Car took a crap on me yesterday...

[fourLUG_hero]

So yesterday, cruising at 70-5th gear on my way to work, my car seemed to just bog down/lose all power. I turn my hazards on and pull to the side of the road. The car idles like normal but when I press the gas to try to rev it, the car bogs even more as if compression is being lost and I hear alot of backfiring in my exhaust.

I'm thinking it's something electrical because this happened to me a couple weeks back but I thought it was the fuel pump going so I replaced that and the fuel filter. I pop the hood to make sure all the connections to the MAF, coil, and dizzy were still good and they were.

Called up my friend to try and help but when he gets there, he's clueless as well. We push the car to my work which was right there since my car started acting up almost at the exit. I left it there overnight to see if anything would cool down and I'm going to try it again today when I go to work.

New fuel pump and fuel filter. New ignition coil. What do you guys think it could be?

[24j0hn]

check if theres a good connection on your battery... and maybe get new plugs

[im_looking_for_a_240sx]

wow, the same thing was going on with my dads focus. haha. However it seemed to only happen once in a while, randomly. Bogging down even with throttle, backfiring, and just losing all power. Took it to the shop a few times, nothing really changed. Finally, after paying like 500 (he's crazy for paying a shop to do something i can do for free) he had the problem fixed. What was replaced: fuel filter, o2 sensor, spark plugs and wires, cap and distributor, and air filter. Not sure what the problem exactly was but try replacing those parts and see what happens.(probably not the air filter)

[ashoe]

Sounds like a timing problem to me.

[Chris28]

Kinda sounds like your FPR. Replace that and see if it works. It working then not working is kind of odd, I don't think a timing problem can happen that abruptly.

[fourLUG_hero]

I've been looking at 240sxtech.com and I can't find where the fuel pressure regulator is or how to replace it. Somebody also told me my distributor could be going bad but should that go bad, wouldn't my car not start at all ?

[xX RB Xx]

tps.

[Chris28]

FPR is on the end of the fuel rail. Has a vacuum line going to it. Look to see where the rubber fuel line attaches to the end of the rail...it attaches to the FPR. The regulator is bolted on to the end of the rail with 2 screws.

[fourLUG_hero]

*NEW INFO*

I got to try to turn the car on after work today and it DOES turn on and idle (though a tad bit rougher than usual). I managed to make a U turn around the parking lot but when the car reaches 2K rpm, it does the bogging and backfiring and losing power again.

[OutToWinPAHC]

check fuel pressure. could be the pump or reg. Or injector or maf issue.

[urcaptnspeaking]

it seems like I say this everytime, but im going to go with timing..

[fourLUG_hero]

check fuel pressure. could be the pump or reg. Or injector or maf issue.

Would it be a fuel issue even if the car turns on and idles but only starts acting up when it reaches 2K ? I'm going to check either way. I read the article on 240sxtech about checking the regulator.

it seems like I say this everytime, but im going to go with timing..

I'm still stumped. Would timing go bad randomly like that ?

A guy I work with said he had the same symptoms when he had a tad bit too much water in his gas tank. Another buddy of mine said it might be because I have a hole in my headgasket. Another person said spark plugs/wires.

[urcaptnspeaking]

hmmm. I would definately check the headgasket.. again. Even if its not the problem... thats not something you want to let go unfixed for an extended period.

[fourLUG_hero]

hmmm. I would definately check the headgasket.. again. Even if its not the problem... thats not something you want to let go unfixed for an extended period.

Lol of course, dude, I want to get it fixed and running proper asap. I gave my integra back to my mom to use because I don't need a winter daily anymore. My S13 turned DDD (dumped daily driver) now.

Motor is SOHC btw if it matters...which I have a feeling it would.

[mynamesmark]

i bought a junked s13 with a blown head gasket and it acted just like that.

[beatd]

i would check the maf, injectors, and sparkplugs first before anything.

If its the headgasket he would have been blowing white smoke and he didn't say anything about that. And to see if your headgasket is done take a look at the dipstick and see if theres coolant in it.

timing wouldn't be an issue because it was driving fine. there would be no reason why the timing would go crazy and make his car undrivable.

good luck.

[OutToWinPAHC]

Would it be a fuel issue even if the car turns on and idles but only starts acting up when it reaches 2K ? I'm going to check either way. I read the article on 240sxtech about checking the regulator.

A fuel pump on its way out still can pump but not flow at the higher rates. The engine is working less so the fuel demand is less, so if it is a fuel problem the pressure could be cutting out when theres the demand (higher RPM's). If you can check that.

Did you try pulling codes, or are there any?

Try cleaning the maf, check plugs, maybe do a tune up with cap and rotor

[urcaptnspeaking]

i had a blown headgasket and the white smoke was BARELY noticeable.. like to the point where if you didnt really pay attention or are standing right behind it you still may not even have noticed.

[Jager_bombs]

yo let me know what the problem is. i starting to get those symptons with mine. it kinda bogs between 2-3.5k. hopein its just my clutch but does sound like a fuel issue.

[KFL]

i would check the maf, injectors, and sparkplugs first before anything.

If its the headgasket he would have been blowing white smoke and he didn't say anything about that. And to see if your headgasket is done take a look at the dipstick and see if theres coolant in it.

timing wouldn't be an issue because it was driving fine. there would be no reason why the timing would go crazy and make his car undrivable.

good luck.

Basically test fuel,spark etc. Fuel yank off line of fuel filter, depressurize fuel first,, have a buddy crank car should be a steady stream if it trickles pump is dying/dead. (have a few rags hands gas will spill over)Spark yank off spark plug wire, hold it by rubber boot over a bolt/nut in bay..have a buddy crank car for a second. It should Arc to bolt..if so good if not possibly bad plug/distrbutor.

A blown headgasket usually entails, white smoke, coolant/oil mix, Sweet smell exhaust fumes..think cotton candy.. basically burning coolant.

Comp test should give you quick results..of good compression or not.

[kickadog55]

this exact thing happend to me turns out the timing tensioner failed

[carkook]

Sounds like your timing chain jumped a couple teeth. Take the valve cover off and verify the cam timing. I have a SOHC and am talking from my epxperiences with these engines, not just a random guess. 1st check cam timing, then go onto checking fuel problems like stated before.

[alms24sebring]

will the car even start/run normally. does it do it at certain rpm, hot/cold. I dont think a fuel problem if its backfiring and idles normally. I would check the timing first, tensioners tend to failon this motor. If ok i would test the ignition coil/distributor. Any codes present?

[fourLUG_hero]

Basically test fuel,spark etc. Fuel yank off line of fuel filter, depressurize fuel first,, have a buddy crank car should be a steady stream if it trickles pump is dying/dead. (have a few rags hands gas will spill over)Spark yank off spark plug wire, hold it by rubber boot over a bolt/nut in bay..have a buddy crank car for a second. It should Arc to bolt..if so good if not possibly bad plug/distrbutor.

A blown headgasket usually entails, white smoke, coolant/oil mix, Sweet smell exhaust fumes..think cotton candy.. basically burning coolant.

Comp test should give you quick results..of good compression or not.

Exhaust gas never smelled sweet. Only white smoke when it was cold (but then again, my father's '08 Civic blew out white smoke in the cold). New fuel pump + fuel filter + fuel strainer. Tried the spark plug wire arc trick (first thing I did). Haven't done the compression test yet.

A fuel pump on its way out still can pump but not flow at the higher rates. The engine is working less so the fuel demand is less, so if it is a fuel problem the pressure could be cutting out when theres the demand (higher RPM's). If you can check that.

Did you try pulling codes, or are there any?

Try cleaning the maf, check plugs, maybe do a tune up with cap and rotor

Thing is, it's a new fuel pump. My car's an 89, where can I get codes read at ? After I limp the car home tonight (drive below 2K rpms), I'll give it a full tune up in the morning.

yo let me know what the problem is. i starting to get those symptons with mine. it kinda bogs between 2-3.5k. hopein its just my clutch but does sound like a fuel issue.

I'll definitely let you know.

this exact thing happend to me turns out the timing tensioner failed

Sounds like your timing chain jumped a couple teeth. Take the valve cover off and verify the cam timing. I have a SOHC and am talking from my epxperiences with these engines, not just a random guess. 1st check cam timing, then go onto checking fuel problems like stated before.

Damn, didn't know timing problems like this happen with chain driven motors. Thanks, I definitely will do.

will the car even start/run normally. does it do it at certain rpm, hot/cold. I dont think a fuel problem if its backfiring and idles normally. I would check the timing first, tensioners tend to failon this motor. If ok i would test the ignition coil/distributor. Any codes present?

Today, I went to work early to test the car out and the car took quite a few tries to get it to actually run instead of crank over. When it did start, it started a bit rougher than usual. I let it warm up for around 2 mins and then I go for a drive around my work parking lot. I can get it out of first gear just fine until I reach 2K rpms. The car starts bogging down and backfiring so I shifted to second. Same thing, fine until reaches 2K. Third the same. I would think it would be the same for the fourth and fifth but after this, I turned around and parked my car again.

Ignition coil is new. Don't know how to check for distributor but I know that when I take each spark plug wire out and test it on a bolt in the engine bay, there's an arc. I'm going to try to get my car home first and foremost priority and then I'm gonna try checking out the timing if it's still up to spec. Hopefully, my car doesn't die in the 10.6 miles my job is away from my home. 5th gear going <2K rpm's would be what, like 43ish on the highway?

Also, how do I check for codes when my car's an 89 ?

[Uberck]

maf, vacuum leak, maybe bad injector? could be your flooding one of the cylinders would explain multiple start up attempts. start up the car and while its idling pull each plug wire and see which cyl is misfire

[urcaptnspeaking]

Again Im going to say timing. Take your valve cover off... stick a screw driver on the left side of your timing chain and try to move the timing chain. If there is more give than seems normal your tensioner is bad. The right side should be tight either way, the left side is where the tensioner is.

[carkook]

Again Im going to say timing. Take your valve cover off... stick a screw driver on the left side of your timing chain and try to move the timing chain. If there is more give than seems normal your tensioner is bad. The right side should be tight either way, the left side is where the tensioner is.

Thats kind of hard a hard way to determine it, its a hydraulic tensioner so it is going to be able to some play, and ontop of that to determine if it is normal or not is pretty vague.

I would just check it by puting the crank to TDC and checking the position of the cam.

[urcaptnspeaking]

i wasnt telling how to determine if its out of time... I was telling him how to determine if the tensioner was bad. If it goes bad its pretty noticeable. If its fine you should have little play in it.

[beatd]

if i werer you i would check the maf first. just swap it out with a known good maf it wouldn't hurt because if you can't rev or drive past 2k rpm then would be maf related. a bad maf can cause your car to go into limp mode and ristricts the car to 2k rpm.

[fourLUG_hero]

Wow, what a trip. Last night I picked the car up with the intention of just limping it back home. But to my surprise, the car turned on just fine. I let the car idle for about 10 mins to warm it up and we go off. This time, the car went past 2K and was driving normally till I got home. I have no idea what happened. What could it be that the car would act up like that bu then act normal once again ?