Not a clue what's wrong with my 02 GT(this is a long post..)

Miller220 · Jan 14, 2010

Hey, ok so a few weeks ago, I was driving while on the phone and a truck pulled out in front of me. He was going a bit slow and I didn't downshift like an idiot. My car felt like it was going to stall for half a mile...and absent-mindedly I kept shifting out of 5th, then I would put it into 4th, when I really should have gone into 3rd....Long story short, it almost stalled...but didn't..but my issue I'm having is that it doesn't drive the same.

Now onto the actual problem; The car just doesn't drive right. Particularly under heavy acceleration, it feels like the engine is being bottle-necked...I'm not sure how to describe it. The best example that I can think of, is when I was merging onto the expressway today, I downshifted into 3rd and accelerated from about 2K to almost redline, and the car doesn't accelerate smoothly anymore. It bounces over the course of a gear, and does it for all gears. It also has the same issues when I drive around in the 1K rpm range in 5th gear, which I used to do no problem.

I already took the car to a mechanic who flushed the transmission fluid, and took it for a test drive, and said nothing is wrong...so I'm not sure what to do. The car is an 02 GT with 83K Miles and the mechanic said one of the past owners upgraded the clutch, although I'm not sure I believe him.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated thanks!

-Sam

68stang351 · Jan 14, 2010

Is it setting any codes?

patman0911 · Jan 14, 2010

There's a couple of things that might have happened. All that shaking while the engine was lugging may have knocked or pulled something loose or cracked a vacuum hose or something along those lines. Check under the hood and keep your fingers crossed that that's what happened because the other possibility is that you actually damaged the engine by lugging it, although I would think you'd be hearing some knocking if that really happened.

wmburns · Jan 14, 2010

Check spark plugs

How about checking the spark plugs? Perhaps lugging (high load/low RPM) has damaged one or more plugs (altered the gap).

Be sure to clean the spark plug wells of debris before removing the spark plugs.

It never hurts to clean the MAF. Use MAF cleaner. It is easily damaged. Be gentle.

patman0911 · Jan 14, 2010

wmburns said:
How about checking the spark plugs? Perhaps lugging (high load/low RPM) has damaged one or more plugs (altered the gap)...

Good suggestion.

Miller220 · Jan 14, 2010

Thanks for all the responses guys, anything is better then nothing, and your suggestions make sense!(as opposed to me having as much mechanical knowledge as a 5 year old with a really big tonka toy)

I didnt hear any knocking when it happened...its just like when the car is going to stall..it shakes, then bleh...just this time there was no bleh. Would a hose(or any other of the things) cracking alter the noise of the exhaust? It sounds different as well..but not HUGELY different, just..a little off. I'll go check it in about 20 minutes and then again tomorrow, and maybe take a few pictures and report back to you guys. G'night

jcori1 · Jan 14, 2010

If you have a C.A.I. check to make sure all the fitting are on tight ...i installed my intake over the summer and just about 2 weeks ago..my car was sluggish and i also lost some mpgs...My coupling that connected two of the tubes was slightly loose but i tightened it and I could def feel the difference in pull..If youve been having a cold winter...with the huge changes from the car sitting cold over night to it heating up on drives....alot of the rubber parts may expand and contract enough to possibly loosen things up

midnightdriver · Jan 14, 2010

Sounds like you fouled the plugs, which is common with too much fuel and no way for it to clean out, ie the engine cant rev. Like wmburns said, make sure to clean the junk out from around the plugs before removing them. Also, check to make sure none of your coil tubes are cracked. If the coil is grounding out that could also be part of the problem.

Miller220 · Jan 15, 2010

Now that I think about it...the car drives more normally while its cold, then when it starts to warm up, it gets more temperamental. I'm going to go take it out for a test drive, and see if I cant figure out exactly when it starts to feel weird, since everything that I've felt thus far has been under daily driving circumstances. Thanks again

Sam

Miller220 · Jan 15, 2010

Would it be safe to assume that the thing in the picture is my spark plug, and if so, how easy would it be to move? I took the car out this morning to see if I could just figure out where it feels weird, but it acts up at random, loses power, and gets it back again. I poped the hood and was just feeling around making sure that everything was secure and fitted properly, and when I got to those, it moved without hardly any effort at all. Two of the others on the same side of the engine(the picture is of the right side from the front right corner of the car) were similarly loose, but this one was REALLY loose. While the car was on, and I accidentally spun it a little, it idled differently, so I put it back to the original position(also just so you know the other side, they were all moderately tight and wouldnt spin with out a bunch more effort then what is required for the thing that is pictured). I suppose what Im wanting to know is FIRST of all...what is it, SECOND of all why does it affect how the car idles and LASTLY Did I find the source of my problem?

EDIT: Added the meat and potatoes to the post

Miller220 · Jan 15, 2010

Thats a fuel injector...isnt it...this isnt good...is it .....now assuming that IS a fuel injector...its not good that they come loose, or is this something I can tighten down and be done with it?

wmburns · Jan 15, 2010

Is it is a fuel injector. It is normal for it to be able to turn like described. It is held in place by light compression from the fuel rails and sealed O-rings on the top and bottom.

Unless it starts leaking fuel or sucking air (which would indicate a bad O-ring), it is OK.

Do you have a buddy that can help you change the spark plugs? VERY IMPORTANT to clean the spark plug wells BEFORE removing the spark plugs. If there is any debris in the holes (and 4.6's will have it), the debris is going straight into the combustion chamber. The usual result is a "smoker".

Miller220 · Jan 15, 2010

Most of my buddy's are off at school at the moment, so it looks like it'll be me and some sort of spark plug guide, and JUST out of curiosity, why did the car idle differently if I turned the injector 1/8th of a turn? When I spun it just that wee bit the first time, I went to the back of the car, and instead of a rumble..it sounded like a mix between a rumble and a pulse. Otherwise, I think I'll go get everything ready to do the spark plugs, thanks for clearing that up for me

40oz · Jan 15, 2010

It might be worth it to take it to a dealer tech that has a "rolling road" type diagnostic machine. You could have a bad COP that only shows up at higher rpms or under load. Or a bad injector. Without just replacing each one, it's tough and more expensive to find the problem on your own.

deftsound · Jan 15, 2010

It sounds to me like a vacuum leak. Turn the car on, pop the hood and listen closely for anything that sounds like an air leak or a 'wooshing' sound of air coming from a vacuum hose.

Miller220 · Jan 15, 2010

So I just turned my car off with the hood poped and there was a hiss noise from around the area of the throttle body...what does this mean in the grand scheme of my problem? Cracked intake manifold? I did a google search, and a guy had similar problems as I did in a 93 5.0 I think it was, and thats what his issue was.

robocop07 · Jan 15, 2010

does it feel like its cutting out at all? mine does it to and its a 98 gt

deftsound · Jan 16, 2010

Man its so hard to tell without actually being able to hear and see it myself but the more i read the more i think its probably some sort of vacuum leak coming from either a cracked vacuum hose or maybe even your throttle body gasket. Also as previously stated it could be a fouled plug..you're best bet since you're not that mechanically inclined from what it sounds like is to bring it to a reputable shop and have them look at it...

BlackArtemis · Jan 16, 2010

I can't help sorry, but perhaps taking a video of the engine running and posting it on a place like youtube and then linking it here, that might help.

Good luck.

Miller220 · Jan 16, 2010

Well I took it into a shop today, and he hooked it up to the thing that reads codes, and none were given. I'm going to take it to another guy sometime this week, and hopefully he'll be able to figure out whats wrong. I think what I need to do is take a video while driving, and if I could find a camera in this house, I'd hop to it.

I also took two videos, although I realize that I'm a bit long winded while I'm on camera, so I'll make another one tonight with less ME talking, and more car and put em on youtube and get them in here soon as I can.

Not a clue what's wrong with my 02 GT(this is a long post..)

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