Feels like I'm driving on 5 cyliders!!!!

[89SHOduff]

My car is running like SHYTE . When I go foward from a start my car gets really hesitant. It feels like a 4 cyl. It doesn't all of a sudden pick up speed it just doesnt run good. I need a muffler and you can hear the car running like: put, put, put as I accelerate. I just had work done on it and my mechanic said before I left that I needed a speedo sensor. It's leakin' transmission fluid from it thats why he told me. Do you guys think I need to replace my plugs and wires. My last one was in 99 and only did the front 3 plugs and wires, or would this problem happen from the leak. I know this is kind of broad but I just put almost $1500 in it in the last 2 months and Im a little ticked off. Any comments would really help. thumbs_u thank you

<small>[ January 13, 2003, 05:14 PM: Message edited by: 89SHOduff ]</small>

 

[BlackOnBlackATX]

you really shouldnt do the fronts and not the backs. i would say replace em in the back, check your plug boots and check for spark too and unfortunately it sounds like youll have to do something about your speedo sensor, but im assuming you have an MTX, which isnt so bad to do as an ATX. im sure some of the others can help more. good luck, keep us informed as to what happens!

 

[DavidT]

if your rear 3 plugs and wires have more than 60K miles, they could very well be your problem.
Good luck.

 

[89SHOduff]

yes it is an mtx and I just didn't have the money at the time. not like I do now but I don't want to **** this baby after 3+ happy years with it.

 

[Rio]

I HAVE THIS EXACT PROBLEM, I had shaking @ idle as well, now that has not occurred in about 3 days. But, I get this hesitation and it is NOT as fast as it once was. Mine starts fine, just runs like crap.

 

[rendyx]

Hmm... it's funny you mention this, as I have had an awful hard time lately with moving from a dead stop. The car seems a bit too easy to bog down. I planning on doing the plugs soon, and hopefully that will help (along with the disappearance of this exciting Buffalo weather! )

 

[Rio]

I HAVE THIS EXACT PROBLEM, I had shaking @ idle as well, now that has not occurred in about 3 days. But, I get this hesitation and it is NOT as fast as it once was. Mine starts fine, just runs like crap. I can hear, the (blurp, blurp, blurp) from the exhaust as well.

 

[clintonk]

I had this problem with my '90 last year. It started fine but was down on power and had an engine-shaking, burbly-sounding idle.

It really was running on 5 cylinders. The cylinder balance test revealed a completely dead cylinder that I traced to a bad fuel injector. The problem was intermittent, so I couldn't pin it down until I removed, labeled, and rearranged the injectors.

Clinton Knight
'90 White 186K
'95 Green 59K

 

[Rio]

Dude!!! Clinton, u JUST described EXACTLY the problems I have been having for about a week. Can you possibly give me more info?

 

[Rio]

How much would this cost to be fixed? (approximately ofcourse) How much is reasonable, how much is too much?

 

[SolidState]

well...rebuilt injectors at SHOshop are 159 plus core....you would need the o-ring injector seals I think, and then it is all about removing the intake, fuel rails and replacing the injectors...

 

[89SHOduff]

so should I rule out the plugs or should I do both? hope It's just the wires.and plugs... thumbs_u

 

[pete c]

doing just the front plugs is a waste of time and money. Learn how to do it yourself if money is tight. Actually do it yourself anyway! Is the problem worse around 3 grand? If so, plug wires are quite possibly the culprit. And don't be cheap. Spend the 100 bones on the motorcrap wires. I have heard good things about the bosch wires as well. But they are similarly priced.

 

[jelloslug]

I would also check to see if your secondaries are working correctly. If you "mechanic" left them unhooked you will get slugish performance up to 4000 RPM then BAM! plenty of power.

 

[89SHOduff]

Is it easy to check and see if the secondaries aren't hooked up? It is the most sluggish when I'm going from a start. I have to actually give it gas to get goin'. It drives alright on the highway but if I hit a hill I have to put it in 4th so it don't drag a$$ up the hill. How much are the motorcraft plugs and wires???? I am going to do it myself. I'm sick of payin' an arm and a leg for maintinance for a 14 yr. old car.. thanks thumbs_u

 

[X-15 SHO]

The plugs are $3.79 each at O'Reilly's and they also have some wires made by Omni that are like around $40-50 and work just as good as the motorcraft, but if you want motorcraft they are the cheapest at www.fordpartsnetwork.com for only $83.99. The ATX wires are listed a little higher, but the MTX will work on both MTX and ATX which are the ones for $83.99. Good luck!

 

[pete c]

pop the hood. Rev the engine. At 3900 hundred RPM, you will see the butterfly linkage move. There is one for each bank of cylinders. It is located approximately in the middle of the intake runners. It will be obvious when they move.

 

[89SHOduff]

thanks guys. I searched on shotimes for instructions on how to replace the plugs but I couldnt find anything to start from. Could someone put a link to help me do it. thanks again.

 

[projectSHO89]

http://www.shotimes.com/php-bin/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0&sid=62

 

[clintonk]

Rio asked for more details about my failed injector problem.

The EEC cylinder balance test (an optional follow-on to the KOER test, see SHOTIMES) revealed that cylinder #2 was completely dead. I could not smell fuel in the exhaust, so I suspected a fuel delivery problem, not an ignition problem. Nevertheless, it was time to change the plugs and wires, so I did that, but the problem persisted. I did a compression test on the 186K motor, and the numbers were fine.

The problem was intermittent. I removed the injectors and had them tested and cleaned locally, but they apparently passed the test, so when I put them back in, the problem was still present. At one point, I even started the motor with the intake removed (used jumper cables to ground the crossover tube) so I could verify visually that the injectors were all squirting; of course, they were. I don't think I would do that again.

Then I noticed something important. After the injector cleaning and reinstall, a different cylinder was dead. Since the problem had moved, it had to be an injector. Of course, I hadn't paid attention to where things went, so I tore it apart again, labeled the injectors, and put them back in different but known locations. The dead cylinder moved again, pinpointing the dead injector.

Rather than pay homage to (and wait for) the SHOShop, I got a set of used injectors from a list member. I got new o-rings (the little ones) from napa.com and installed the injectors. No (engine) problems since then.

Clinton Knight
'90 White 186K
'95 Green 59K