HELP! Broken down on the road

[Nox]

91 63,000 miles - just had the 60k service performed 1500 miles ago. took it on a road trip last weekend no problems. on the road this weekend writing from my laptop.

problem: driving along the highway in 5th gear i accelerate at about 60% throttle when the car hits 75-80 it has a small miss and hesitation that instantly dissapears. i eased off the throttle and set the cruise at 72.

drive 10 more miles and pull over for dinner. pull out after dinner with the stutter on my mind. pull away from a red light run 1st to 5500 no probs shift run 2nd up - no problems until the secondaries open. now it has a major stutter stall episode. i let off the gas and it calms down.

200 yards later under normal throttle the car dies. i restart on the roll at about 45mph the cars fires right up. stop at the next redlight and take off easily. about 200yds down the road it starts stalling and cuts off. will not restart on the roll.

pull off to the shoulder. car will not start. it turns over a couple of times and then acts like the battery is dead. keep the key in the start position and it cycles thru trying to start and sluggishnes and trying to start and sluggishness etc....over and over.

let the car sit for 5 minutes. try to start. turns over a couple of times slugs out and then BAM fires right up. get to the next red light and it stalls and quits as i am slowing down.

will do nothing but the slow turn over like the battery is dead.

any ideas? i could think of a couple of thing.

1. CPS - but i just had it replaced 10 days ago.

2. alternator - but the battery light never came on.

stranded - please help. thanks - nox

 

[luigisho]

Nox. Sorry to hear that. Best bet is to pull the codes. Check out http://www.shotimes.com and http://www.dalidesign.com for procedures and code interpretation. It looks complicated but is very easy. All you need is a piece of wire (like a paperclip or something) and you can read the check engine light blinking on the dash. That will help pinpoint. I would say cps, fuel pump, or bat./alt could be a problem. If you turn the key to the run position (before engaging the starter) can you hear the fuel pump prime? Was the cps properly gapped to .030"? Places like AutoZone have equip. to check battery charge and alt. output.

 

[Nox]

not sure if the cps was gapped or not. the local ford dealer did it.

i will check the engine codes, but the check engine light never came on?

i can hear the fuel pump prime. maybe the filter?

<small>[ December 08, 2002, 12:24 AM: Message edited by: Nox ]</small>

 

[RI-SHO]

When it did run, did it go down to idle speed smoothly or just drop to almost stall RPM's where the oil light blinks? Did the bucking get worse to more you revved or were your RPM limited to anything lower than what you tried revving it too?

 

[Mr Anonymous]

Nox:
not sure if the cps was gapped or not. the local ford dealer did it.

i will check the engine codes, but the check engine light never came on?

i can hear the fuel pump prime. maybe the filter?

Double-check the ground strap on the intake manifold, and make sure the bolts securing the crossover tube are torqued properly and clean. A bad ground path to the DIS module can also cause the type of problem you are experiencing.

 

[Nox]

it all happened in such a quick time period its hard to remeber all that happened. the best i recall it seemed like when i tried to rev thru it it was like i had a rev limiter box, like on a drag car. a stutter box. when it did run it slowly revved back down and then ran fine for a couple hundred yards.

good idea on the ground strap. i will check it. it is on the psgr side near the end of the manifold, correct?

<small>[ December 08, 2002, 12:39 AM: Message edited by: Nox ]</small>

 

[projectSHO89]

Yes, that's where that strap is connected.

It sounds like you have an electrical connection problem. The sluggish starter operation is the best clue to that.

Pick up (if you don't have one with you) a cheap digital meter.

Measure the battery voltage at the center of the post with everything off. You should get 12.6 V. Make the same measurement while trying to start the car. The voltage will drop. probably to 11 volts or so. If it drops more, you have either a bad battery (or not sufficiently charged) or a starter that is pulling too much juice from the battery.

YOu can check for a high resistance in the primary starter circuit with that same meter. Hold one end to the center of the negative post and the other to a good engine ground (the ground cable attaching bolt/stud at the starter would be best). Crank the engine and look for an voltage drop across the negative cable. Any resistance in the cable or the connections will cause a pronounced voltage drop acros the cable when 150 Amps or more is pulled (or attempted) through the cable. My 89 exhibited the same sluggish cranking, turned out to be the starter and an internally corroded negative cable.

Too much corrosion and its resulting resistance in the negative battery circuit will wreck havoc in the engine control circuits and will drive you crazy trying to find it.

Also, check the ground cable that goes to the negative post to the body, then connects ot a wire with a plug on it. That is the ground for the computer and is critical.

Good luck.

Steve