Why is My Car Slow??

deadlast

New Member

Mar 30, 2005

495

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Belmont, MA

Apr 28, 2005

#21

• Apr 28, 2005

• #21

my car is slow too, but i think its always slow. seems to have the same problem you have, so i think im going to try a new fuel filter. where is the filter located?

 

xkuntrycowboyx

Member

Mar 31, 2005

281

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17

Marion, Indiana

Apr 28, 2005

#22

• Apr 28, 2005

• #22

find your air charge temp sensor... it plugs into the intake tubing towards the front of the strut tower.... unplug it and driver your car... tell me how that works... my guess is it will run 10x better!

 

5

5.0nmalecek

New Member

Apr 17, 2005

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Apr 28, 2005

#23

• Apr 28, 2005

• #23

The SPOUT connector hangs off the distributor in fox bodies, but i think this is a SN95 thread? so i don't know where it is on your car. i think someone mentioned on an earlier post that it's by the air filter or IAC or something. all it is is two wires going to a connector and a grey piece goes into that connector to bridge the circuit.

 

5

5.0nmalecek

New Member

Apr 17, 2005

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Apr 28, 2005

#24

• Apr 28, 2005

• #24

oh BTW, my check engine light never came on for it either, as far as i can remember.

 

xkuntrycowboyx

Member

Mar 31, 2005

281

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17

Marion, Indiana

Apr 29, 2005

#25

• Apr 29, 2005

• #25

The air charge temp sensors are like $6.00 i think at like Advanced Auto... they can get all dirty and gunked up... or try cleaning it with Contact Cleaner... but it wires to the spout sooo just clean it all!
Should Help if those are the prob's.
Also, get a VoltMeter and check the voltage on the ACTS, SPOUT, MAF and TPS make sure they're all correct voltage...cuz that can cause the lack of power through fuel starvation.... but ur lacking fuel somewhere and, so it's a faulty one of those sensors or its fuel filter/pump...u get the idea....check it out, ur Haynes with have the correct Voltages for those sensors....

...and if you want to be a bum...you can just unplug the Air Chrge Temp Sens from the wiring, and it wont idle worth crap for like 5 min, but will run with more power at WOT ...essentially it goes into open loop, but i would fix everything properly asap
...BTW ..95 GT was doing same thing and i've been dealing with it for a bit now and doing much research......our cars can b a PITA!!

 

rude_life

Member

Mar 30, 2005

372

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16

Apr 29, 2005

#26

• Apr 29, 2005

• #26

I just hate prior owners who dont take care of their cars.

 

xkuntrycowboyx

Member

Mar 31, 2005

281

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17

Marion, Indiana

Apr 29, 2005

#27

• Apr 29, 2005

• #27

Bingo!

 

xkuntrycowboyx

Member

Mar 31, 2005

281

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17

Marion, Indiana

Apr 29, 2005

#28

• Apr 29, 2005

• #28

Spout pic

 

CManT1914

New Member

Feb 5, 2004

3,172

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Killeen, Texas

Apr 29, 2005

#29

• Apr 29, 2005

• #29

Good grief there is a lot of mismatched info in here. Do NOT just go replacing sensors and crap, especially the O2's because they are hella expensive. You'll need to get a multimeter to test your sensors. Start with the MAF, the ECT, the IAT, and the O2's. Make sure they are getting good voltage, and also that they haven't gone bad (high resistance). Then check your timing, remember to pull the spout. The spout is a little gray plug that is connected to the wiring harness on the passenger side fender, near the intake hose. Check the PCV (the grommet looking thing with a vacuum hose attached to it at the back of the lower plenum) and make sure the screen isn't clogged. For the love of god get the codes pulled, your CEL doesn't need to be on for your computer to store a code. Autozone will do it for you if you don't get a prick salesman. That's all I can think of for now.

EDIT: Oh yea, like final50 said, your O2's are ignored under WOT, so they probably aren't the problem.

 

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5.0nmalecek

New Member

Apr 17, 2005

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May 3, 2005

#30

• May 3, 2005

• #30

I just posted on your other post about gas fumes outside ur car. Im telling you right now that this is exactly what happened to my car when the SPOUT was disconnected. It was slower than sht and there were gas fumes outside the car. It could still be something else but im positive that the SPOUT is the likely culprit. after I fixed my SPOUT connector all that crp went away. check ur gdm SPOUT connector. good luck.

 

Kevin R.

New Member

Jun 3, 2004

473

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0

Ohio

May 3, 2005

#31

• May 3, 2005

• #31

Can you run the car with the spout disconnected?

 

droptopford 5 0

Member

Mar 31, 2005

427

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17

May 3, 2005

#32

• May 3, 2005

• #32

haha, come to think of my 94 gt vert is dog slow too lol, but since it runs good and idles real smooth i think ive just accepted it as being a dog... havnt we all (94 vert owners) unless we have major mods?

 

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5.0nmalecek

New Member

Apr 17, 2005

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May 5, 2005

#33

• May 5, 2005

• #33

Ya you can drive the car with the spout unplugged, I know because it happened to me . And as for your car feeling slow droptopford5.0, you have to realize that your car is over 10 years old now. Mine's 15 years old. Once you look at it that way you can see how easily sensors can wear out or get dirty or connectors corrode. You just have to keep on top of all this stuff. A few days ago I pulled out my ACT sensor and it was layered with a blanket of crap. All I did was douse it with carb cleaner and alcohol. Now my car pulls a lot harder. It's small things like these that can make all the difference.

 

91LX_5L

Founding Member

May 13, 2002

1,943

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36

British Columbia

May 5, 2005

#34

• May 5, 2005

• #34

where is this ACT sensor? I have the same problem. My car doesnt have the balls it should. I dont see how the spout could cause a power problem...? makes no sence to me.

Change plug wires that might be it too.

 

droptopford 5 0

Member

Mar 31, 2005

427

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May 5, 2005

#35

• May 5, 2005

• #35

91LX_5L said:

where is this ACT sensor?

Click to expand...

?? i have new plug wires, new cap and rotor, just cleaned my MAF, have new PCV valve, what else(sensors valves etc) can i check/clean/replace that could help me out?

 

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5.0nmalecek

New Member

Apr 17, 2005

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May 5, 2005

#36

• May 5, 2005

• #36

91LX_5L said:

where is this ACT sensor? I have the same problem. My car doesnt have the balls it should. I dont see how the spout could cause a power problem...? makes no sence to me.

Click to expand...

The ACT sensor is the Air Charge Temperature Sensor and it measures the temperature of the air in the intake. In my car (a fox body) it screws in the lower intake manifold behind the distributer. But for the 94-95 mustangs I think its right before or after the air cleaner. It has a direct bearing on how the computer determines the timing and therefor can hinder performance if the sensor is contaminated. If the SPOUT is disconnected it can make the biggest difference because the engine will run its timing at 10 all the time. that means no timing advance at all and you will definitly feel it at a higher rpm because thats when the timing advances. If the timing advance is inoperative, which the Spout causes, then the spark is igniting the fuel as the piston is already on its way down not burning the gas all the way therefor a major power loss. This can also cause the smell of gas fumes because the unburnt fuel is exiting through the exhaust.

 

91LX_5L

Founding Member

May 13, 2002

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British Columbia

May 5, 2005

#37

• May 5, 2005

• #37

well it seems that might be my problem. my timing is at 16* and I didnt notice a diffrence after I bumped it up. also one time I ran midgrade fuel and didnt even notice pinging.

that isnt the ACT sensor is it?

 

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5.0nmalecek

New Member

Apr 17, 2005

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May 5, 2005

#38

• May 5, 2005

• #38

droptopford 5 0 said:

?? i have new plug wires, new cap and rotor, just cleaned my MAF, have new PCV valve, what else(sensors valves etc) can i check/clean/replace that could help me out?

Click to expand...

Well there are many things that can hinder performance, not having to do with sensors. But if your engine is rebuilt or has low miles and it's runnig like a slug it's probly something to do with any of the sensors or emissions crap, its most common.

Sensors:
ACT
Check SPOUT (usually not necessary)
02s (Although they aren't used at WOT)
TPS (Throttle Position Sensor)
EGR Valve (You can clean it out with Carb Cleaner, or get a new one like $70)
IAC (Ditto, but usually doesn't hinder performance and a dirty IAC valve is usually characterized by a surging idle)
MAF

Mechanical:
Check for Vacuum Leaks (pain in the ass)
Check Compression (High mileage engines will have poor compression)
Check for clogged cats or exhaust
Clogged injectors (get a fuel additive that cleans out the fuel system)
Fuel Pump
Many others i cant think of right now

 

5

5.0nmalecek

New Member

Apr 17, 2005

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May 5, 2005

#39

• May 5, 2005

• #39

91LX_5L said:

well it seems that might be my problem. my timing is at 16* and I didnt notice a diffrence after I bumped it up. also one time I ran midgrade fuel and didnt even notice pinging.
that isnt the ACT sensor is it?

Click to expand...

Thats exactly the ACT. pull that sucker out and clean it with rubbing alcohol. BTW you have to disconnect the SPOUT to reset base timing or else it won't work. That's the whole point of the SPOUT is for when you reset the base timing. Thats probably why you didn't notice a difference is because it didn't make a difference. Your car is pretty sexy though

 

91LX_5L

Founding Member

May 13, 2002

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British Columbia

May 5, 2005

#40

• May 5, 2005

• #40

5.0nmalecek said:

Thats exactly the ACT. pull that sucker out and clean it with rubbing alcohol. BTW you have to disconnect the SPOUT to reset base timing or else it won't work. That's the whole point of the SPOUT is for when you reset the base timing. Thats probably why you didn't notice a difference is because it didn't make a difference. Your car is pretty sexy though

Click to expand...

What do you mean? I set my timing with the spout off. Put it back in. Drove away.

So if I remove my spout now to clean it will it reset my timing again or keep it where it is now (16*)?

ALSO!!! With the ACT sensor do you want it facing so the sensor is open with the inside of the air tube (so the air blows thru it) or do you want it twisted so the edge of the plastic is where the air hits (so it doesnt blow directly on the sensor)?