weird problem!

[99FiveOh]

I was on my way home from work just now and my car started jerking a little. A few seconds later the check engine light came on, then went off after a couple minutes. It kept doing this all the way home.

First off, how exactly can I check the codes using a jumper wire? I read somewhere how a long time ago, but I can't seem to find the info now.

Second, what do you all think it could be? A bad O2 doesn't usually cause the car to studder does it?

 

[99FiveOh]

I'm about at wits end with this car! I figured out how to check for codes.. and I'm in the middle of a whole bunch of stuff it's putting out and my kid comes and breaks my concentration. Even before he did that it didn't seem to be putting out regular codes. It spit out like a 5 digit code without stopping it seemed like.

So I turn the key off to try again, and of course.. all the codes are GONE! It gave me 111 and 111 and stopped. So I drive it again thinking maybe the CE light would come back and no dice. Still has the same symptoms though. While hard accelerating it just seems to lose alot of power and feels like it's bogging down.

The exhaust even smells different now. It used to have sort of a rich smell, but now it's different, almost like an "overburnt" smell.

Anyhow, I'm done. I am going to get rid of this life sucking POS asap! If anyone is interested feel free to PM me. This car would probably make a perfect donor car for a 5.0 swap.

I'm almost leaning toward the dizzy being bad AGAIN. If so, this car MUST be destroying them somehow. Because this would make the 8 or 9th one since in a years time!

 

[99FiveOh]

I tried a KOER test and it's not acting right either. I hook up my jumper wire, started the car. The first time I did this, the idle went up and held for a few seconds, then settled back down. I got a code 4 (for 8cyl correct?) and that was it. It just sat there and idled forever and no other codes. I tried repeating this a few times and now it won't even idle up or spit out the code 4. While all this is going on, I can hear a "clunk" noise from time to time that sounds like it's coming from under the dash or something(maybe in the engine bay, and no it's not the CCRM cycling either)

I have my EGR system capped and all my smog equipment removed, so the codes for those items should at least show up! But i'm getting nothing. This is super frustrating.

 

[BlackVert]

wow man, sorry to hear it. i hope you find it. mine was doing the CEL on and off thing for a while and it tuned out i had a vacuum leak and was running lean.

this was a long time ago, when i had a mostly stock everything and could actually drive the car

 

[99FiveOh]

I can drive my car and it won't actually shut off as is usual for a bad dist. sensor. And EVERY time my PIP went bad, it never ONCE threw a CEL! Not once. So whatever is causing my problems today threw the CEL and also made the exhaust smell different. If I let it idle for a minute it starts loping like it has a cam. It drove fine to work and while on my way home I felt it doing something wierd. Almost like it was running low on fuel, but I put some gas in it and still have the same issue.

Like I said, I'm getting to the point now where I'm fixing on this car more than I'm enjoying it. My last 95 was rock solid reliable. I could drive it anywhere I wanted without issue. This car is just a basket case.

 

[Chythar]

The car jerking at speed and the CEL going on happened to me when my MAF went bad. I had codes for MAF past upper limit AND past lower limit. Something to think about.

Every old Ford I've had has gone through phases where it seems like everything breaks. I tend to have a bunch of sensors fail on me. Once I'm past that, the car runs great for YEARS.

 

[99FiveOh]

Hopefully I can get the codes back after driving it tomorrow to work and back. I really didn't know what I was doing when I pulled the codes the first time and thus accidentally erased them somehow. I think my jumper wire was too small and lost it's connection in the middle of the code scan which from what I read will clear the EEC of all codes.

I'm about to purchase another vehicle and start on my 351 swap. That motor will receive ALL new sensors! lol

 

[99FiveOh]

Ok, I drove the car for a little trip just now to try and make the CE light come back on. Well, it did for a few minutes, then went out.

When I got to my destination, I took out my handy dandy jumper wire and tried to check my codes since I was sure one was stored. I turned the key to the "on" pos. and heard fuel pump prime, heard fan go on both speeds then the CE light started to give me some info, but all of a sudden the fuel pump primed again and it was over! Same thing it did earlier. Something is very wrong here. A couple hours ago I was able to pull codes and only got 111, but that was AFTER my original codes had vanished.

I just don't understand this anymore. The symtoms are EXACTLY the same as when my dizzy went bad recently, stuttering, backfiring, etc. My question is, what could be causing my car to keep eating PIP sensors? I also hear a pretty good amount of buzzing in my stereo but ONLY when the radio is on, not when I'm listening to CD's. Anyone think it might be related?

 

[99FiveOh]

Ok, here's the codes I was able to pull earlier before I lost track.

173 - O2 Rich Right side
212 - Ign. Module circuit failure/SPOUT grounded
542 - Fuel Pump Circuit failure (PCM to Motor)
556 - Primary fuel pump circuit failure

Now, if I was a betting man, I'd bet the PIP sensor again since it does control most of all the systems malfunctioning. I just need to know why PIP sensors keep failing in my car. Anyone have a wiring diagram so I can see all the circuits going to and from the dizzy?

 

[desertcox05]

I have gotten a bad remanned dizzy before.
Sometimes the bearing/ bushing at the top of the dizzy doesn't get changed when it's remanned and that allows the reluctor wheel to come into contact with the pick-up. Then the pip is fubar from there on out.
You should be able to do a wiggle test on the reluctor wheel and see the slop in the bearing/bushing.

 

[99FiveOh]

This dizzy is in perfect working order as far as the bearings are concerned. It did have an original PIP sensor still in it, I could tell it had been cleaned and media blasted.

I'm probably going to go ahead and try an OEM replacement piece from Ford. If it messes up then something else is burning the pip sensors up! Because the original one lasted 160k+ miles!