95 SHO Seems underpowered

[SHOtime-95]

I just had a nice thread typed up, until my pos iPad just closed everything. So now I'm going to make this very short.

. My 95 MTX feels like it has 150 hp. Before getting it, the only driving experience I had was trucks, and my 01 Ram 1500 4wd. The fasted car I had driven before it was my moms 2013 Dodge Journey. And I wasn't very impressed with my SHOs power when I got it last year, which is saying something. I can 0-60 it in about 8 seconds best, which is pretty bad. Does anyone have any idea what could be killing the cars power? I can't think of anything and have tried figuring this out. The car is in near mint condition and everything looks almost new.

 

[SHOtime-95]

Problems that I know of:

Exhaust manifold leak on back side, causing the noisy ticking sound at idle (according to the auto shop)

Clutch slips on takeoff if I rev too high when releasing. But doesn't seem to slip at all after moving.

Shifting is horrible. Especially 1st to second. And going into reverse, unless I got from 1st to reverse.

Recently pulled a code saying HO2S lean

Recently started running very rough sometimes when I start it in the morning. The problem just goes away after driving a couple minutes like nothing ever happened.

Headlights will not turn off when ignition is on, and constantly have 6v going to them until I turn the switch ON, then they brighten up and get full 12v power. Gave up on trying to figure that problem out after like 2 weeks of searching. I just keep a fire extinguisher handy now

I don't feel like my sisters mid 90s Ford Contour 4 cyl 5 speed should be Almost as fast as my SHO. And I almost believe my moms journey will beat my SHO in a straight race.

Thanks for reading, and any advise is greatly appreciated!

 

[SHOdded]

What is the maintenance history on your SHO? Any leaks besides the exhaust manifold? What auto shop are you working with, do they have SHO specific experience? Ticking sound could be fuel injectors or bearings/valvetrain or ... Is the fuel in the tank fresh, have you run FI cleaner through there? When was the fuel filter changed?

Was the lean code the only code set, and how did you pull it? Was it set on Bank 1 or 2 or both? If the manifold is leaking on bank 1, I'd expect the code to be set on Bank 1. If the O2 s haven't been changed recently, I would do that along with a fix for the leak (seal or replace).

Have you tried changing out the MTX fluid? May or may not help, but it can give you some quick insight into the condition of your transmission.

Any issues with the brakes, do you have full power assist? A leaking/bad brake booster can put a severe damper on your car's acceleration, like you have your foot on the brakes while driving. Another common culprit is the TPS.

Check the ignition and headlamp switches for shorts. Wiring and hoses are going to be background suspects at this point anyway. Any pest infestations in your area?

Check and clean the butterfly mechanisms while you are in the area.

 

[sperold]

All of the above ^^^^.
If the car is doggy all the way through, there is a good chance the timing belt is out a tooth or two. Check the timing and look at the belt as it has lines on it ,as well as dots on the sprockets. Often, they are installed incorrectly if the car has had a front 60K.
It sounds like you could use a new clutch kit.

 

[rubydist]

all of above is good advice. you need to fix known issues and then keep going if the car is still gutless then.

so, first you need to get rid of the lean code, because we all know that an engine running lean is going to be way down on power. change the oxy sensors and eliminated any intake vacuum leaks - that is your first order of business.

I have never heard of an exhaust leak that was worse at idle than it was under power, so I would look that over carefully to see if it is diagnosed correctly. a bad exhaust leak in the wrong place can be very bad because of all the heat that may be going somewhere that cannot handle that heat.

in addition to what SHOdded suggested about looking for shorts, also check the multifunction switch, that can cause all kinds of issues as well.

let us know how it goes.

 

[Devin]

There is a matrix on this page for maintenance interval items. It's the old SHOPP 60k guide and can help you figure out what maintenance items need to be replaced. http://www.shopowered.com/maintain/maintain_60k_landing.htm

 

[SHOtime-95]

What is the maintenance history on your SHO? Any leaks besides the exhaust manifold? What auto shop are you working with, do they have SHO specific experience? Ticking sound could be fuel injectors or bearings/valvetrain or ... Is the fuel in the tank fresh, have you run FI cleaner through there? When was the fuel filter changed?

Was the lean code the only code set, and how did you pull it? Was it set on Bank 1 or 2 or both? If the manifold is leaking on bank 1, I'd expect the code to be set on Bank 1. If the O2 s haven't been changed recently, I would do that along with a fix for the leak (seal or replace).

Have you tried changing out the MTX fluid? May or may not help, but it can give you some quick insight into the condition of your transmission.

Any issues with the brakes, do you have full power assist? A leaking/bad brake booster can put a severe damper on your car's acceleration, like you have your foot on the brakes while driving. Another common culprit is the TPS.

Check the ignition and headlamp switches for shorts. Wiring and hoses are going to be background suspects at this point anyway. Any pest infestations in your area?"=QUOTE]

When I bought my SHO, the guy showed me a full car fax on the car since it was new up until I bought it. Unfortunately though it was mostly oil changes that the owner logged in. I didn't see anything on the 60k service, although I could tell that my car is Very well taken car of and always garaged. I had my local ford dealership look at my car since I couldn't find what the ticking sound was. They told me it was an exhaust leak on the back side coming from the exhaust manifold gasket. They said it was only going to be $1000 to replace it for me. LOL, yeah right. So since then I had been planning to change it when I install a new stage 2 clutch. And I doubt an SHO has ever rolled into there shop. I've only seen ONE sho since I've had mine for about a year. Also the fuel is always fresh since I daily drive it. And when I got the car, I did a new oil change with 5/30 Royal Purple, new Wix fuel filter, ran FI cleaner through the system And Seafoam in the engine before changing the oil, New MAF Sensor, new plugs and wires (except i didn't change the wires yet since they looked new), and I believe that was it.

Oh and I forgot to mention my car has a pretty bad oil leak, and the right side of my sub frame is alway covered in oil. I can't tell where it coming from, but I do see oil dripping from where the front main seal is. But It may just be coming from somewhere higher up.

I pulled the code with my Innova brand Obd1 code reader. I will pull codes again and update.

I have not changed the trans fluid since I am in belief that the problem is my clutch. But I should probably do it anyway and see if it helps.

My brakes work great and do not grab, except recently my parking brake started getting stuck and dragging after I release it. So I haven't been using it now, and I was going to removed my tires and try to figure that problem out. When it's stuck, the cable hangs down and almost touches the ground. I was able to get it unstuck by releasing it and letting it snap up without my foot on it

 

[SHOdded]

so your SHO had 222K on it when you got it, and no idea on 60K history ...
Previous thread

When you say it has a large oil leak, can you see it dripping oil while the engine is running? When did you first notice it? The seal for the cam position sensor is known to leak, and if there's a valve cover leak, that can be substantial as well. So it seems, at the very least, a top 60K is needed. Front 60K would be a huge plus. Where did you get the wires, what brand ...? What plugs are in the SHO right now?

As far as oil, check the characteristics (VI in particular) of the Royal Purple against say 5W30 Castrol GTX (conventional) and see if there's a significant difference. Maybe your SHO needs a slightly thicker oil to run well?

If the rod bearings have not been replaced, the SHO could be headed for trouble (bottom end knock, flickering oil light). Some SHOs do go that long w/0 issues, not something to chance though if you can help it.

OBDI code readers are supposedly inaccurate, the ole paperclip method is the preferred way to retrieve codes.

 

[SHOtime-95]

so your SHO had 222K on it when you got it, and no idea on 60K history ...

Previous thread

My Sho currently has about 223k in kilometers which is around 140k miles I believe. It had 210k when I got it. My dash is all in metric, since my SHO is apparently from Canada.

So I just went on a day trip with my SHO after cleaning and re oiling my air filter, and cleaning my MAF sensor with MAF cleaner. I also read that if the spout connector is disconnected or doesn't have a good connection, the car will severely be down on HP. So I unplugged it (looked perfectly fine), so I sprayed the connections with a connection cleaner and put it back together. Drove the car, and no power difference. So the next day when driving up the mountain, my car felt like it has maybe 100 horsepower! Now something is seriously wrong. It's running far worse too. I don't know what I possibly could have done to cause that. My check engine light also came on very briefly. I tried going up a steep hill from a stop, had to rev the car to about 3k and ride the clutch out to about 15mph to get going up. I was at about 10 thousand feet in altitude but I don't believe that has anything to do with it, since it's the same at my everyday 3 thousand feet.

As far as the oil leak, I don't see it dripping unless I really watch for a minute. But I'm adding about a quart a month to keep her topped off. I first noticed the leak after about 2 months of owning the car. There was zero leakage that I could see when I first looked when buying it.

Plugs are Motorcraft Iridium

Current wires are AC Delco 7mm Silicone

New uninstalled wires are Omni Spark

KOEO Test results are:

157 MAF Sensor Fault, Low voltage
542 Fuel Pump Secondary Circuit Fault

KOER Test results:

521 Power Steering Pressure Switch Circuit Fault

And that was it. I did use my code reader on this, but I'll look how to do the paper clip trick

Looks like I'm going to start gathering parts for the full 60k..

 

[rubydist]

it will not be happy with that mafs code, but it should not result in the severe symptoms you describe. still you want to get it cleared up - take a good look at all the connections in that circuit, reset codes and hope it stays away.

 

[pjtoledo]

Problems that I know of:

Exhaust manifold leak on back side, causing the noisy ticking sound at idle (according to the auto shop)

Clutch slips on takeoff if I rev too high when releasing. But doesn't seem to slip at all after moving.

Shifting is horrible. Especially 1st to second. And going into reverse, unless I got from 1st to reverse.

Recently pulled a code saying HO2S lean

Recently started running very rough sometimes when I start it in the morning. The problem just goes away after driving a couple minutes like nothing ever happened.

Headlights will not turn off when ignition is on, and constantly have 6v going to them until I turn the switch ON, then they brighten up and get full 12v power. Gave up on trying to figure that problem out after like 2 weeks of searching. I just keep a fire extinguisher handy now

I don't feel like my sisters mid 90s Ford Contour 4 cyl 5 speed should be Almost as fast as my SHO. And I almost believe my moms journey will beat my SHO in a straight race.

Thanks for reading, and any advise is greatly appreciated!

daytime running lights?

 

[SHOdded]

I think DRLs are required in Canada?

K&N filter or something else? Can you post a pic of your engine bay please, in hirez? You are probably familiar with the ongoing debate about whether or not overoiling hurts the MAF, hence the curiosity.

Should check TPS voltage next, I'd think. I have had that make a significant difference on other non-SHO vehicles. Also, if you are running the AC at all, that can be a power hog. Check the belts.

 

[SHOtime-95]

daytime running lights?

Well you just solved the problem I had been chasing Forever! I just looked that up and I am in shock lol

 

[SHOtime-95]

it will not be happy with that mafs code, but it should not result in the severe symptoms you describe. still you want to get it cleared up - take a good look at all the connections in that circuit, reset codes and hope it stays away.

I'll re clean my MAF sensor now since I just realized the oil might have got on it, since I just re-oiled it

 

[Off Road SHO]

Too low of a voltage returned from your MAF sensor is telling your computer that not much air is going through the air inlet, so don't give it much gas through the injectors. Clean and re-clean the sensor heating element and the connector.



Tom

 

[SHOtime-95]

I think DRLs are required in Canada?

K&N filter or something else? Can you post a pic of your engine bay please, in hirez? You are probably familiar with the ongoing debate about whether or not overoiling hurts the MAF, hence the curiosity.

Should check TPS voltage next, I'd think. I have had that make a significant difference on other non-SHO vehicles. Also, if you are running the AC at all, that can be a power hog. Check the belts.

DRLs are in Canada so I believe I just wasted a bunch of time on that.

It's a K&N Air Filter, and maybe oil got on the MAF sensor since I Re-oiled the filter, and I lost a ton of power soon after, and have a MAF code now. I'll clean again and see if that helps. I will also upload pictures.

During the week, when I'm in school, I'm almost at sea level. And right now, my car seems to be almost running normal. It seems like the lower I go, the more power I have. And when I'm at ten thousand feet altitude, the car can hardly move itself up the hill. Is this normal?? To lose power the higher you go??

I also blast the AC when I can't stand the heat, but I don't really notice much of a power difference. The AC belt does squeak a little at first when I start the car. But the belt does look fine. Can I just tighten it a little or just get a new one?

Ill get pics and see if I can check TPS voltage

 

[SHOtime-95]

Too low of a voltage returned from your MAF sensor is telling your computer that not much air is going through the air inlet, so don't give it much gas through the injectors. Clean and re-clean the sensor heating element and the connector.



Tom

Yeah I may have over oiled it. I'll re clean and update pretty quickly

 

[SHOdded]

Lower the altitude, denser the air, more the oxygen available to burn. So yes, I would expect more power at sea level than in the mountains, everything else being the same. However, that doesn't mean it should be doggedly slow at 10K feet, assuming it is 100% power at sea level. Of course, if the available fuel is lower octane at elevation, that does not help.

 

[rubydist]

the air here at 5000 ft is about 12% less dense than at sea level. that means at 10,000 feet its about 25% less than at sea level, so you will notice a very significant difference in power output of the motor.

SHOdded, the lower octane fuel still has the same amount of energy per pound, its just easier to ignite it.

 

[SHOtime-95]

the air here at 5000 ft is about 12% less dense than at sea level. that means at 10,000 feet its about 25% less than at sea level, so you will notice a very significant difference in power output of the motor.

SHOdded, the lower octane fuel still has the same amount of energy per pound, its just easier to ignite it.

Ok, I just don't think that the car should be struggling to move its own weight due to the altitude. Well I've driven up there many times, with very noticeable power loss, but the car was able to climb the steep grade no problem. It felt almost as if I was running out of gas yesterday when I was up there

I also run 91 octane fuel in the car.