Major Problem...HELP!

[Dr.Evil]

Today I got a call from my friend who is driving back up from L.A. to Reno. His car has been acting up recently, but he thought he could make the trip. Not more than 20 miles into the trip, it started acting up. Under throtle while taking off (load on the engine) it would stumble, RPM would jump all over, and eventually die. So he took it to a mechanic who happeded to know the motor pretty well and thought it could be the fuel filter. He swaped the filter, fired it up, and it ran fine. he was able to drive for three hours in no traffic with no problems. As soon as he hit Lodi, he ran into some traffic. It heated up I guess and it started acting up. So he pulled over and gave me a call. I hoped in my SHO and headed down to help (3 hour drive from reno) anyway, when I got there, it fried right up. Keep in mind that when he called me, it would barley start. Well I hoped in and it fired right up! Idled smooth, revved smooth, sounded great. Took it for a spin down the road, and it had not been running for more than a minute when I noticed the temp guage at the top of the normal range. I though this was odd, because it had no time to get that hot if everything was OK. I turned it off, and noticed the fan was not on. SO I started it up, turned on the AC to kick on the fan and it cooled right down. Turned the AC back off, let it idle for 5 mins, ran fine. We figured it would be good to go, but as soon as we hit the on ramp, the problem came back. I noticed that the upper radiator hose was pancake shaped!? Like it had vaccuum in it! Fired it up, gave it some gas, and the hose pinched even more!
I ran the codes, KOEO current was clear, I got a code for the BAP, MAF, CPS and the IAB (I think, they called it a Thermactor in the book....?) in continous memory. KOER gave me an 11.
So would a sticky thermostat cause the motor to stumble and run rough like that? It seems to only do it when hot and under a load. Were stuck in Lodi until we can figure it out! PLEASE HELP!

 

[AutoSHO]

A bad radiator cap is causing the hose to shrink like that.

As for the running problems, check to make sure there's heat sink compound on the back of the DIS and that all the grounds are good on it.

 

[Dr.Evil]

yea it could be a ground because it is not throwing any codes. The Continuous memory codes were:
14
22
46
66
KOEO and KOER codes were both 11's. I'll clear all the codes tomorrow and see if I get anything new.
Where can I get the heat sink compound?

 

[AutoSHO]

2 of those codes can be ignition related. The 14 is ignition pickup signal erratic (i.e. the PIP signal (CPS) wasn't clear) points to a ground/connection problem.

How hot did the car get? Is the fan coming on?

The MAF and Baro codes are surprising, but probably just jibberish. Check to make sure the battery cables are secure and that the terminals are clean.

 

[Dr.Evil]

Im thinking that maybe the radiator cap caused the hose to shrink like you mentioned when I first drove it. It spiked up to the N on normal in no time. The fan was NOT on until I turned on the AC and it came on. As soon as it came on, it ran fine.
He mentioned that it has been running high in the normal scale, but thought nothing of it because it was still "Normal".
The crank sensor was replaced a couple months prior to him buying it. I think that is where that code came from. The MAF and BAP were also replaced.
I'll check the DIS and manifold strap ground tomorrow. It looks like there is more than one problem here that happen to have occured at the same time.
BTW can I get the sink compound at autozone or kragen?

 

[AutoSHO]

Maybe on the heat sink compound. I know Radio Shack will have it if nobody else does.

The radiator cap is definately the culprit of the sucked down radiator hose. I just hope the motor didn't get too hot in the meantime and ruin a head gasket. If the fan won't come on after you replace the radiator cap, replace the ECT - it is probably bad.

 

[Dr.Evil]

if its not the DIS ground or manifold ground, is there any other that Im forgeting? If its not a ground, what else could it be? We need to be outta here tomorrow!

 

[AutoSHO]

Out of curiousity, do the plug wells have oil in them?

 

[Dr.Evil]

Nope, no oil in the wells. It has motorcraft wires and coil pack, and looks like motorcraft platnium plugs.

 

[Dr.Evil]

well I think we fixed the running rough problem (changed the ECT sensor and put more heat sink compound on the DIS. It did not have much on it at all. It also looks like someone took some sand paper to both the intake side and the back of the DIS at one point, maybe to try and get a better ground...?).

So now it still over heats with the new rad cap. I can hear the water boiling in the upper rad hose, but the radiator is cold. Fan kicks on. Stuck thermostat or ??? What else could it be if not the thermostat?

 

[AutoSHO]

Did you top off the radiator while it was cold? Does the upper hose still shrink? Could be a stuck thermostat... Just remove the thermostat completely for a band-aid fix.

 

[Dr.Evil]

yea we just topped it off...with about a gallon of coolant! I didn't even think to the level in the radiator, because the resivoir was full! What does this mean? I think the radiator was completly empty. I pulled a plug and the electrode looked fine, the top piece (forgot what it is called) is white. Maybe from running hot for a few minutes?

Now the question is where did the coolant go? No smoke out the back, and was runing fine up until recently. No leaking coolant on the ground either.

 

[SolidState]

some of the symptoms are similar to what I experienced when my waterpump went...

 

[projectSHO89]

Water pump is fine. It is providing enough suction to collapse the upper hose.

You have a restriction between the pump outlet and the upper radiator hose.

A stuck closed thermostat is the most likely reason.

Steve

 

[Dr.Evil]

running hot problem is fixed. New t-stat and filled the radiator. However it still does not run right. Same problem as before. I thought the ECT sensor or the compound on the DIS fixed it, but as soon as we got back on the freeway, it started acting up.
So I cleared the codes and ran a KOEO test after starting it briefly. It would not stay on long enough to do the KOER test. All codes were gone, except 14. Does this mean the CPS is bad?
It was replaced not very long ago.
Its really weird, only happens once in a while. It will run fine for 10 minutes, so we try to leave, and as soon as were going it acts up and refused to start back up for a few minutes.
So we left it again and drove back to reno and will trailer it home tomorrow. A CPS change would work on the side of the road.

 

[91 SHOplus]

Cps....

Was the new CPS gapped to .03? How was his Tach? Just because it's new, doesn't mean it's not bad.

I bought a 'new' brake caliper and 3 weeks later I photographed my sig pic....

 

[Dr.Evil]

How do you gap the CPS? Also, what can the tach tell us? It jumps around irraticly when it acts up.
can code 14 be something besides the CPS? I need to be sure that is the problem before I drive back over there on Saturday to fix it.
Also, what took are needed to replace it? Damper puller I know we will need, but what else?

 

[Huntervf]

How do you gap the CPS? Also, what can the tach tell us? It jumps around irraticly when it acts up.

The tach is driven by the CPS. The fact that it's erratic when the car is acting up tells me that's your problem, espically since you also pulled a code 14.

Gapping the CPS is a breeze...when you install it just leave the two screws a little loose, you'll find that there's a little bit of play with the sensor. You notice the lower timing belt sprocket has three open sections in it as it spins through the CPS? That's how the CPS measures engine RPM. Make sure the sprocket is rotated so that the CPS is positioned at one of the solid sections. Now just take a feeler gauge and stick it in there to set the proper gap, tighten the screws and it's gapped.

You'll also want to make sure the solid sections on the timing belt sprocket aren't bent up at all. Sometimes people try to pry that sprocket off, and if you bend those sections up they will obviously throw off the gap on the CPS, and if they're bent bad enough they'll contact the CPS as they pass through and ruin it.

The only special tool you'll need is the crank pulley puller, though I also recommend a nice set of extensions and an allen socket set to make removal/installation of the tensioner pulleys that much easier.

 

[Dr.Evil]

Found the problem...the water pump was leaking onto the CPS giving it irratic signals. This would explain the lack of radiator fluid, as well as the running hot and pancaked hose.