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  • 1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk-
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Car just dies?

  • Thread starter Thread starter fox racer
  • Start date Start date Jan 22, 2006

fox racer

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Jun 22, 2004
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Jan 22, 2006
#1
  • Jan 22, 2006
  • #1
I just finished my Oil pump, Pan gasket, Long Tube, H pipe, Motor mounts, and Tranny mount project. Hooked everything back up, the car runs great (besides exhaust leak--> h-pipe to muffler bolts arent fully threaded, so its not a tight connection... will fix), its just a LITTLE rough at idle, not as smooth as when i had shorties, but very difficult to notice. Now the problem:

The car idles a little lower, about 750 rpm and lower ABOUT (stock tach). Wheneve I come to a stop the rpms drop below 750, just above 500. sometimes it will stay alive, sometimes they will drop too low and the motor will die. This only happens when im coming to a stop, and when Im on the clutch pedal (I dont remeber it happending when I was in neutral and I wasnt on the clutch.) I usually dont notice it because of my radio, but I notice it when when the sterring gets rediculously hard. Also, out of the 5 or 6 times that its happened since Friday, the lights and radio only turned off once, then came RIGHT back on. All the other times it happend the radio stayed on, and the lights didnt even dim.
 
8

86bluecobra

Advanced Member
Dec 20, 2004
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B.C. Canada
Jan 22, 2006
#2
  • Jan 22, 2006
  • #2
i think it has to do with you IAC perhaps the sensor is dirty. it may need cleaning. you can clean it by removing it and using throttle body cleaner on it. the other problem may be your tps. It may not be giving the proper voltage. you can test the volts of it and losen it and move it a little to adjust to proper specs probably around the .85-.92 volt.
 

jrichker

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#3
  • Jan 22, 2006
  • #3
See the sticky "Help me create the Surging Idle Checklist" at the top of the forum for help with your idle problems. The first post in the sticky has almost all the details you need.
 

fox racer

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Jan 23, 2006
#4
  • Jan 23, 2006
  • #4
Its not so much a surgng idle, but Ill defintiely look into it. The car just dies, not when I slam the brakes, but when Im coming to a stop, and when im on the clutch. If I just turn the key, it fires right back up. It doesnt sputter, stumble, stall, drive erratically, it just shuts off, as if I turned it off.
 

jrichker

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#5
  • Jan 23, 2006
  • #5
fox racer said:
Its not so much a surgng idle, but Ill defintiely look into it. The car just dies, not when I slam the brakes, but when Im coming to a stop, and when im on the clutch. If I just turn the key, it fires right back up. It doesnt sputter, stumble, stall, drive erratically, it just shuts off, as if I turned it off.
Click to expand...
Dump the codes & look for code 27 or 29, VSS sensor. It is supposed to signal the computer that the car is slowing down. Then the computer sends a string of pluses to the IAC to speed up the engine.

Dump the codes and see what the computer says is wrong…

Here's the link to dump the computer codes with only a jumper wire or paper clip and the check engine light, or test light or voltmeter. I’ve used it for years, and it works great.

See http://www.troublecodes.net/Ford/
OR
See http://www.mustangworks.com/articles/electronics/eec-iv_codes.html

IF your car is an 86-88 stang, you'll have to use the test lamp or voltmeter method. There is no functional check engine light on the 86-88's except possibly the Cali Mass Air cars.

Codes have different answers if the engine is running from the answers that it has when the engine isn't running. It helps a lot to know if you had the engine running when you ran the test.

Trouble codes are either 2 digit or 3 digit, there are no cars that use both 2 digit codes and 3 digit codes.

For those who are intimidated by all the wires & connections, see http://www.actron.com/product_detail.php?pid=16153 for what a typical hand scanner looks like. Normal retail price is about $30 or so at AutoZone or Walmart.

Or for a nicer scanner see http://www.midwayautosupply.com/detailedproductdescription.asp?3829 – It has a 3 digit LCD display so that you don’t have to count flashes or beeps.. Cost is $35.
 
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fiveohGT

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Jun 22, 2004
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Jan 23, 2006
#6
  • Jan 23, 2006
  • #6
no chance of it being the tps?
 

fox racer

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#7
  • Jan 23, 2006
  • #7
just checked it... .98 on the dot
 

fox racer

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#8
  • Jan 23, 2006
  • #8
the thing i dotn get is, this NEVER happened before this work, i must have dont SOMETHING that messed it up.
 

jrichker

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#9
  • Jan 23, 2006
  • #9
fiveohGT said:
no chance of it being the tps?
Click to expand...
Like I said, read the sticky at the top of the Forum, "Help me create the Surging Idle Checklist". With all the input I got from fellow Stangnetters, it pretty well covers all the possibilities. The first post has all the current good stuff in it.
 
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