driving me crazy

Blown 91 Bird

Registered User
so the turd started having the tach flutter and bucking issues... so i started by changing the coil pack, no fix. Changed the cam sensor, no fix, Changed the DIS..no fix. Thought maybe it was the 10+ year old wires and 5 year old plugs... well, changed those today, no fix.

Except for now, the car started up after doing the plugs and wires fine like it usually does... idled for a few minutes no problem, soon as i got in it and stuck it in gear and started driving, here came the fluttering and bucking that then lead to shutting off. It started up a couple times after that but just kept fluttering real bad.

Now it will not start. It'll spin the motor over all day til the starter drains the battery dead.



what else could be the problem? Starting to get very tired of this car, and about to take it to the scrapper to get whatever $$$ i can out of it. :mad:
 
Sounds like the fuel filter is clogged up or the pump is going bad. Do you have fuel pressure?

Is the tach still going wild?

Also, check the balancer to see if it has started to break about or has long fracture. Does the upshift light come on whenever you crank it?
 
The tach doesnt flutter now, as all it does is spin over. It shows a steady 100-200rpm bouncing when cranking it over and thats it. I was actually just thinkin of filter as i went out and tried to get it started since its down blocking half of my driveway to get out to the main road :rolleyes: and its acting like it has no fuel. Yes i get the upshift light when cranking it over.

balancer looked to be fine from the visual look over i gave it.


Just weird that it will start up dead cold and idle fine til it started getting up to temp, then would start fluttering. And you could keep wrappin the tach up and it would spin up fine, but soon as you let it drop down to an idle thats all she wrote watch it bounce til it dies.
 
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Disconnect the cam sensor. :cool: Then key-off between start up tries. You'll have no tach, but that will at least tell you if the cam sensor is causing a problem.. Where'd you get the DIS? If its not new, it can also cause a problem.. How are your ground straps?
 
I tried disconnecting the cam sensor. That was useless. It TRIED to start a few times, then it gave up and just started spinning. Now thats all it does. :rolleyes:

I got the DIS from someone on here, supose to be a low mileage unit.
 
The up shift light should not be lit during cranking. This means you have no signal to the PCM. Have someone crank the engine while you look at the balancer. It should have no wobble at all. Also check for the bolt in the crank. Sounds like you lost your crank sensor.
 
k... after it sitting for a few hours and back to completely cold. We have a different outcome once again :rolleyes:

fires up, no upshift light..but wont stay running

http://tinypic.com/player.php?v=4zaxz15



just went back out with a can of starting fluid and was able to keep it running. Will try replacing filter tomorrow and see if that cures anything :rolleyes:
 
yay more fun... so we have more changes out of nowhere :rolleyes:


Picked up fuel filter after work today, came home and stuck it on and fired the car up. Started right up, even idle ok for about 1 minute, then started the fluttering.

Cut it off, and go through the process of starting it and it fluttering and bucking like a bronco (while in park).

Let it sit for about 5 minutes, tried to crank it. HEEEY, we got the upshift light on again. Now it wont start at all, just spinning oh spinning. Let it sit for a few minutes and try it again, now we have the upshift AND CEL light on.


I found my spare crank sensor so ill try replacing it this weekend. Do you have to pull the balancer or can it be taken off (the sensor only or entire bracket) without pulling the balancer?
 
No you don't have to remove the balancer. There are three bolts that hold the bracket on, then the sensor bolts to the bracket.
 
I HATE, i repeat, I HATE this car.


I finally got the crank sensor changed (i didnt bother using my old one, i went out and bought a brand spanking new one). Cranked it over and it started right up, but ran like total ~~~... would not rev up at all, and had to fight it to keep it moving in gear.

Finally got it up my driveway (its been sitting out in the street for a week now) and now it will not run. Crank it over i get the upshift light only. Stop...turn off key, crank it over, i get the upshift light and CEL light. Stop, turn key off, crank it over... no CEL, no upshift...it starts but it barely wants to run. Turn it off, crank it over... no cel, but i got the upshift light.

WHAT THE HELL???????????

Im getting very fed up with this car. Ive already spent well over hundred dollars to get this pile of crap on the road, and its still just sitting.

IF YOU ARE IN THE GA AREA OR CLOSE AND WANT THIS CAR, COME PICK THE PIECE OF ~~~~ UP OR IT WILL BE GOING TO THE CRUSHER VERY SOON.
 
yep the car is try-ing sometimes ,and for some reason i don't get to thrilled if i have to work on it...i've got a few car's from the good ol dayz and they are so easy and straight forward...and if it starts giving me to many problems...the little sc motor will get pulled and i'll drop a 302-347 with carb ,in it and be done with it ,cause i like the car it-self ,but not to fond of all the electronics do-dads

anyway..how about fuel pump and or pressure...over-heating dis module or it's just a bad one

good luck :)

cheers
 
fuel pump and pressure is fine. Ive absolutely had it with this car. Now i know where the term FOUND ON ROAD DEAD comes from....its from these piece of junk supercoupes.
 
Maybe you should step back from it for a couples of days and take a breather before you really break something in pure temper.

Yes these cars can be ornary, but you just have to be patient and work your way through it. If you getting an upshift light while cranking then there is something wrong with the crank sensor or related systems. Did you happen totake a good look at the snout of the balancer while you where changing the sensor out?
 
Maybe you should step back from it for a couples of days and take a breather before you really break something in pure temper.

time is money, and this thing is costing me more money everyday, while keeping me out of work.


The car just wants to do whatever it wants. Now it cranks over with no upshift light but the CEL is on, but does not try to start.



Its over, done with, fanito... the car is going to the junkyard next weekend.
 
i feel your pain for sure ,and ya the car seems that it can be a money pit for sure. it's like it's an exotic -right -but you know what i mean

i glad i've got a few cars ,for my backup...

it's running pretty good sense the head-gasket deal i went thru...

thats why i said ,if'n it gives me to much of a problem ,i'll rip the motor and it's electronics out and replace it with what seems to be more of a stable setup -least wise for me...i'm not new at working on cars -but new to this one

take a break as some-one else said

cheers
 
I would look at the Balancer, And I am in Ga. :) Don't junk it- :eek: Just sit back and think..Drink a beer..And DO NOT WORK ON THE CAR MAD :D ..These cars can be a pain. But they are fun to drive..

Tony
70 Mustang
89 Cougar XR7 (Found in field :eek: Now running-needs Int. work)
90 Tbird SC (needs paint)
91 Tbird 5.0L (Still waiting eng rebuild)
94 Tbird LX (Soon to be Girlfriends car)
94 Tbird LX (Daily driver)
95 Tbird LX 4.6L (Girlfriends car-Soon to be parts car)
 
I had one that had problems with the wireing under the engine. Motor mounts went and rubbed the wires bare. Another one had the wires on the pass side fall down along side the engine and rest on the exhaust manifold. Lots of spliceing on that one. The car in my sig looks like a super coupe but it has the standard 3.8 and the only time I need to lift the hood is for oil changes and thats it. I love the looks of these cars and the speed but spending all my time under it was just not what I wanted to do on the week ends and after NINE SC`s you can go mad. Daily drivers there not unless you change and rebuild everything. I know I will have one more only because im still hooked but for now the LX with the ground efx works for me. Hang in there and maybe someone from your area can give you a hand. Its always the simple things that we over look.
 
It certainly sounds like its starving. When you checked the fuel pressure. Did you do it while someone tried starting it? The fuel pump came loose on my car and fell of in the tank once. Ive also read about people having the diaphragm just above the pump leaking that would cause the pressure to bleed down on the line.

Another thing to check would be the MAF. My Explorer had a similar situation when a cottonwood seed flew into the sampling tube (filter was reinstalled wrong by some JiffyScrew oil place).
 
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