aw geez... car sucks, life sucks.

[ssnnooppyy]

Okay, so "life sucks" may be a bit overdramatic, but when the love of my life is running like shiz, it really downs my groove. I am back at square one...help. I have started this thread 'cause my last similar one seems to have died. Here's the poop: My car was running on three cylinders. Replaced the #3 fuel injector (replaced all of them about two months ago, but one went south on me!). As a measure of prevention/cure, I also doused some sea-foam in the oil, and in the gas... but I was told that sea-foam "has no adverses side effects". She ran like a prize horse before the injector fubar. Now, she runs like hammered crapola. Stumbles off the line, surges, but idles rock steady. Timing is okay. Plugs are okay. Wires, okay. I have a 2.5 inch cat back, and a k&n. The mafs looks fine, the connection is snug and clean. Can this be the air temp sensor? Are there other sensors that can go south and cause the car to lag? If I feather the accelerator, she does okay, but still hesitates through the rpm's. When I give her wot, she falls on her face. I have racked my brain, pulled my hair out. New mafs? How can I tell if it's bad??? New ats??? Same question... well, I'mm off to cry myself to sleep. so sad.... she ran like a scalded dog before the injector went to hell.

[Syntax360]

have u done the simple things like change the plugs and wires? mine acted kinda similar once (drove like crap unless the peddle was just right) and at WOT u could tell she wasn't giving it her all. I change the plugs and wires and I think the #3 wire was ruined, cause afterwards, she ran like a champ again.

[turboweege]

id check the wires to make sure its sparking at each. just put it almost against the block and have a friend start your car with the other 3 out the way and see if it arcs. shounds like it could be you arent getting spark at one of you cylinders but why would you idle fine?? sorta weird, id have to drive it.....

[574-240sx]

I have put a new set of wires on and they went bad 2 months later in my civic. It had the same problems. Nick

[ssnnooppyy]

Plugs, okay. Wires, okay. ECU code shows 55.... crap!!! I hate to say it, but I was hoping it would show something! She still falls on her face off the line under wot. She still hesitates all the way through the powerband. She also has a loud "backfire" sound upon letting off the throttle. I am assuming that this is a rich condition.... note- assuming. If I am going at decent speed, and let off the accelerator, once the rpm's hit around a grand, she blats and sputters like a friggin' nascar or harley. Visually all the vacuum hoses are okie-dokie. So.... I cleaned the mafs again. I cleaned the air temp sensor. In fact, I removed the ats, and put a 3.3k resistor in its place. No change. I swapped plugs back and forth. No change. I swapped injectors back and forth. No change. ARRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!! Again, off to sleep... but first, I cry.

[rschwalbe]

I got some of the same things happening and yesterday it stopped running all together! Could not get it to start to save my life! I went over everything with a fine tooth comb and couldn't find anything. Had it towed to my Mech. I'll let you know what he tells me when I talk to him tomorrow.

[Aspec0002]

i have a similar problem on my car. its 1995 240sx, so it idles fine, surges when i give it gas, at WOT it doesnt seem to be giving all it has, and backfires, seems like a common problem with 240's someone needs to enlighten us on the key to this problem. my car has an injen intake and cat back exhaust. i dont know if that would affect anything. someone please help us all!!!!!!!!

[ssnnooppyy]

Let's hope someone stumbles across this thread with just the right info.... All the input thus far has been great, but still seems to not be the missing piece. I went out a few minutes ago to drive her around.... so sad.

[MainEvent212]

fuel delivery?

fuel pump possibly?

umm...i have no idea truthfully...

[Stock-S13]

i might be wrong since i only skimmed through the thread but, you guys neglected the changing of the O2 sensor, not sure if it would cause such symptoms. But from what i rememeber when putting Sea foam into the Head (ie:oil) you are suppose to change the O2 sensor. Just tought it would help.

Edgar

[ssnnooppyy]

Fuel pump is putting out god pressure. o2 sensor...hmmmm.I had heard that from someone once before.... I may just do that and see. I also found that I was only running the diagnostic on level 3, for stored codes. I will drive it in mode 5, so it gives real-time analisys, and see what she says!!! I also heard to change the filter, oil and plugs after that, but all seems fine. I'll probably do it anyway... gotta makea short road trip friday. Fun. Sputtering down the road for two hours straight.... I may take it to a shop tomorrow..... more money, more time....sigh.

[rschwalbe]

OK--got the call from my Mechanic and he said that my timing was way off, my spark plugs (which I just recently replaced) are garbage (Bosch Platinums) and don't work very well with my car, I had fuel in the crankcase from over-flooding my engine, and there is something wrong with my rotor and cap ( another thing I just recently replaced). He said that he swapped out my plugs and it started just fine and he was going to adjust the timing do the cap and rotor and give me an oil change and that should do it.

Hope this helps you!

[ssnnooppyy]

Yeah, that helps some. I believe that my timing is also way off, but it probably isn't the totality of my problems. When the #3 injector took leave, it may have jacked something else up, 'cause that's when all this crap started. Fuel in the crankcase??? Geez, that sucketh. I drove her today in mode 5, and nothing showed up. Evertime she'd hesitate, I'd look down at the ecu lights and hope to see my salvation.... but alas, nothing. Now for the irony.... on the way home, she ran fine for about ten minutes. She ran like a friggin' wet rat!!!! (by the way, wet rats are fast....fyi). Then I get to my neighborhood, and bleh..... she dogs out and hesitations start again.... (wimper, wimper, cry, cry...) Here's where I guess I put a crowbar into my wallet and pony up the dough to get her looked at proper. yee-haw.

[rschwalbe]

Here's some more--when I went and picked mine up from the Mech--he told me that the injectors I bought and installed may be making my car run a little rich and could be the cause of other issues. He said to replace the fuel filter (which I did not do when I replaced the injectors) and I may need to replace the O2 sensor soon, which may help as well.

Now I have a question--is there a way to adjust the Fuel/Air mixture? I don't have any MOD's installed as of yet (I am about to get and install an Injen Cold Air kit w/ a K&N filter).

[ssnnooppyy]

I have no clue if there's an adjustment for that. I was told, however, that adjusting the timing will alter the usage of the preset mixture. Not sure if this is accurate or not. I haven't taken my s13 to the doctor yet, but today she did the same running good for a few minutes trick. Made me all warm inside.... then hell breaks loose.... oh well. I am gonna try to get a few things tomorrow to tinker with and parts-swap, so we'll see if I stumble across something. I'll let you know!!!

[Aspec0002]

i fixed my car. yay!!!! all i did was rebuild my distributor and retime my car. runs like a champ now. maybe you all should do this for yourselves?

[ssnnooppyy]

Rebuild your distributor??? Is there more to that (forgive me for being so simple) than just replacing the cap and rotor??? Please 'splain.... and how much was this adventure???

[Aspec0002]

i still need to get a new cap and rotor but for now its fine, all i did was take it apart and use some sandpaper to clean the contacts on it.