secondaries question

[pete315]

I have a 93 MTX 3.2. has great power off the line. I was revving engine while checking something else and noticed the secondary flaps never moved. I really revved it up and still no movement. I checked and both vacuum lines are on and the electrical connection is plugged in. how can you tell if secondaries are open or closed? is it possible I'm not revving engine high enough? what else could cause them not to open. on my 92 3.0 which I just got rid of, when I revved the engine, I could see the secondary flaps moving.

 

[iwantashomtx]

the car has to be in motion i believe

 

[Devin]

The car doesn't have to be in motion.

They are open unless a vacuum is being pulled on them, unless of course they are sticking closed. There is a little bit of exposed mechanics next to the actuator on each butterfly assembly that can be manipulated to open and close them manually, and you can also tell if they open or close if it moves.

If I remember correctly the little arm will be "down" if it is open, and up if it is closed. You can move it yourself and see. It should go up when the engine is on.



Near the top of the picture, a bit left of center there is an unpainted section. That is the area I'm talking about. There is a little arm in there that you can see move when the secondaries are opening and closing.

 

[pete315]

OK, I'm an idiot. upon a closer look, I was missing 1 vacuum hose on the piece with the electrical connection. I looked all over for the hose. found it under the front runner. I thought it was a spark plug wire cause it had that plastic cover over the hose. I must have forgot to hook up when I did the valve cover gaskets which I did a year and a half ago! I hooked up hose, secondaries work good now. it's weird because the car had good pick up from a stop. have not had to test drive it but I'm assuming it should have better pull from a stop. would you get worse gas mileage having the secondaries always open all the time?

 

[Devin]

I don't know. All I do know that one shouldn't get better mileage when the car isn't running as it is designed.