When you first fire up the vehicle it seams to run fine, idles up 1100 then slowly makes it way to about 900 where it seams not as smooth. When you try to drive away (cold or hot) it initially feels very hesitant with the movement of the throttle then with light throttle it appears to pull away fine, but as you start to gain speed you feel yourself waiting and waiting for it to a shift and it seams you have to kind of let off the throttle to get it to finely shift, then when you try to get on the throttle again it downshifts unless very light throttle. Now if you try to give it more then half throttle it downshifts then the RPM goes up to about 3300 but the cars does not accelerate, (like a Geo Metro would destroy it). I mean no power. But the engine runs smooth no miss no bucking just no power. Now if you floor it does the same thing. Now it also will not rev up in Neutral, if you put it to the floor in neutral (I know its not the best thing to do) it halts at between 3 and 4 thousand, then when you release the throttle it will stall out.

Ok So what I have checked is this. MAF has a approx 0.3V with key, (have not gotten to running condition yet) Coils all check fine. Cam position sensor is working fine, but Might be out of adjustment. Now following the Chiltons Manual I did a initial voltage test and found it to be 7.7V which is out of spec (9-10V). So I loosened it and tried to adjust it but the only change I got jumped it right to 11.48V (the current Battery voltage at the time) and their was no in between. Now the weird Part When I was rotating the sensor trying to get it in spec whenever it jumped to 11.48 voltages we got this weird almost static sound coming from somewhere in the engine compartment Now this noise sounds similar to a noise we heard while the car was running and driving while giving it throttle. So that threw me a big curve ball.

So my initial suspect is the TPS but I want to wait to test the MAF. I could really use some direction or procedures on how to test further components as I am limited to my tools and would rather not send this to a dealership. Also no check engine light has come on yet.

Anybody fighting similar problems

 

What TPS is: a potentiometer, plus idle 'zero' pos switch and 'kick down'. In VG30E the pot is 1k-9kOhm ...LINEAR is the key word. This can be checked with any multimeter from the connector. Anyway, this box is cheaper than a visit to dealer service, replace. The box is not sealed, so if u have had a engine wash...
Idle sw has to activated when gas pedal rests. The other switch is to switch on at 2/3 gas pedal down. In VG30E these can be checked on the second TPS connector.

MAF: if it does not work, TPS takes over in ECU safe mode [2200rpm limit]. From your text I think you do not have VG30E, but if the manual given readings differ from what u get, find a spare. (MAF is so expensive ? that it might be cheaper to go to dealer service and ask checkup just for MAF).

If MAF and TPS are disconnected, starts but very rough [2200rpm limit]. When TPS connected, roughness disappears [2200rpm limit as MAF is disconnected].

 

from what you desribe it sounds like you have an automatic tranny

if so, then it might be having valve body problems. How many miles on the car? Has the tranny been rebuilt or replaced? I just can't seem to explain the neutral rev with the 3-4k gap, then stalling.

But if you want to test the TPS, then like WIKING said, make use you take of BOTH of the TPS connectors, get a multimeter, and test + connection to ground, it should be 0.5-9or10kOhms. I replaced mine cuz it shot up to 250kOhms and wasnt working right.

Brian

 

The VE has 140 k on it with the original transimission. Also the previous owner said he "messed" with the cam timing. The original post was written by my bro, who knows a hell of alot more about cars than i do, but i dont know if he mention then when full out trottel in neutral, the engion revs to about 4000 rpms, and seems to "bogg" down to about 3700, let off the gass and she stalls. Could a falty tps sensor result in this stalling? if not u think its the fuel pump? helppp, its getting cold and I need to fix this thing

 

Just read some new info on Craigs maxima page and it says this about engion timing "Too much ignition timing will cause detonation, ie pinging, knocking, whatever, and will result in a drastic loss of power and possible engine damage over time." You think my previous owner adjusted it too much , and it resulted in this DRASTIC loss of power??

 

Ask him what he did, and at first try to reverse what he did. ECU retards ign timing if ping is detected be it too adv timing or not, the prev owners messing might be the cause for that power loss ceiling.

When ECU detects smtg really wrong, it drops into safe mode, that is 2200rpm limit. Is this your stall? TPS doesn't trip this feature, MAF etc. does.

Measure the TPS and that the 2/3-open switch is operating, but I guess its not the cause.Maybe MAF, Read Chilton's and Check it.

Check Fuel pressure and/or filter.

Education, thats the key for all of us. One treasury http://www.parttrackers.com/library/1/

 

I would check your timing and see if any bolts on the cam sensor are loose.

If you are interested, I have a spare TPS I will sell.

chris