Need Advice On My New Daily Driver

[fawcett]

Hey guys, its been a while since I've posted (because my car is off the road for the winter) but I still visit and read everythread every day.

I just got a new daily driver, it is a 95 Mitsubishi Montero LS with 145,000miles.
I know lots of miles but its in decent shape. The only rust is on the hood above the passanger side headlight.

My issue is that the engine starts getting choppy when the RPM's are low and it is underload (like going up a hill).

I can floor it and to change gears but with all the miles on the thing I would rather not.

My thoughts are either bad wires, bad injector or clogged fuel delivery (read: injector).

Can someone who knows cars point me in the right direction,
Thanks Guys,
-Fawcett

 

[HISSIN50]

Fawcett, I like your injector idea, though in my experience with dirty injectors, they act up in other load situations and low RPM (taking off fairly hard from a light, on flat ground).

If you run a ton of gas through them, they clean up a bit. Or pull them and clean them (nice if they have little filters on them, etc). Some folks have posted rediculously cheap prices to get injectors cleaned and flow tested (like 5 bucks each, which is untouchable around here).

It sounds like you might wanna give it a tune-up first anyhow. You'll know you have decent plugs, wires, clean fuel filter, etc. I try to do all that when I get a car anyhow - so you know where you stand.

Good luck.

 

[Adam95GT]

yea try to clean the injectors... like mentioned above a tune up never hurts... also check for codes...

 

[fawcett]

Do you guys think that a combo of injector cleaner/fuel system treatment would do the trick or should I stop being a lazy ass and physically check each injector out?
Where can I go to get codes checked on this bad larry?

 

[sage2k]

My friend has a 98 montero and he had to have the injectors removed and cleaned and rebuilt i think

 

[HISSIN50]

Do you guys think that a combo of injector cleaner/fuel system treatment would do the trick or should I stop being a lazy ass and physically check each injector out?
Where can I go to get codes checked on this bad larry?

At first, I'd just try a bunch of injector cleaner in the tank. I used to do this on the bikes to clean the slow jets and it would work. As for what it will talk, that kinda depends. If you've been driving the thing a bit and it's still balking, it'd take removing the injectors to clean them. If the car has sat a lot, then simply getting a tank or two of fuel moved through the injectors should help.

I forgot to mention the codes that Adam did. Look for any lean codes when you do this.

:OT: (sorry - my Pm's are about full): Adam, if you know how the quality of aftermarket Probe front fenders is, please shoot me a PM with your thoughts. I'm about to order one but don't know if it's going to be a mistake. Thanks.

 

[ProKiller]

i would start with a tune and dump some fuel system cleaner in the tank and run it through. if that doesn't help, take out the injectors

 

[fawcett]

Thanks Guys, I'll buy some fuel treatment/injector cleaner tonight on my way home from work.

Is there any brand you guys would recommend?

Should I spring for the more expensive stuff or when it comes down to it is it all the same?

Thanks,
-Fawcett

 

[GreenStangGT]

SeaFoam! That stuff is a miracle worker, I wouldn't ever use anything else. Either through the fuel tank or sucked in through a vacuum line, both work wonders.

 

[fawcett]

Seafoam????
I have bought some-for the Mustang of course.
But never used it.

Word was that although it does what it is supposed to do-remove carbon deposits-it also can mess up your piston seal and ruin your compression.
This thing has 145,000 miles on it and I can not afford to rebuild the engine.

What do you guys think?
Am I being too much of a wuss or am I on the right track by staying away from it?

(If I did use it how much should I dump in the fuel tank?)

 

[HISSIN50]

I am very leery of the top end cleaners myself, but I dont see how putting it in your tank can hurt - it's just a solvent to run past the pintles or discs (whichever your injectors are).

I used to spring for the Chevron fuel injector cleaner - but now just use a couple bottles of the cheaper crap. I'd be surprised if the real $$ products worked better than the non-$$ products.

If you have a Schrader valve, getting the can of solution that runs through the Schrader valve would absolutely be something I'd do (much more effective - better concentration ratios). Napa used to sell the cans of cleaner and a hose to use the Schrader.

Random thoughts.
Good luck.