KA Detonating?

[reelyfast]

Sorry I am a newbie but I am trying to contribute.just getting started off of slow.

but I need answers really quick... so I'm not posting in the newbie sticky.

my 93' KA starting acting up recently... and today it got bad.it has a reallllllly heavy hesitation under throttle. any gear. and it's kinda like it's in cycles... like for 1/2 second it will speed up and the other half it's bogged.and when I opened up the hood today to check it out, I was pulling the throttle and the ****** backfired through the intake (aftermarket cai). it's clicking/tapping hard too. lifters pumping up? it isn't the upper timing chain guide as it has been removed.I am running regular pump gas (89?).I've got 148k on the odo but it's only about 20k old since we rebuilt it.and not 200 mi ago I put new plugs in her and I would have replaced the spark wire if they needed it, but my multimeter said they didn't. New fluids everywhere, new battery, etc... Did a complete tune up.

So what's your opinion on what's up with my baby?thanks... I hope I don't have to bump this post eeek

edit: it started happening all of a sudden, btw.

Modified by reelyfast at 3:45 PM 8/14/2008

Modified by reelyfast at 4:14 PM 8/14/2008
Modified by reelyfast at 4:40 PM 8/14/2008

[reelyfast]

just cranked it back up and WOW.

the engine is shaking, the idle is going NUTS (like 500-1200)the same ticking noise. wtf???I just turned it off b4 i f'd it up further.

I really need answers..

[liquid_cool]

dont run it anymore unless you dont mind wasting the motor...sounds serious..like your sucking a valve and or bent somthing that is cousing a valve to be open during detonation...it could allso be your timing is way off..ither way..if ya dont know basics..dont mess with it and take it to a reputable shop rite away....keep us posted bro..and sorry..to be the bringer of bad news.

[LayNLow240]

Do the basics first. Check for spark and fuel and report back.And when is the last time you got gas?And check your ecu for codes.

[reelyfast]

UPDATE:

Ok, just did a compression test.Here are the numbers;

Cylinder 1=165Cylinder 2=125/130/150(I tested this three times because of varying pressures.)Cylinder 3=171Cylinder 4=165

Engine overhauled not 25k miles back so there shouldn't be any piston/ring problems, but the rest of the engine has 148k on it.

Haven't got a chance to check the timing yet (it shouldn't be off), but when I tried to crank it after the comp. test, it didn't fire at all. [it did turn over though] (and yes, I remembered to put the fuel pump fuse back in). Coincidently, the #2 spark plug looked pretty lean.#3 looked almost loaded but not bad really.

So what are the possibilities of problems?What are all the things that could be wrong?

I do plan to do the rest of the tests, but several factors are limiting me.They will be done ASAP.

[uncletom_78]

My car just started doing the same thing as your's. I found a spark plug wire that was loose on my distributor cap. so I put it back on all the way but it only helped a little then it started again so I checked it again and it was still on tight. if I give it a little gas it'll bog down and if I let off the gas it will just idle a little funny like it's missing on a cylinder. I'm gonna check the plug's starting with the one that had the loose wire to see if they might be fouled. After that I think I'll replace the coil just in it's starting to go out now that I gave it all new plugs, wire, cap, and rotor. I'll also try to get it up to the parts store and have them put it on there tester for me.

Please let me know if you figured out what it was that did the same to your car.

[reelyfast]

I need to run a few more tests and I'll get back at you with the results.

and if you find out what's wrong with yours, let me know as well.

[reelyfast]

Do the basics first. Check for spark and fuel and report back.And when is the last time you got gas?And check your ECU for codes.

Sorry, forgot to reply to this.I have to check spark and fuel now. I forgot to check for codes before compression testing it and then unplugging the battery for a while.

[reelyfast]

UPDATE

Checked spark at the end of the spark plug wires. All 4 fired.I didn't check at the actual plugs yet, but they are VERY new. So I doubt anything is wrong there.

Afterwards, I checked the codes. It looked like 44? but I couldn't tell. It was weird, because the long pulses were erradic and obtuse (they weren't consistent in timing...) Is that normal? I took a video, but haven't gotten it to my computer yet.I will post a link soon.

I pulled a fuel line to the fuel rail and there was fuel (didn't check the feed to the other end of the rail.) Is this an okay test? How should I go about truly testing it for fuel?

There's Compression, Spark(I'm assuming correctly timed) and fuel(I think?)

What's up with this???

VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQ3Sv4TgDSg

Start at like 10 sec... I was too lazy to edit the video and my camera lagged. =pJust wait for the second sequence if you watch it from the beginning. Maybe codes 21 and 14? I don't really know much about reading the codes ha.

Modified by reelyfast at 9:29 PM 8/19/2008
Modified by reelyfast at 9:36 PM 8/19/2008

[reelyfast]

another question... when I'm turning the rotor in my distributor (the piece inside the cap), should it be really easy to turn? like effortlessly easy? because mine is.

[uncletom_78]

Well It's really weird My car hasn't had that sputtering problem since last weekend. all I know was I checked the plug wires and one was loose at the distributor cap. Why it continued to have it's problem after I pushed the wire back on snugly I dont know maybe it fouled the plug a little because of no spark. I dont think it was the gas because I continued driving on the same gas until this past friday night with no other problems except when I was almost right on E and took a turn pretty hard it seemed to want to stall on me. for now I'm hoping it's nothing to serious because I already have to get the transmission rebuilt/overhauled (starting price is $1,200.) (It suck having no take off power and reving the motor up to 6,000 RPM's befor it will finaly shift into 2nd). I'm also needing to replace the rear suspension ($50.-$80. front \ $71.-$135. rear) on thing at a time I guess.

[reelyfast]

UPDATE

Just got back from the shop.

BAD news.The guy called it an idler? I'm not sure exactly what it is, but I am sure that the bolt is bent, and the cylinder head is probably stripped (the bolt goes into the cylinder head). If I'm lucky then maybe the bolt is ****ed, but the cylinder head isn't (by some miracle) and I just need it tightened or something. I'm not really expecting this though, as if that is true the Car God's were definitely watching out for me. I know this is a problem because my distributor isn't even turning now, when the engine turns. but it was before I took it to the shop HMMMMM... whatever though. I probably bent valves too so yeah.Maybe my cylinder head is screwed either way. nonetheless.Enough chit chat, here's some pics.



The guy told me I need to have the donor cylinder head "reconditioned" at a machine shop?What do you guys think about this? thanks!