Please help me!!!!

[Haggicide]

Hey y'all. I have a terrible problem with my 95 ATX that I must fix ASAP.

First of all, I had the tranny rebuilt about 2-3 weeks ago (pan was full of shavings--$1800---good?), and my mileage has gotten even worse (down to 13 mpg). I'm not even driving it that hard. I got that on a freeway jaunt from OKC to Tulsa (about 100 miles), where I only punched it twice. I used to get more like 22.

Here's the prob:
I knew it was about time to do plugs & wires, and my budget is somewhat limited due to the trans rebuild, so I mistakenly got the cheapest wires I could. Autozone....Duralast...60 bucks. Go ahead and laugh. The guy also sold me Motorcraft 32FM plugs. Didn't even give me my military discount. Grrrrrrrrr....

Anyway, I went to my friend's MG shop on the north side of town to install everything, since every time I work on my cars I always run into a situation where I need a special tool, and he's got them or a way around them. I only have a Chilton (blech...) manual, and it doesn't describe how to get at the rear bank of plugs. I changed out the front bank, and installed the new wires (he was going to close up shortly, so better to wait and tackle the rear bank on Saturday). The car ran HORRIBLY!!!! He noticed that the prescribed plugs are 32PP, not FM, and suspected the possible heat range conflict could be messing with the computer. I didn't have my code checker with me, and couldn't remember which pins to connect with the paper clip. I had to drive it home--actually straight to Autozone, since I did the idiotic thing of cutting one of the old plug wires and couldn't reinstall them. I drove about 15 miles and used about 1/8 tank of gas. That's bad, even for this car. It misses pretty regularly, and occasionally makes noises I've never heard before--weird sounds like dropping a bolt into an empty oil drum. It infrequently does some muted backfires as well. I just ran the codes, and here they are:
KOEO
335 - EGR feedback signal is/was out of range - EVR or PFE
336 - PFE sensor signal is/was was high - PFE
KOER
116 - Engine Coolant (ECT) sensor out of range - ECT
136 - Oxygen sensor not switching/system lean Left or Front HO2S - Fuel control
213 - Ignition SPOUT or SAW circuit open or shorted - Ignition Systems
336 - PFE sensor signal is/was was high - PFE
538 - System did not receive "goose" test (my fault)

I could not really warm up the car with it running this way (don't want to hurt anything MORE), so that could explain 116 and 136. The KOEO codes have been like that for some time--I don't know what to do about those.

It's the 213 - Ignition SPOUT or SAW circuit open or shorted - Ignition Systems that caught my attention. This morning I tried swapping out the possibly-bad new wires with the 3 remaining (rear bank) new wires, and there is no change. Anybody help?

Andy

 

[Haggicide]

BTW--
Somebody mentioned arcing a screwdriver on the coils--is this recommended to check them? How exactly do you do it?
I just called NAPA and they have Belden lifetimes for $130. I would go do that if I knew that would solve it. They close at 5, and it's almost 2, so I would need to know soon. Ideas?
Thanks.

Andy

 

[Ishodu]

Was the car fully warmed up when you did the codes? This may have something to do with the ECT code. Did you follow the spark plug wire route that the chiltons gave? IF you did its wrong! Try a search on this subject you will find a pic of the correct diagram. The FM plugs are a direct replacement for the oboslite PP plugs. The wires may not seal great but should work. Now if you search Spout you should find a picture of a plug that many people dissconect before doing emmision tests. Your car will run like crap with it unplugged. You may need some 02 sensors as well. You can try clearing the codes and then running them again.

 

[Haggicide]

Was the car fully warmed up when you did the codes? This may have something to do with the ECT code. Did you follow the spark plug wire route that the chiltons gave? IF you did its wrong! Try a search on this subject you will find a pic of the correct diagram. The FM plugs are a direct replacement for the oboslite PP plugs. The wires may not seal great but should work. Now if you search Spout you should find a picture of a plug that many people dissconect before doing emmision tests. Your car will run like crap with it unplugged. You may need some 02 sensors as well. You can try clearing the codes and then running them again.

Thanks for the input. I quadruple checked the routing, and it is correct. When I say it runs horribly--it still runs! I drove it at 60 home from the shop, but it has no acceleration like there is no advance, and stumbles an awful lot. It doesn't seem to be consistent enough to suggest the spark is in the wrong order--more like it fires every second or third rev.

 

[OSU 4 SHO]

I had the same problem, did plugs and wires after VC gaskets. The funny thing is, I heard that the one in the chiltons was wrong, so i looked here, and did it the way i found. It stumbled, but ran, we couldnt figure it out, so i just took it into goodyear, sure enough, crossed spark plug wire. I was using the wrong diagram, I checked it about 5 times, but it was right, just wrong. I would really make sure its not a wire, you will kick yourself it is.

 

[Haggicide]

I did some searches here on the forum, and verified that my Chilton's is correct. From top right on the coil pack: 1,2,3,4,6,5. That is how I have it wired.
I have a hot date up in Tulsa tonight, and if I don't get this fixed, I'm stuck watching a movie at home, crying, and sucking my thumb in the fetal position. =)

We also noticed at the shop that it may have a vacuum leak (high, faint whistle on rev-down). There were three of us poking around under the hood, and I thought maybe a hose got loosened, but I can't find any. I can't even figure out the general area of the whistle, so I don't know where to start.

 

[Haggicide]

I am such a retard.


I just went out and re-re-re-re-re-verified the path of wires, and discovered that I had confused the order. I had 4 and 6 switched. I was working right to left instead of vice versa.

I almost came back here to say that there was a cracked wire in an attempt to salvage my pride, but you guys deserve better than that. I appreciate your help more than you know, and am continually amazed not only at how caring and helpful people are on this forum, but also at how much the internet has changed the way we do things. Can you imagine the shop bills we would have to pay to fix the simplest things?

Anyway, thank you again for your help.

Case closed. It was just a cracked wire.

Andy

 

[luigisho]

I don't know how your numbering is corresponding to the coil pack vs the engine layout. Check out this post that has the cylinders layed out as you are looking at the motor and the coil pack as you are looking at the motor. I think you routed the wires incorrectly. http://shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=39732&highlight=coil+pack

The agsp32pp are the correct oem replacement plugs. IIRC Motorcraft doesn't make these anymore and the new replacements are the FM's. Either is correct for your car.

 

[SHO_Driver]

Glad to hear it!

 

[Howdy_Doody]

How'd the date go? We want details!