surging

nitrouspaul

Registered User
My baby started this new thing last week and I am not sure what it is. I shall try to describe it for all you experts out there and perhaps advise me on a plan of action to dismiss the problem.
I think it is ignition but I am not saying one way or the other for sure, I shall leave that up to you.

Her is the syptom.
When she is cold if I try to give her a little more than the usual grandpa throttle, she bucks like a wild bronko. Almost as if the tranny wants to come out of it. But I have isolated it from the tranny so lets concentrate on the engine.As soon I have a load at low speed and want to get up and go, she says no way Pauly and surges like no tomorrow. If I drive easily for about 20 miles the problem goes away.
Is this indicative of a common problem here and will it get worse. I was thinking about a plug and wire change soon and undoing the dis and cleaning it up with alittle dialectric grease under it.

Thanks to all who reply in advance.

In case no one nows already the car is a 90 sc.
18 inch zenettis with nitto555 and a 100 shot n20
 
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Sounds like plugs/wires and a new DIS module are in store for you. I'm guessing the problem is directly related to your DIS, but from what I have heard, bad plugs and wires will cause the DIS to go bad again. Over 60k on those plugs and wires, I'd change the whole group. Wait a minute, I did already! My '89 was doing the same thing. New plugs/wires and a new DIS cured its woes. None of those problems since.
 
I had a fuel pump do that once. It would run fine until it "cooled off". Any time I left the car for more than a few hours it would do this. Put a fuel pressure guage on it and see what's up (you'll have to do it under load to see).

Jeff
 
Plugs & Wires...

Yep...More times than not....Been there...Thought my wires and plugs were good...They were'nt...

Brad
 
hmmm

Well guys I just rebuilt my top end after the Hg's went and well I'm having this problem too. Seems like when i first start out the car has no power and surges, stumbles...you name it. then after 5 or less minutes she is a beast!

I have brand new Plugs (Autolite Double Platinums) and Magnecore wires... When this first started we thought it may be due to a bad coolant temperture sensor that we had to unplug to engage the fan...still same problem?

Check engine light is on so today i will be going to the Zone to find out what it reads.

Is there a list on this site that tells you what each code means?

-Tim
 
I'm up for the DIS

This just happend to me (92 SC Auto), turned out to be the DIS. Same symptoms as you have just described, bucking, snorting, loss of power, check engine light etc. Clear itself up and run fine for a few hours or less then bam, started all up again.

DIS fixed it. Recall your codes to make sure though.

Rin:D
 
Paul, I had a very simlar problem with my 89. I found it to be a combination of the plugs and wires and the knock sensor. I was throwing knock sensor codes, and it felt like at times that the car wanted to throw me and the tranny over the median strip. It would hit intermittently, and it was incredibly frustrating.

I would first check the knock sensor......cheap to fix, and easy to replace, then check the wires and plugs.

Good luck.
 
thanks josh

Thanks for that insight on the knock sensor. Never would have thought of that,
now that you mention it it does knock when it surges in fact the surge is more like the timing is to far advanced in one hole and the motor feels like it is binding up, feels really scarry I am afraid to drive it now....can you elaborate again aliitle more about your own experience and does it now sound a little closer to my own?
 
oh ya

I forgot to mention guys.
I read in another thread about this symptom for cam sensor.
My tach has been 50/50 for the last couple of months. Plays dead once in a while. There has always been a slight misfire at idle nothing to worry me about very unoticable, but since this problem the idle miss has gotten seriously worse, almost afraid to run the car now. As well when the car bucks, sometimes I hear a severe ping on one of the cylinders and this is with very light throttle position remember, I always use supe so the ping is not fuel related, this is a new thing.

Any further help here....
Thanks again to all you pros out there. I am starting to panic because I am vacationing in Florida 2000 miles from home and don't even have a wrench set or a jack and have to rely on the crooked mechanics here in town {Hollywood, Ft Lauderdale to try and resolve this. I do not want to throw all my credit cards at guessing what to fix first here....
 
by the way

to all who reply I am on yahoo mesenger for a faster response time from u guys if you like sign on and look me up.
nitrouspaul on yahoo messenger
It is 10pm wed the 12th and I am online right now. may be better than me checking the board once every 24 hours.
Thanks
 
Don't get me wrong the EEC uses this sensor, but it can live on without it. The crank sensor is another story though. If the sensor you have is giving out false information then the EEC responds to this info, so if it is not there the EEC will "work around it" and the engine should not have the same problem.

Jeff
 
Please read in summation to this problem with thanks

I just wanted to say thanks to all who replied to my dilema. I know that everyone here is well intentioned and since we do not know one another from jack it is nice to see a car with a cult following the glue that binds us together. I personally love the fact that on the highway with this baby I can pass 7 to 12 cars at a time on Us 1 coming from Key west at night like on 7 mile bridge. What a rush goin 100 in oncoming traffic lane. No approaching cars of course.
Anyway, in thinking about my problem and keeping in mind tat I am a cheap bastard, I was wondering about this surging problem and mis-fireing and tach not working all the time. Some one said cam sensor. So I looked at everything seemed ok. Well what about cranks sensor. I looked and it was covered in gue from the persistent front oil seal leak. Not fixed yet, remember cheap bastard.
So I get a brainchild of an idea that will only cost me 2 bucks. In fact 8 quarters. I limp the ol heap over to the power wash and giver the gusto on full blast soapy. Do my new 18 inch zenetti rims while I'm at it too. Ok not so cheap....pull out onto the road with my fingers crossed give some gas and viola.....problemo gonno....Its like me and her are back to good terms and I promised her I wouldn't neglect her regular washings. After all she wants to look as good as the next girl and get some looks too while sitting in traffic.

I just wanted to say that this should be a lesson to all who go for parts swapping ideas first. Start with the little stuff starting at free and then working your way up a fist full of quarters at a time.

Of course if I am wrong and tommorow the problem comes back I shall be back on here asking for some more expert albeit expensive advise. P.S. This whole thing got me off the duff and I splured for a code scanner on e bay. 15 bucks plus 5 shipping.May as well get on board with the diagnostic equipment since all I knew before this ride was carb jets and distributor timing curve springs..............
 
Re: Please read in summation to this problem with thanks

nitrouspaul said:
I just wanted to say thanks to all who replied to my dilema.
No problem. Glad to help out.

So I get a brainchild of an idea that will only cost me 2 bucks. In fact 8 quarters. I limp the ol heap over to the power wash and giver the gusto on full blast soapy.....problemo gonno...
Of course if I am wrong and tommorow the problem comes back I shall be back on here asking for some more expert albeit expensive advise.
A good washing doesn't hurt, but its more pshychological than anythign else. But go ahead and at least call a couple of parts stores about a cam sensor to see if they have them in stock. They're not too pricey and they do go out. If you're truely cheap, you could also consider a junk yard. I've replaced my cam sensor twice, DIS once, and crank sensor once.. A crank sensor problem results in a no-start, not poor running.
See you in about a month. Good luck till then. ;)
 
Paul did you know that you had a oil leak around the front seal? It’s pretty common knowledge that coolant on the crank sensor will cause the problems that you described. It just shows how hard it is to diagnose a problem when you can’t see it.

Jeff
 
bucks again

No I don't mean greenbacks. The bucking problem came back this morning when I drove it of the driveway. I thought for sure the ol pressure wash of the crank sensor last nite had cleared it up. I took it to the mechanic this afternoon and he pulled one spark plug wire of the coil pack one at a time. They all seemed fine.
I do not have a check engine light come on at all so how can we pull codes.
I am leaning toward the cam sensor but if i try to install it myself I beleive you need a alignment tool. If anyone nows how to install it without the tool I would love to hear from you. Again, I am on vacation 2000 miles from home and this forum and the wonderful personalities on here are my only recourse next to 75/hr shop time and a trust that the mechanic will go right to the problem in the first place and not fool around on the clock with my dime.
I should have him do a plug and wire change since these have about 70,000 on them and was wondering the median price range for that cause I looked at it and even on a good day I wouldn't try to get in there. My double jointed wrist/elbow is revolting at the scene.
Looks like a freedy cruger flick in there.
I have napa,autozone and discount down here for parts stores. Which cam sensor has had the best rep with u guys.
Thanks again
 
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cam sensor unplug

Someone suggested I try to disconnect the cam sensor to isloate the problem and the eec would correct itself.I tried it but the ol heap wouldnt start. Doesn't the cam sensor position tdc on #1 to start the injector sequence and if so how will not having it in the loop keep things where they need to be.???
 
It will take a few trys to get it started. Without the cam sensor the only thing the EEC see's is the crank signal and it has to guess which cycle it is on. The cam sensor only needs the alingment tool when you remove the bottom part of the body out of the block (like taking out the distrib., you can remove the rotor without retiming the engine).

Jeff
 
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