the car go now.
 
Hey if we all gave up we would all be driving ford SHO s. Its frustrating believe me I know. Did you get around to changing the plugs and wires. Check behind your supercharger, thats where the most vacumn lines are. Just start by making sure theyre not plugged up. Check your guage when you shut the car off your boost guage should got to zero with a bit of a delay and smoothly. Im sure its something simple.
 
My brother in law forgot to hook up his mass airflow sensor and the car blew black smoke, so black smoke could be air issues, white smoke your gonna need an ash tray.
 
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Are there any guys local to you that can offer a second set of eyes...watching the video I would have to agree looks like a bad vacuum leak. The intercooler tubes are the hardest to seal properly, at least without the Teflon gaskets. There has to be a large hose loose or something though I would think to be idling at 8 like that.
 
thanks for the responses guys!

Hey if we all gave up we would all be driving ford SHO s. Its frustrating believe me I know. Did you get around to changing the plugs and wires. Check behind your supercharger, thats where the most vacumn lines are. Just start by making sure theyre not plugged up. Check your guage when you shut the car off your boost guage should got to zero with a bit of a delay and smoothly. Im sure its something simple.

I won't lie, I kind of want an SHO :p But anyway, yes, all plugs and wires are new so we can rule out the wires/plugs. I made sure many times they are in the correct places and I didn't have them messed up. My pa and I have looked for hours to find any boost leaks, and can't find a thing. I will check my gauge how it looks when I shut the car off.

My brother in law forgot to hook up his mass airflow sensor and the car blew black smoke, so black smoke could be air issues, white smoke your gonna need an ash tray.

I have my MAF plugged in. My black smoke is only when I rev it. Maybe MAF could be a problem? Again, I start the car and it idles up and down horribly I can keep it running above or at 1500 rpms, then it's alright. Once it warms up it idles steady at 800 but still got a miss until when I rev it up, it seems to go away.

Are there any guys local to you that can offer a second set of eyes...watching the video I would have to agree looks like a bad vacuum leak. The intercooler tubes are the hardest to seal properly, at least without the Teflon gaskets. There has to be a large hose loose or something though I would think to be idling at 8 like that.

I don't know anyone with an SC around me unfortunately... I know guys about 80 miles away but that's a bit far. Think I should try taking carb cleaner(?) and spraying it on the IC tubes?? I think they may have been taken off previously because the coupler on the tube that says supercharged to the tophat that says 3.8 is a bit banged up in places.


Trust me guys, I don't want to give up but i've tried everything I can think of. I'll go on for a bit yet and try to figure it out though!! Also... my codes that I read yesterday were this:

41
91
31
 
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