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Vacuum leaks.... they're almost as bad as electrical gremlins. Hopefully your car is back in its 'A' game for a while!
Any advise. any machine shop or big company fixing those heads (any improve)
That is my wife's car she love it. Same problem different valve #1 & #3.
My Escort has 275,000 miles on it (currently, 110, 000 miles on a new motor). It's been getting about 4 miles per gallon less than it usually gets per tank 28 instead of 32.
Service engine light went on Sunday.
Going uphill around 40, transmission will not click into gear. It does not do this on flat or downhill.
Here's the code I get:
MIL ON
MONITORS
0 INC
7 READY
MISFIRE
FUEL
COMP
CATALYST
02 SENSOR
02 HTR
EGR
END OF CODE.
Can anyone help me this this?
Thanks in advance,
Dave
Have you ever replaced the oxygen sensors on it? If not, they are probably pretty worn out and giving poor feedback to the emissions management system. That may be the most likely source of the poor fuel economy. I have 127,500 on my '98 LX and it intermittently gives me starkly poorer mileage. I also get a code, P0420 (Catalytic Converter Below Threshold), that leads me to believe the oxygen sensors are involved. I am going to replace them this Spring to see if that helps.
The spark plugs, wires, fuel filter, air filter were changed in September and the ignition coil was changed today. Re-gapped the spark plugs a few days ago, they look fine. It was on a scope today and I have one print out. Said the negative was showing a spike? Or something like that and diagnosed it as the ignition coil.
Other problems (related?):
1. heat gauge goes up and down, sometimes will bottom out as I push on the accelerator, but have no idea if it is related. The gauge has a mind of it’s own.
2. The high beam dash light will stay on some times when I dim the headlights.
Any suggestions for a cure would be MOST appreciated.
I had bad spark plug wires early last year that caused similar symptoms to yours, but they provided consistently poor performance regardless of engine temp. An ohmmeter showed extremely high resistance in two of the wires.
I had the problem before the new plug wires so it's probably not that. I will look into what you suggested. This could truly be a costly find.
After owning a Ford Festiva for 18 years, which was the best car I have ever owned, and running this used Escort for a year and a half I really can't compare. I understand the Escorts have many problems, looks like I bought into them.
Thank you.
Just how much money is too much when it comes to fixing up older cars? Sure can't afford a new one even though that would be nice.
I think you mean the new "Fiesta" being released, at least that is what is coming out in Canada. Please correct me if I am wrong...if they are really coming out with a Festiva remake then that would be awesome!
As for sensors, not necessarily. They can be working well enough to satisfy the engine diagnostics (which is based on voltages and resistances) but still be providing erroneous information if they are fouled, dirty, or otherwise compromised. If the sensor is still "working" it often will not throw a code.
You know, it does sound like the issue may be spark-related if your car had "hiccups" just after starting. Try observing the engine bay in the dark while it is idling and watch for spark - perhaps the coil has a hairline crack? I know you just put in a new one but it can't hurt. Other options include fuel injectors (dirty or not operating properly), fuel pressure, and sticking valves.
How much is too much? Well, my opinion is that you would have to spend upwards of $4,000 a year on a "paid" car to have it cost as much as a new one, so if you are spending half or less than that much, it is probably a better investment. That is, however, assuming the car is generally reliable. Peace of mind counts for a lot, so if you cannot drive the car without worrying about it breaking down, you may consider replacing it. The problem, though, with buying another older used car is that you then have an unknown entity and may end up in the same situation you now find yourself, but with a car into which you have just sunk $4,000-5,000 to purchase.
It's a gamble, for sure, but every car needs maintenance and has wear items that must be replaced periodically.
Oh, and I think the alternator on my Escort is going out. It seems to engage intermittently all of a sudden and most of the way to work this morning my lights were very dim....
I guess now it's to find the short (?) in the heat gauge, high beam indicator light, and tail lights. I have a brake light that is coming on and off when it wants to as well. I understand that there have been others who have had problems with tail lights too. I am not sure where to look but have to start somewhere so I guess it will be with the head lights as someone had suggested and then the brake light that works when it wants to.
Yes, I guess you are right about fixing up cars. You never know what you are getting when you buy used that's for sure. I hope you get your alternator problem worked out. Are you in the US?
The voltage regulator had gone out, so I replaced it and all is good now (for now!).
I am in Alaska (Fairbanks).
Everytime I try to put gas in, the sensor shuts off the nozzle. I'm told I have to replace the Purge Solenoid, but Ford no longer sells it and I need a part number.
When researching online, I see a "starter solenoid" but not a Purge Solenoid.
What exactly am I looking for? A valve, a sensor or electrical part? Please point me
in the right direction. I don't want to have to replace the entire gas tank for a small part. Car out of commision since I'm told the fumes are not escaping and the car can blow up in this heat (northeast). Mechanic won't store car in his shop for fear of this. Thanks. :confuse:
A Google search on the phrase "purge solenoid" produced *lots* of results.
One of the results was from autozone.com, which suggests that this part will be available through your local parts dealer (which is usually the case when the dealer doesn't carry the part, anyway).
Since it's been two months already, my car still sits at the mechanics. Thank God he doesn't charge me. I found one part in Alabama. But need a second one. NO ONE HAS IT. Just called AL again and they tried a search for the second one. No luck.
If you can find someone in the junk yard with the part, please let me know, since I've been told they don't keep parts like valves. But that was one Auto Wrecker in the area. It is a fuel vapor valve or fuel tank vent valve, part # FOCZ9B593B for a 91 Ford Escort. I would hate to junk my car because of a stupid valve. Somebody has to have a solution. AL is sending me a photo of what they call part #9B593. Hopefully that will help me find it on ebay. Good Luck with your cars and I'll let you know what happens.
Where on the block? Is it literally seeping from the joint between the block & bell housing? If so, it may be a rear main seal that has gone out. Main seals are always a bit of a pain, but on a little engine like this, it would be a day job to replace the seal.
The question is whether or not it is worth it given the other issue! First thing: drain the oil and look at the contents - are you seeing a large metal content? Perhaps do an oil analysis (about $25.00) to get an accounting of the chemical content and oil health / engine health. Maybe cut the casing off the oil filter and look at the filter media surface to see if there are a flakes caught there as well.
M6 bolt, slightly under designed. There three bolts, so I decide to stop, suspect the other two will fail also. Before I attempt to proceed I wanted to find out if anyone had a similar experience and any success removing the failed bolt.
Had a friend look at my car, we replaced the fuel pump, fuel pump regulator that is in the trunk on the side wall and the car started up and hasn't seen that problem again.
Over the last 2 or 3 weeks my car has been randomly shutting off mid drive. At first it was once every 4-5 days, then it turned into once everytime I left whether it was to down the street and back.
I don't know much about cars, but I can tell you it has not shut off unless the thermostat was in the middle so it has always been warmed up never turned off while it was still cold.
It could be shutting down after a certain amount of miles driven because it died on me at the same exact spot twice now from leaving home to get food, same intersection same place...
The car also shakes a LOT when its idle, idles very rough but is very smooth once you use the gas, I've replaced the motor mounts and have got a tune up recently although I'm not sure if I trust the place that did it for me, the motor mounts I saw were replaced though.
List of very recent work done on the car:
Fuel filter (just the other day thinking this might of been the problem)
Fuel Pump
Fuel Pump Regulator
Motor Mounts
Tune up
If one of those components is not working properly, it will throw the whole system into disarray.
I am curious, when it stalls, is it as simple as working fine to shut off, no other symptoms, or does it run rough, stutter, etc. before hand and then culminate in a stall?
For you rough idling, it may be the knock sensor. I had a Subaru Outback that would do that when first started, but seemed fine once you gave it some gas. I ended up replacing the camshaft, crankshaft, and knock sensors simultaneously (the computer threw a code for the knock sensor and camshaft sensors, if I recall correctly), and that was like getting a new car. It solved an array of problems I was having at the time.
Is your CEL illuminated? If so, beg, borrow, or buy a code reader to get the code list for further diagnosis! You could save yourself a lot of guess-work.
When my car stalls there is no other symptoms at all, it just simply turns off, no stuttering or anything just straight to off, ALTHOUGH the first couple times this started happening, back when it was turning off once every 4-5 days it would die when i was driving steady and my gas pedal would go in and out of working, and within a few seconds die, it would almost even act as if it downshifted from a high gear 1 time to kinda slow it down and then it would turn off but that has only happened the first 2 or 3 times it did this, everytime since then it does not stutter or anything
And I'm curious is this oxygen sensor and knock sensor easy to replace and or cheap? Maybe something I can do my self after getting the parts from a local auto store? I will have them check my car for a list of codes too but my CEL light is not on so will it show me anything? Or does the light have to be on
They are certainly a do-it-yourself type of job, but the oxygen sensors can be a real pain since they are in the exhaust stream. The threads can often become corroded / seized, so patience and tenacity are both standard tools for the job. Plus, they are under the engine and a little awkward to reach.
This suggestion may be a long shot, but try cleaning your mass airflow sensor, which is located just after the air cleaner housing, and see if that helps. Be sure to use a sensor-safe cleaner (basically a carburetor cleaner, but it actually says "sensor safe" on the can). The MAS is one of the items that is included in the open loop, but not the closed loop. I had a stalling problem in that Subaru that was resolved by doing that. I was not getting a CEL when this happened.
As for codes without the CEL, yes, you can, but it depends on how recently it happened. I think the system clears itself out after 40 drive cycles with no problems, but there can be "pending" codes that throw in the system if something minor is out of whack one cycle but not the next. Those codes do not light the CEL unless they recur multiple times in a row.
I replaced the Idle Air Control Valve today, took it for a test drive to a place about 10 miles away and things seemed to be running smoothly, it still idles a little rough, maybe not as much but it felt better to drive as if maybe I had fixed the problem.
Made it all the way there fine without any stalls, although my dash lights came on as if it died, and went away after 1 or 2 seconds, it was very quick, as if it was dead and instantly came back on mid driving
On my way back home it died about 3 times, all while coasting or slowing down.
2 times it flickered my dash lights and my car was unresponsive for a couple seconds and then everything was fine as if nothing happened (what i would call fake stalls or "ALMOST" stalls)
As I was driving down 1 street around 45 MPH i let off the gas to coast and it felt like it maybe died but none of my dash lights were on, so i pushed the gas in, the gas had no response, it was as if I was pushing the gas in with the car off... after coasting from 45 MPH to about 30-25 MPH my gas pedal was responsive again and everything was normal...
So end point, It felt like it may have fixed it at first, ran a little differently maybe a little "better" but the way it stalls is somewhat different with these partial stalls (i say partial because my car is responsive again and still runs without me having to turn the key off and back on) and it would sometimes feel as if the power and responsiveness of my car was going in and out over the period of a few seconds like it wants to die but tries its hardest to hang on
Replacement is not cheap (probably about $100 for the sensor only, without housing), so don't replace it unless you have no other choice.
I am still strongly convinced this is a sensor issue and not a mechanical problem. You might be able to run some electrical tests to see what circuitry (relay) is actually causing the engine to cut out (such as an automatic shutdown relay) - that may help narrow down the sensors that could lead to that failure. :confuse:
And i really appreciate your help thank you.
The flywheel (flex plate on an automatic) connects to the crankshaft on the engine, usually by way of six bolts that are torqued to ~75 foot-pounds. If the flex plate and torque converter spin freely with the starter and crankshaft does not spin, that connection is now severed for whatever reason. Without splitting the units apart or scoping the area inside that access cover, we cannot know for sure.
What concerns me more is why this would even happen! It may very well be a symptom of a bigger problem. Again, there is no way of knowing until you get in there to see the nature of the damage. :sick:
If the starter is not operating, it could be a bad ground or a bad solenoid. To check the ground, follow the negative battery cable to its terminus and make sure the connections are tight, as well as verifying that the cable is in good condition (no fraying at the connections, no corrosion). Sometimes, if the solenoid is going bad, you can tap the side of the starter with a hammer or mallet (lightly) while someone else is holding the ignition to "start," and it will engage. If you don't have someone to help you, you can also try tapping it, then attempting to start, but it might not be as effective.
Another possibility is that the ignition itself has a bad connection, but I would check the other two possibilities first.
Also as i was driving home the car just died and only turns over or start. The past month or so sometimes it would turn over for a few sec before starting and others it would fire right up.. Anyone have ideas??