oups59

I had to move the shark today. I put it in storage early november. It fired right up but after 3-4 seconds, it stalled. I tried again and again with the same result.

I tried to rev it a bit to 2000-3000 rpm, but then it ran rough and with a lot of smoke coming from the exhaust.

The only thing that changed between november and today, is a HVAC vacuum leak fix.

Any ideas where I should look ?

GO STEELERS

jeff jackson

Fuel filter...then fuel pump check valve...then fuel pump. In that order...as a couple months sitting time allows sediment in the tank to "settle"...your startup probably sucked whatever sediment that had precipitated to the pump suction inlet of the tank, to be the first thing drawn into the pump, and probably plugged the filter inlet, or the check valve, or the pump...one of the three. I bet your tank was NOT empty when you parked it ..."right" ??

Brett Matthews

Luc G.,
I did all those things that Jeff said, and much more. Fixed a lot of vacuum leaks as well. Powder coated the intake too. Replaced the knock sensors, etc., etc!

While your problem may not be the same as mine, I'll urge you to get a fuel pressure gauge, and get your fuel pressure checked at the rail. Wally said to replace my pressure regulator, and he was right. What the WSM mention as regulator failures, did not mention my particular failure: the regulator was reacting to stimuli very slowly, as if the item that moved within, was developing a sticking sequence, pressure would build to above the gauge's 100 psi indication, and anywhere from 2-8 minutes after a start up, the gauge would s-l-o-w-l-y fall off to @ 30 psi, the engine would stumble, the brain, regulator, or whatever, would sense the stumble, the pressure would immediately jump back over 100 psi, I'd get about a minute or less of "fine" running, the needle would fall slowly off again, to @ 22-25 psi, "catch'' again, run for less than a minute, the gauge slowly falls off to less than 20 psi, and the engine would die, stumbling away. And the gauge sits usually between 14-17 psi when the engine died.

After replacing the regulator, the gauge at idle sits at @ 46.5 psi, when the engine is warm, jazz the throttle, and it jumps above 50 psi, until idle speed is reached again.

If you cannot find a rail port adaptor ( and I could not locally ), I also sent my injectors to be sonically cleaned and rebuilt, by Accurate Injector service. He was able to find me an adaptor, as well as getting a braided stainless steel line made, so I could have a remote sensored fuel pressure gauge in the cockpit, and use the direct read gauge while working in the engine compartment. A very helpful, and injector knowledgeable fellow!

Good luck finding your particular fault!

As many have already found out, having good diagnostic tools, if you are a DIY'er, is a MUST

jeff jackson

Whatever Brett...apples and oranges here if you ask me...the post was about starting OK, runs 3 or 4 seconds, then stalls IIRC... the fuel rail gauge..."Great idea"...(won't fix THIS issue though)...the new fuel pressure regulator might though...SO, ...if the filter, the check valve, and the fuel pump, all turnout to be NOT the problem...then a new fuel pressure regulator (AND, any desired accessories, like gauges and interior gauges)..might be worth looking at downstream. From the impression I recieved, after reading the initial post here, everything was fine and well prior to the car being seasonally garaged...therefore, the suggestions I offered. I see no reason, if all was good prior to parking the car for the winter, that "suddenly" the FPR would have failed and cause the start-then stall issue. No disrespect to you...or Wally with this observation.

oups59

Jeff,

Filter was changed last spring but fuel pump is a possibility since it makes a buzzing sound that I can not remember. The fuel tank is full with stabilizer.

You are right, it started OK every time then stalled.

Brett,

I do not have a fuel pressure gauge. I will try to find one. What do I need? Any fittings needed?

Thanks

Imo000

Sounds almost as if the MAF sensor is going bad or maybe the MAF sensor connector is corroded. It's hard to guees what the problem is without doing a bunch of tests first.

Brett Matthews

No problem here Jeff. And I did say the problem may not be the same as mine was. Certainly different problem particulars, just throwing out another possible culprit....

Luc G.,
Yes. You MUST find an adaptor for the rail port. It is NOT a common item. I don't know where the guy at Accurate found one, but he has connections! I bought a direct read gauge at a local auto parts store, for about $24? Took the useless-to-me hose and "ferd" Schrader adaptor off, threaded the adaptor into the gauge, tightened things up, started the car and observed the previously given readings. Simple, elegant, fast. Once you have the adaptor fitting!

And as ImoOOO states, no real ideas without a LOT of testing! Just guess', and previous problem fixed's? I also thought to put forward the Temp II sensor, seems as if this is a real common failure...

Something else occurs to me at this time: My boot, between the MAF and throttle body, had a 2 inch long, through crack, I could NOT see it, until I actually took the boot off, and the vacuum line UNDER the throttle body had split and dropped off it's port. Two sources of vacuum leakage, after the MAF. It was pointed out to me, if ALL the air isn't going through the MAF, the fuel ratio will be OFF! To the lean side?

And another question: does the engine die like a switch is turned off, or does it sputter away and die, like my shark did? Popping through the throttle body? Popping out the exhaust? Or nothing, like my shark?

And the "smoke out the pipe", was it black, or grey?

oups59

Brett,

The smoke is grey. The engine die like a switch is turned off. When I start it, it goes to 1300 RPM then settle for 1 second or two to 700 RPM then die. When I try to rev it to 2000 - 3000 RPM, then I can see a cloud of grey smoke and it is running rough.

Brett Matthews

Black smoke usually is fuel, grey is usually oil, and white is usually antifreeze. Your grey indicates oil consumption from somewhere, and you may have spark plugs fouling from the excess oil....... Wherever it's coming from.... Check the spark plugs? Then, chase down where the oil is coming from?
Man, I'm running out of ideas.....

Schocki

What about driving it?
I bet the rough running disappears after a couple of minutes on the road.

Garth S

The engine is stone cold, so the exhaust colour means little: the smell of the exhaust means more .... do you smell raw fuel? - anything? If raw fuel is present, trouble shoot the ignition circuit, notably from the 2 control modules through the coil secondary wires to inside the dist.caps. If you have a timing light, clip it on any lead and check for a 'pulse' .. caution - high voltage!
If no fuel smell, fuel circuit ......

oups59

Garth,

It smell like a flooding engine. It runs like one too. It looks like it run on only 4 cylinders. I will check the ignition today.

Rich9928p

As the above posters have stated, check for the obvious in fuel, electrical and vacuum areas. Be aware that your problem also has the symptoms of a failed LH module. They die in many ways.

oups59

I clean both distributor cap and rotor. Check wires. Find nothing unusual.

Started it again. Same problem .

Removed one spark plug. It was covered with black soot deposits so looks like that the air/fuel mixture is too rich.

I forgot to mention that I swapped my RMB and put an original rear muffler. Can that cause any problems ?

Jeffrey T. Smith

I had the exact same issue with my '944...smoke and all...turned out to be the FPR..easy test, pull the vacume line off the back and see if gas pours out. Of course I did not try this simple test until AFTER I had already replaced the fuel filter and pump.....JS