'Bout ready for T3 service call...

[Jeff Williams]

My "miss" is back. I think it might be an injector.

It started Wednesday night, after 80 miles. The car started running rough, then I popped it in "N", and the motor died. I waited a few seconds and started it. I had to hold the gas pedal to the floor. Then, when I got to the bottom of the exit ramp, the problem went away. It sat for 2 hours, then, when I left my cousin's house, it was missing again, for about 2 miles. Ran smoothe all the way home.

I had to make a 300 mile trip on Thursday, and it ran relatively fine, with intermitten missing.

This morning, when I first start the car, it has a miss, but within 7 miles, it smoothed out.

I filled it up Thursday morning. I did use a "cheap" gas station, last Sunday, but have put 2 tanks in the car, since.

Any ideas?

[Q451990]

The only thing that sounds funny to me is the car dieing in N... With my injector failures, the car ran - just a "bounce" in the engine. I'd lean toward an intermittant MAF or CAS or their connections.

Heath

[Jeff Williams]

I just cleaned the MAF, when I changed the oil, 2 weeks ago. I will check the connection. What is the CAS?

[Jeff Williams]

Anybody got some injectors laying around they want to part with?

[JJ240]

I lost injector 4 with my KA and it ran fine, except anytime i dropped it into neutral without giving the car some gas it would die, and it was weak. Check the ohms on all your injectors and make sure they are uniform.

[Jeff Williams]

Do you recall what your reading was on the bad one? Was it shorted, open, or just off a little?

[JJ240]

The resistance was higher than on the others. Im not a big electrician so im not sure if it was ohms, or milliohms but it was 11.8 i think. the bad one was just over 14 as i recall.

[1qckser]

Jeff let me know, I have a spare motor, its a 91 though, isnt yours a 94? if so then the injectors are different.

[Jeff Williams]

I don't think it is the MAF, because, when it is reading funny, I get a Check Engine light, the car runs rich, and I get terrible gas mileage. The gas mileage is actualy better than usual, and I have not gotten a check engine light, or seen the black smoke. The car is definitely not loading up. It has not quit, since the first time. I coast a lot, in the car (4 to 5 times a day at speeds, and at nearly every traffic light, to keep the transmission from slipping while still, and to squeeze a few extra fee out of every gallon of gas.

My local shop does not have a Consult, but the computer they do have, can read all engine codes. I will leav it with them next week, while I am in Hilton Head.

I have instructed them to hook up his computer, and test drive the car, to see if there are any codes that pop up, and correct themselves, when the miss goes away.

I will get the transmission flushed, as well. (it has 59,000 miles on the rebuild). I will do the pan drop, and filter change, myself, when I get it back (save that $75.00)

[autotech43]

One thing you don't want to forget, just because an injector has the correct ohm reading, doesn't mean that the injector is ok. Just because everything shows fine electrically, doesn't mean that everything is ok mechanically. You can have an injector ohm reading within specifications, but the injector be faulty due to the mechanical part of the injector be sticking open, closed, or a fault in the spray pattern. Just a thought to consider!

[Jesda]

Whens the last time you did a fuel rail flush?

[QShip]

I just cleaned the MAF, when I changed the oil, 2 weeks ago. I will check the connection. What is the CAS?

CAS is the Crank Angle Sensor.

[tpuig]

This sounds identical to the intermittent problem we had with our '94 Q for the last two years. My wife has a short commute, and the car only has 90k on it. Just about two years ago we experienced the exact same symptoms but the dealer and 2 other shops (after warranty ran out) could not duplicate it. In the meantime we'd spent many hundreds of dollars trying to figure out what the heck was wrong. Codes were all normal, and nobody could recreate the problem. Very frustrating. Recently the car left us stranded on the freeway. The shop kept it for two weeks at my insistence and finally the problem reoccurred. It turned out to be the fuel pressure regulator. Along the way we replaced the MAF, fuel pump, relay, etc, as needed, and also found a bad ground and some very dirty spark plugs. Now the car drives like a beast! It has literally twice the power. I guess the performance had deteriorated gradually over time, and I seldom drive it. What a difference. I'll double check our service logs and see exactly what was done, but take a look there first. Hope this helps. TP

[greg_atlanta]

I did use a "cheap" gas station, last Sunday, but have put 2 tanks in the car, since.

Cheap gas won't go away if it has water in it.

Try a few bottles of gas drier (alcohol). Forgot the brand name.... but only $1 at parts stores.

[Jeff Williams]

I am in Hilton Head this week, and left the car with the local shop. He told me today, it is a bad injector, and oneof the hard ones to get to. The chief mechanic was out, when I called, but the owner said the plenum had to be removed. Yuck!

I am having him send it ot the tire place for a rotate and balance, and the transmission flush, in the morning, while I decide what to do.

I had the fuel rail flushed about 2 months ago, due to similar symptoms.

I'll get some more info from the mechanic, tomorrow, when I call.

I don't really have the money to let them do the repair, right now, but being out of town, makes it impossible for me to do anything. My next 2 weeks are filled, day and night.

Anybody know the going rate, for a plenum removal, injector replacement(only the bad one)?

I have put 400 miles on the car, since it started acting up. I may try to limp along for another week, or so, and do the tear-down one night, after work.:help