Help! Runs like crap...

[dbspcl]

I have a 2000 automatic that I put a CAI on several months ago. It ran great and then about a month ago the CEL came on and performance now sucks. It's to the point where if there's a hill on the freeway I can't even get to 50mph. I give it gas, but there's no power at all - it starts pinging and won't speed up. Downhill is no problem. The code its giving is P0411, which is the secondary AIR. It's possible I messed something up when putting in the CAI, but I don't think the AIR pump would cause the performance problem. It's almost like the mixture is not right - when I give it gas, it's getting more air, but not the right amount of fuel, that's what I think is causing the poor performance. It's possible I hosed the IAT sensor or the MAF assembly. Is it possible to check those? By the way, I disconnected the whole harness assembly and ran the car, it ran the same (crappy), and I got more CEL codes (MAF/IAT inputs wrong, etc). Thanks for any help.

Deepak

 

[Mustang_02]

I got that error and it was the EGR valve.

 

[dbspcl]

I thought the EGR codes were P0401, P0402 and P0403. Were you getting the 411 code? Was your performance like what I describe? Thanks.

 

[Mustang_02]

Bad gas mileage, rough idle were my symptoms.

 

[dastang2]

mine is doing that now, check fuel pressure. mine is intermittant and only does it every 5 minutes and then runs alright when i turn it off then back on. when it starts running worse, it won't go over 40 over hills and sometimes will not go over them. i checked the psi and at idle i got only 28 and when revved it went to 8 psi and started cutting out. it soundes like a 2 stroke 4 wheeler. i am getting an 02 code for this problem but that is only because the car is running lean because of the faulty pump and i have a crappy idle and very bad fuel mileage

 

[SpectorV]

get the codes ran again and then get a shop that knows stangs to help you

 

[Ernad]

... I give it gas, but there's no power at all - it starts pinging and won't speed up. Downhill is no problem...

Downhilll is no problem Sorry, not tryin' to sound mean, but you have to admit it's funny.

 

[dbspcl]

Okay, turns out the cats were blocked. Anyone know how many are supposed to be on a 2000? I think it's 4, but not sure.

The good news is that the cats are covered under Ford's warranty upto something like 80k miles. The dealer says the oxygen sensors are bad too, wants $400 to replace 2. I'm leaning towards leaving those until smog time, but he says it will make the cats go out again. Does anyone know if that's true?
BTW, I had to take the CAI off, I've heard of many cases where the dealer won't cover cats under warranty because of a CAI installed.

 

[dastang2]

yes after a while the cats will go bad, they are easy to replace and if you have any wrenching know how at all, you can do them,which sensors are the bad ones. it is a good idea to get a small torch and heat the o2 bung red hot if you can and then get a 7/8 wrench or socket if you cut the lines off, and loosen them with a cheater pipe. go to autozone and check the codes, if any there and they will tell you if you have bad o2 sensors. i ran my car with a stuck open injector(which was what i had last week) for weeks and no cat damage. i also have driven it wil a broken intake bolt that was letting water and unmetered air in the cylinder which made the computer dump more fuel and i was smoking horrible black smoke everywhere and it burned peoples eyes. no cat damage either and that was on the same side as the bad injector.

 

[Ernad]

$400 to replace 2 O2 sensors DAAAAAAAAAAAAMN. I say DIY, shouldn't be too hard.