Engine 93 Cobra, Dreaded 94/44, Terrible Fuel economy, Runs great! (FIXED)

Short story, been restoring my father's 93 Cobra, top end, front end, exhaust all freshened up. It's running great and feels better then when it left the showroom floor but my fuel economy sucks (11 mpg). She is basically stock on the motor besides an adjustable fuel pressure regulator (set at 39), 165 pump, and a pro-m maf (factory bit the bullet).

So I am getting 94/44 KOER test (passes key off test), air pump is new, solenoids check out OK (ground out OK and operate), wiring is correct, vacuum lines are correct, diverter is new (old one collapsed), check valve ok, cross over pipe is clear, and are the heads.

When engine is cold air is diverted to the heads, once some temp is built air is diverted to the cats. Now here is the problem, when the engine is revved and comes down on decel, air is diverted to the heads, not bypassed as stated in Jrichker's posts. I am stumped the bypass is responsive to vacuum, and what I'm stating sounds like the solenoids are reversed, but they are not as the diverter is acting properly when cold and warm at idle.

Any advise before I bite the bullet and take it to the stealership?

Thanks, Matt
 
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Check the crossover tube; both sides of it.
You may have to remove the tube to check it and the ports in the heads to make sure that they are not blocked with carbon.....


Codes 44 & 94 - AIR system inoperative - Air Injection. Check vacuum lines for leaks, & cracks. Check for a clogged air crossover tube, where one or both sides of the tube clog with carbon.

attachments\50636



Revised 21 Sep 2012 to correct the description of the process that sets the code and include Thermactor Air System diagram.

If you have a catalytic converter H pipe, you need to fix these codes. If you don't, then don't worry about them.

Code 44 passenger side air not functioning.
Code 94 driver side air not functioning.

The TAD solenoid/TAD diverter valve directs smog pump output to either the crossover tube attached to the cylinder heads or to the catalytic converters.

The O2 sensors are placed before the catalytic converters, so they do not see the extra O2 when the smog pump's output is directed to the converters or the input just before the converter.

The 44/94 code uses the O2 sensors to detect a shift in the O2 level in the exhaust. The smog pump provides extra air to the exhaust which raises the O2 level in the exhaust when the smog pump output is directed through the crossover tube.

When there is an absence of increase in the O2 levels when the TAD solenoid/TAD diverter valve directs air through the crossover tube, it detects the lower O2 level and sets the code.

Failure mode is usually due to a clogged air crossover tube, where one or both sides of the tube clog with carbon. The air crossover tube mounts on the back of the cylinder heads and supplies air to each of the Thermactor air passages cast into the cylinder heads. When the heads do not get the proper air delivery, they set codes 44 & 94, depending on which passage is clogged. It is possible to get both 44 & 94, which would suggest that the air pump or control valves are not working correctly, or the crossover tube is full of carbon or missing.

Testing the system:
Note that the engine must be running to do the tests unless stated otherwise. For safety’s sake, do test preparation like loosening clamps, disconnecting hoses and connecting things to a vacuum source with the engine off.


Disconnect the big hose from smog pump: with the engine running you should feel air output. Reconnect the smog pump hose & apply vacuum to the first vacuum controlled valve: Its purpose is to either dump the pump's output to the atmosphere or pass it to the next valve.

The next vacuum controlled valve directs the air to either the cylinder heads when the engine is cold or to the catalytic converter when the engine is warm. Disconnect the big hoses from the back side of the vacuum controlled valve and start the engine. Apply vacuum to the valve and see if the airflow changes from one hose to the next.

The two electrical controlled vacuum valves mounted on the rear of the passenger side wheel well turn the vacuum on & off under computer control. Check to see that both valves have +12 volts on the red wire. Then ground the white/red wire and the first solenoid should open and pass vacuum. Do the same thing to the light green/black wire on the second solenoid and it should open and pass vacuum.

Remember that the computer does not source power for any actuator or relay, but provides the ground necessary to complete the circuit. That means one side of the circuit will always be hot, and the other side will go to ground or below 1 volt as the computer switches on that circuit.

The following computer tests are done with the engine not running.
The computer provides the ground to complete the circuit to power the solenoid valve that turns the
vacuum on or off. The computer is located under the passenger side kick panel. Remove the kick panel & the cover over the computer wiring connector pins. Check Pin 38 Solenoid valve #1 that provides vacuum to the first Thermactor control valve for a switch from 12-14 volts to 1 volt or less. Do the same with pin 32 solenoid valve #2 that provides vacuum to the second Thermactor control valve. Turning the ignition to Run with the computer jumpered to self-test mode will cause all the actuators to toggle on and off. If after doing this and you see no switching of the voltage on and off, you can start testing the wiring for shorts to ground and broken wiring. An Ohm check to ground with the computer connector disconnected & the solenoid valves disconnected should show open circuit between the pin 32 and ground and again on pin 38 and ground. In like manner, there should be less than 1 ohm between pin 32 and solenoid valve #2 and pin 38 & Solenoid valve #1.

The following computer tests are done with the engine running.
If after checking the resistance of the wiring & you are sure that there are no wiring faults, start looking at the solenoid valves. If you disconnect them, you can jumper power & ground to them to verify operation with the engine running. Power & ground supplied should turn on the vacuum flow, remove either one and the vacuum should stop flowing.

Typical resistance of the solenoid valves is in the range of 20-70 Ohms.

See the following website for some help from Tmoss (diagram designer) & Stang&2Birds (website host)

http://www.veryuseful.com/mustang/tech/engine/images/fuel-alt-links-ign-ac.gif

http://www.veryuseful.com/mustang/tech/engine/images/88-91eecPinout.gif

If you have a catalytic converter H pipe, you need to fix these codes. If you don't, then don't worry about them
 
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Blown88GT, I'll get a vacuum gauge to verify, but I've done a smoke check and don't have any external leaks.

The crossover pipe and heads are clear, as I stated on decel the air is being diverted to the heads and not the atmosphere as you've described in your post. I did check one thing I hadn't noticed before in your post and that's the resistance of the solinoids. The TAD measured 77 ohms and the TAB measured 83 ohms. They are also warm to the touch after running. Advice?
 
2someone82, post: 9138606, member: 213130"]Blown88GT, I'll get a vacuum gauge to verify, but I've done a smoke check and don't have any external leaks.

The crossover pipe and heads are clear, as I stated on decel the air is being diverted to the heads and not the atmosphere as you've described in your post. I did check one thing I hadn't noticed before in your post and that's the resistance of the solinoids. The TAD measured 77 ohms and the TAB measured 83 ohms. They are also warm to the touch after running. Advice?[/QUOTE]
The resistances are with 10% of each other so that should not be a problem.

Remember that the computer does not source power for any actuator or relay, but provides the ground necessary to complete the circuit. That means one side of the circuit will always be hot, and the other side will go to ground or below 1 volt as the computer switches on that circuit.

Check to make sure that the TAB & TAD solenoids can actually switch vacuum. Ground the white /red wire to test the TAB solenoid and the green/black wire to test the TAD solenoid. Since the computer provides a ground to operate the solenoids, grounding these two wires will not damage it. when you test the solenoids, check to see it they switch vacuum on and off by disconnecting the output and use a vacuum gage to check the vacuum.
 
The way the ECU actually detects for code 44/94 is to see if the O2's respond when air is diverted to the heads. If you are getting the codes, the ECU may not be seeing any sort of response indicating that air is not pumping through the heads when it's called for.

So even if the pathway is clear, you want to verify the solenoids are actually switching and sending vacuum to the valves to divert the pump air flow
 
SShe is basically stock on the motor besides an adjustable fuel pressure regulator (set at 39), 165 pump, and a pro-m maf (factory bit the bullet).

What sort of calibration do you have for that MAF? Did you get the 93 cobra specific calibration? If not, might have something t do with your poor fuel economy.
 
The way the ECU actually detects for code 44/94 is to see if the O2's respond when air is diverted to the heads. If you are getting the codes, the ECU may not be seeing any sort of response indicating that air is not pumping through the heads when it's called for.

So even if the pathway is clear, you want to verify the solenoids are actually switching and sending vacuum to the valves to divert the pump air flow

Tonight I'm going to confirm the solinoids are operating at the correct time and with a vacuum gauge.
 
Ok so I'm pulling a constant 18 inches of vacuum.

Grounding out the bypass valve makes no change when engine is running constantly pulling vacuum. When ignition is just turned on and not running i can ground it out. Diverter valve solenoid is responsive when I ground it after engine is to temp.
 
The way the ECU actually detects for code 44/94 is to see if the O2's respond when air is diverted to the heads. If you are getting the codes, the ECU may not be seeing any sort of response indicating that air is not pumping through the heads when it's called for.

So even if the pathway is clear, you want to verify the solenoids are actually switching and sending vacuum to the valves to divert the pump air flow

To build on this, if the O2 sensors are bad they will not respond to the change in A/F when the computer diverts air. Bad or worn out O2s will also cause bad fuel economy. At $25 each I would replace them before digging into much else.
 
Ok so I'm pulling a constant 18 inches of vacuum.

Grounding out the bypass valve makes no change when engine is running constantly pulling vacuum. When ignition is just turned on and not running i can ground it out. Diverter valve solenoid is responsive when I ground it after engine is to temp.
If the bypass solenoid doesn't switch on and off when you ground it as instructed in my previous post, check for 12 volts on the red wire that feeds power to it with the ignition switch in the Run position.
Good 12 volts and it doesn't switch vacuum, replace the solenoid.
 
If the bypass solenoid doesn't switch on and off when you ground it as instructed in my previous post, check for 12 volts on the red wire that feeds power to it with the ignition switch in the Run position.
Good 12 volts and it doesn't switch vacuum, replace the solenoid.

I don't know why I didn't double check the 12 volts at the red wire but I will tonight. Now a question regarding grounding out the solinoids. In the case of my bypass solinoid, it was already switched by the ecu(grounded) and was constantly pulling vacuum. If it's already switched would grounding the red/white wire even make a difference? Same goes with TAD.
 
I don't know why I didn't double check the 12 volts at the red wire but I will tonight. Now a question regarding grounding out the solinoids. In the case of my bypass solinoid, it was already switched by the ecu(grounded) and was constantly pulling vacuum. If it's already switched would grounding the red/white wire even make a difference? Same goes with TAD.
Once the computer provides a ground, an additional ground won't do anything unless the computer isn't working correctly.
 
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