Hilton

When you're doing this, also check to see if its holding pressure when you turn the car off (i.e. injectors are actually all closing instead of leaking). Did you test each injector before fitting to the car?

Also, its stating the obvious, but just in case it got missed, when you swapped LH's, did the test LH have stock chips in it? (stock chips with your 24lb injectors = very rich).

Just to clarify on the symptoms - does it start missing immediately from cold, or does it run okay for a minute before it starts to get worse (and then stay bad)? My impression from posts is it starts ok from dead cold for a minute then gets worse? - which points to O2 or possibly LH issue (given you've tested the Temp II circuit at the LH connector)

Do not trust a spare off-the-shelf LH unless it has run another car trouble-free first. I had a spare original '89 LH on the shelf which had worked fine for a year in the car before I replaced it pre-emptively with a JDS rebuild - when I went to use it to test with a year later, it had died anyway, just sitting there doing nothing.

In your shoes, I'd just go ahead and swap injectors/chips back to stock as it simplifies swapping LH's - its actually a pretty quick job (40 mins-ish), just pull the fuel pump fuse, crank until no pressure left, and then there's very little fuel to catch.

BC

Rob was nice enough to send a Bosch hammer thing. It does not power up, so I don't know what that means.

Rob Edwards

12 pin in the diagnostic connector, hook up to the Spanner, key to postion 2, nothing on the screen? Totally dead? Huh.

Drewster67

My thoughts exactly

BC

So....

Drove the car to work today. The idle and innitial rev is nearly flawless.

Remember - 10 gallons of e85 and about 4 of 91.

At least I can use the car for transportation and I don't sit up at night trying to think of how to use one car for three people.

I will also plug in the other computer to see what that does.

Interesting..... More data later.

BC

I have some hose now so I will check pressure hopefully today after work.

I did have another data point to include if at least for the purposes of record for those that will come afterwards.

Driving home last night, it exhibited the original symptoms that it had when the cats where on - Fine, Fine, Fine, immediate lose of the ability to rev, worse and worse until all it will do is idle. And idle essentially quite well. Then it won't quite idle.

I thought - doesn't this prove the new MAF is bad? But I was on the side of the road.

I tuned the car off, called Clare and said "don't wait for me" and I was committed to figuring more out while in failure mode.

Unplugged the temp II sensor (which has been tested if you recall) and it starts and runs fine.

Boom.

PorKen

Unplugged/shorted, LH2.3/EZK will use a default value for the coolant temp (and flag an error).

Good call. (Will have to remember that test.)


IIRC, Temp II sensors can be good in some ranges and be toast in others?

John Speake

If the tester doesn't work, there are two fuses to check. See the fuse/relay chart for your year.

BC

Two fuses to check for when the hammer does not work?

Alan

Fuse #7 & Fuse #24 (for an '88)

Alan

BC

I may be able to check the pressure and these fuses tonight. But on a few occasions now I get the bogging and unplug the temp II, and the car runs better. But today it was not great. Still Some Bad bogging even after unplugging and restarting the car

SeanR

Brenden, you really need to park the car and do a through diagnostic.

G8RB8

Bad O2 sensor anyone? Doesn't it go rich in failsafe? Are the cats still off? I wouldn't drive it with them on running red hot.

BC

Tests have been going on for days. Need to drive the car on Monday. But can park it and do more tests until then. Focusing on temp II and grounds investigation. And of course fuel Pressure. Almost seems like multiple issues now.

Cats are off. Car stinks with no cats.

littleball_s4

I have no idea what could be going on apart of what everybody suggested.

Just wanted to say that many people (including myself) forget that rich symptoms can sometimes come from lean conditions leading to misfire or even stoich conditions and poor spark. My car was recently very rich and idle sounded different to yours, it idled ok, with black smoke coming out of the pipe, until I gave it a bit of trouble or gas and then it died inmediately. Yours seems to be just skipping some explosions, but doing great in the ones that ignite. Hard to tell from a video, just an idea, though.

Also, and hate to say this, don't discard physical problems. I used to have a bike that had the same symptoms, (drop of power as temp went up, more noticeable in high revs, until only able to idle and not a good idle) and it was a seizing piston due to cooling failure. It did it for several days until we fixed it and it didn't make any big difference in idle or coast, as you said it felt as if I was towing a boat.

E85 cools down the thing, which will also make sense. I suggest re-draining coolant and oil, measuring exhaust temps one by one after an episode and, if you have access to one, endoscope.

I would go back to stock computer and injectors before, and hope it's just an electric gremlin.