1994 Stutters Underload

[dwarf]

I just purchased a 1994 Taurus Sho, 5 Speed, on tuesday, to be used as my daily driver while I turbo my 85 Rx7.

What I know about the car:

I purchased it for 1200. It's a 1994 Taurus Sho with a 5 speed.
110k Miles.
The PO said the clutch had been replaced.
The PO said the head was rebuilt
He also said that the front (or the back) cats were gutted but the other ones weren't.

The car revs fine but under load there is some stuttering and the car feels like it is bogging down. It will stutter then go and then stutter and go. It's under harder acceralation. At low rpms under load and at high rpms too.

I replaced the Air Filter and cleaned the MAF. I was going to replace the plugs and wires. And once I was reading into it I thought maybe I should take off the intake and do the 60k. With the valve cover gaskets and the plug well gaskets.

I was wondering if there is anything I should be looking for in particular. I just want to have a reliable car to drive. I hope the SHO is my answer, becuase I've wanted one forever


Thanks,

Josh

 

[Machspeed]

HAHA damnit josh why did you wait so long to buy a sho!?!? We had like 6 shos in our group back in highschool. I remember you made me mad cuz i had the mocha color and u said it looked like a *****. Dont trip bro we'll get that thing running right and i think i have some parts in my garage you can have.

 

[dwarf]

The car starts fine and drives fine under low acceleration. Under heavy acceleration and at low rpms it bogs heavily and feels like it's missing.

After I drive for a little and am idling, when i rev the motor it will bog down a little.

Also In traffic the temp gauge will get up to the M.

I just want to know I should be doing to fix what feels like its missing or something.

Im going to pull the codes today and post them up and maybe I can find out what's wrong with my car. Ill try and get pictures too!

 

[drewk]

I am actually having the same issue with my '90 that I just picked up. Before I bought the car it had the 60k done on it and he gutted both cats and replaced numerous sensors. I have no check engine light, and I just can't figure out why it would be running so crappy under load. Other than that the car runs great. I thought maybe it just had some bad gas since the car had sat for a long time before I bought it. I hope you get an answer to your problem as it will probably help me as well.

 

[1993MTXSHO]

ok I just had this problem with a 95 mustang gt, not saying this is your problem, but have you filled up recently? This gt did the same thing till we ran the gas all the way down (almost out) and refilled her and shes running great now. Bad gas is not common but it does happen, try that first and see if it helps, with any luck it can be your problem too as this car did the same thing you described.

 

[Smittysshoplus]

I would check your spark plug wires to see if they arcing at all, and the plugs to see if they are dirty, gray or whatever.

 

[projectSHO89]

I would check your spark plug wires to see if they arcing at all, and the plugs to see if they are dirty, gray or whatever.

Bingo. Plus, check your plugwells for oil.

You symptoms are of a misfire under heavy load. This is usually due to a breakdown in the secondary igntion system.

Steve

 

[dwarf]

Bingo. Plus, check your plugwells for oil.

You symptoms are of a misfire under heavy load. This is usually due to a breakdown in the secondary igntion system.

Steve

Okay, my car died when I was driving home. And my cell phone was dead and i had to walk

It started to smell like gas or something and then it started stuttering really bad and turned off and now it doesn't turn on.

What does that mean

 

[socialdeviat]

First thing to look at I would say is the vacuum. Sounds like a leak somewhere. Heck I would replace all the vacuum lines period with any Used vehicle made prior to 99+ where they really started replacing vacuum pieces with electronics.

 

[dwarf]

I just did the KOEO test and I got 111.

And the stored code I recieved was 542 (O,M) Fuel pump open, bad ground or always on - - Power / Fuel Pump Circuits

 

[dantheman68]

First thing to look at I would say is the vacuum. Sounds like a leak somewhere. Heck I would replace all the vacuum lines period with any Used vehicle made prior to 99+ where they really started replacing vacuum pieces with electronics.

I disagree... if it were a vaccum leak, it would run worse during idle, if at all... and better as more throttle were applied...





im going with spark plugs/wires/oil in the plug wells...


im replacing mine this summer due to the fact that i have a miss under load at lower RPMs

make sure when you replace the plugs to get double platnium plugs, theyll last longer, and are designed to be used with the DIS sysetms that our cars use...

I just did the KOEO test and I got 111.

And the stored code I recieved was 542 (O,M) Fuel pump open, bad ground or always on - - Power / Fuel Pump Circuits

111 means that system is OK,

542 means that the car died, or stalled (like it did on you today)... 99% of the time when this code is tripped, it means that the person killed it when trying to get the car rolling from a stop, the other 1% means that the car will only turn over and wont start

 

[93rev2sev]

CPS if it's not the plugs and wires...

my $.02

 

[dwarf]

It also has an alarm on it. There is a little button by the fusebox under the dash that I have to hold while the car turns over for it to start.

I looked in the 3 front plug wells and they were dry.

The RPMs are at about 500 when its cranking

 

[dantheman68]

I looked in the 3 front plug wells and they were dry.

the back ones may be hard to see into... but it only takes one to ***** everything

 

[dwarf]

I put a flat head screwdriver into the wire plug and put it close to metal on the frame of my car and had my friend try to start it. I didn't see any spark. I tried it on 2 of the 3 plug wires on the front

 

[Smittysshoplus]

possible DIS, I just had the same thing happen with my car, but mine would run but it was only firing on 4 cylinders. Ran like crap, no power and the smell of gas in the exhaust. Also if the back side is filled with oil it won't start had that problem too. The cheaper of the two is oil in the spark wells. around $45 the DIS is around $120. Good luck and keep us informed!!!

 

[dantheman68]

possible DIS, I just had the same thing happen with my car, but mine would run but it was only firing on 4 cylinders. Ran like crap, no power and the smell of gas in the exhaust. Also if the back side is filled with oil it won't start had that problem too. The cheaper of the two is oil in the spark wells. around $45 the DIS is around $120. Good luck and keep us informed!!!

used DIS have been ALL over ebay recently....

 

[dwarf]

So I need to take off my intake to get to my rear plug wells?

Is there a way to test my DIS?

 

[Smittysshoplus]

You can get to the plug wires by just reaching back behing the motor, you are just checking for oil. If there is oil in there you will know as soon as you pull out the plug wire it will be coated in oil. I'm not sure if you can test the dis or not

 

[dwarf]

I ordered some Taylor 8mm wires and OE spark plugs off ebay. when i put my intake manifold back on to i need to apply rtv to the gasket?