Is my engine dying?

[95cvgt]

im having a pretty similar problem. when im talking about lag, i can put full throttle and it'll take about 15 seconds to get from 20 two 45. no joke! it seems like it getting no fuel at all or just get over fuelled like hell. hopefully someone can help with this. so im pretty sure you are having something in the same ball park. the oddest thing is, it only does it when the car is COLD, meaning not at normal operating temp. after about ten minutes it runs smooth as a wissle with no hesitation.

so im doing a full tune up, spark plugs, wires, distr. cap/rotor, oil/filter and all. hopefully this helps the prob. do you think it could be o2's? but i heard they dont read UNTIL the car is at N.O.T.

looks like we have the same prob. ill let you kno how mine tune up goes. how much does a distrubitor usually run?

 

[GDawg]

how much does a distrubitor usually run?

I don't know but Twista has a '97 that has coil packs.

 

[95cvgt]

how much does a distrubitor usually run?

I don't know but Twista has a '97 that has coil packs.

dang, i have a 95. now if it was the dist. that was going out, wouldnt that prob(lag, no power, etc.) be nonstop? because mine gets all power and everything back at what seems like N.O.T. thats why i thinks its the o2's. correct me if im wrong

 

[MustangChris]

The plugs will be easy till you get to the last two on the passenger side closest to the firewall. I would pull off the intake tube from your throttle body to make those plugs a little easier to get to.

You can wrap some duct tape around the spark plug socket and the extension so the socket won't come off in the hole.

You may also need new plug wires too.

great idea on ductapping the socket to the extension. i never thought of that.

that sounds like a spark/fuel problem. I was getting all sorts of odd problems like backfiring, hesitating, bogging, sudden spurts of power and it turned out to be my dizzy.

+1


change fuel filter. (1 hour process)
change spark plugs (1 hour process)
clean MAF/IAT/IAC/air filter

then report back to us.


tools for spark plug swap:

deep socket (they sell special spark plug sockets but they arent madatory)
pair of need nose pliers, long. (these come in handy when the socket gets stuck on the spark plug and stays in the hole. lol)
die-electric gel ($.99 at the front counter of the store. put inside each end of the spark plug boot)
anti-sieze gel ($.99 at the front counter of the store. put on the threads of the spark plugs)
spark plug gap measure tool ($.99 at the front of the counter of the store.)

i also suggest servicing your battery, since your there.

edit:


as i said before: !!! CHECK YOUR SPARK PLUG THREDS!! THEY MAY BE GIVING OUT!

I'm telling you getting a freaking knuckle for the socket/extension will make your life 100x easier.

okay, get a universal joint while youre at it. lol.

how much does a distrubitor usually run?

I don't know but Twista has a '97 that has coil packs.

dang, i have a 95. now if it was the dist. that was going out, wouldnt that prob(lag, no power, etc.) be nonstop? because mine gets all power and everything back at what seems like N.O.T. thats why i thinks its the o2's. correct me if im wrong

the dizzy can cause problems like that, but so can a dirty MAF and a bad fuel filter. he has coils, and the motorcraft coils tend to be pretty reliable. MSD=crap.

we are starting him off on the easy stuff. clean a few things, change spark plugs. and change a $10.00 fuel filter. opposed to $150.00 worth of o2s

normally when o2s go out, they dont cause major performance problems (at least not with my expereience.) they cause the MIL to go off, but as for performance ive never heard of it being anything past a little rich.

my friend put in o/r exhaust in his 03 V6 mustnag and just cut his o2s... he didnt need them and so his light stays on constantly, but no performance issues.

 

[Win]

You say after you changed mid pipes i would say it's the cats...

 

[D3VST8R96GT]

im having an issue too .....when at idle sometimes itll dip down and go back up to about 800 down to 500 then back to 800 ....it smells like im running rich but the code im pulling says im running lean ....i put in my off road mid pipe with mil eliminators but the check engine light is still on as if i need a tune

ill check my plugs and my compression again

if you have an exhuast leak it sounds like a "tack tack tack tack" as you accelerate sounds like crap like an old chevy ice cream van

 

[Twista]

I been sleep.. dang working nights put me right to bed. I missed the develiery of my new o2 sensors ( THE RECEIVER WAS UNAVAILABLE TO SIGN ON THE 1ST DELIVERY ATTEMPT. A 2ND DELIVERY ATTEMPT WILL BE MADE)

but imma go start on the spark plugs right now since the car is probably veery cool.

 

[Twista]

well i popped out the 1st on the drivers side. its wet and black.. a weterly black type of wet.. on the threads only i think

 

[AaRoN]

Get new coil packs.

 

[JerZeyStangz]

The coil packs usually never go bad, but there is always a exception. After your spark plug change, report back and see if it cleared the problem, and if it only helped a little bit. The coils might be done.

 

[MustangChris]

watery black on the threads only?????

could just be dirty water that pooled in the hole? i dono. oil?

 

[Twista]

just finished.. fire her up and she sounds good. Now i just gotta drive her. fuel filter 2morrow if the problem still there.

also i wrote down the plugs that had the coolant in it. It was coolant and dirt.. the actual tip was dry

 

[Twista]

Sadly, the guy who owned the car before didn't take of it like me, but atleast i do acouple things to it. The spark plug wires was STOCK as it said 1997 (year of my car) stamped on them plus the wire number. The spark plugs had to be stock i bet as they motorcraft on them.. So what.. is that 10 years old plugs and wires :nono:

Brought the pregapped bosch plat 2 plugs for 5 each...($40) and durablast??? wires for $50.. so $90 so the whole fix wasnt bad.. taking it to the shop they wanted $80 just to install the wires/plugs and $250 for there own plugs and wires+labor.

Also, the only thing that is hard is removing the first wire plug on the passenger side near the front of the car. I had a pain getting that wire off because my hand was to big to fit in that small space plus there was some metal rail just in my way :violent1: The rest was painless and i didnt grease the wires as the box said not (pre piled plugs) to plus there was already oil inside the plugs.


Verdit:
Driver
5- wet
6-wet
7-wet
8-wet


Pass 1-3 dry
4-soaking wet


Problem: Fixed. Next paycheck i shall buy some MIL's because im not changing the freaking midpipe till i get an O/R x :BangHead:

Thanks sn95 :thumbsup: :headbang: :headbang: :thumbsup: :notworthy: :icon_salut:
For ease of installation ill just buy the pre-gapped bosch platinum 2 plugs again- http://www.boschautoparts.com/Products/SparkPlugs/Platinum2

edit: Knock on wood.. i just searched stangnet for reviews on the Bosch plugs and every single one is bad. so maybe next time i will just gap some OEM ones myself. The problem is gone now so my review is good so far.


edit: anyone know why spark plugs would cause problems down low in the rpm range, but up high was pretty much fine. The fuel filter is not even 3 years old yet. My buddy changed my filter 3 years ago for me. So, in 2 weeks ill take it to the shop and have them change it.

 

[GDawg]

I would change your plugs yearly. They are not that expensive. I would do the plug wires every two to four years. I would also change your fuel filter once a year too. Don't take it to a shop for that. It's easier to do than plugs and only $10 for the filter.

Also, anytime you change out your plugs, it's best to try and get as much water and dirt out of the holes before you remove them. olice:

 

[AaRoN]

My car did that same thing once. Ran like crap till I gave it some RPM. A few of my plugs were soaked once, too. It was my coilpacks. I had to change one of them when I switched motors. Then the other one went bad shortly after.

 

[Twista]

My car did that same thing once. Ran like crap till I gave it some RPM. A few of my plugs were soaked once, too. It was my coilpacks. I had to change one of them when I switched motors. Then the other one went bad shortly after.

I would change your plugs yearly. They are not that expensive. I would do the plug wires every two to four years. I would also change your fuel filter once a year too. Don't take it to a shop for that. It's easier to do than plugs and only $10 for the filter.

Also, anytime you change out your plugs, it's best to try and get as much water and dirt out of the holes before you remove them. olice:

Alright, i just remember my buddy lifting the ass of the car up high just to change the fuel filter. I have no way to life t he car up really. I have a small floor jack that barely gets it high to change the midpipe with the rhino ramps. =] Than gas got everywhere and i thought my tank was empty lol. We even removed the fuel pump fuse and turned the car on till it died and still got gas everywhere

 

[GDawg]

You use a rag when you disconnect the filter to absorb the small amount of spillage.