LvR

I cannot think of any reason if its done properly.

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

Aaron92se has one permanently installed. He pops it up through his hood crack when he races, so he can watch his fuel pressure as he goes.

sublunary

iTrader: (2)

so i just got stranded again. i had to use the car and i have driven it once before with no problems but i got burned. this time it died while driving. i had a low fuel level and i went around a corner and felt a loss of power but the tank isn't so low that should have happened so i got nervous. a couple blocks later while idling at a stop light the idle started to drop and i gave it gas but it wasn't reving as high as it should have and i could tell i was losing it.

so it died and as i tried to restart it i noticed that the dash lights dimmed considerably. so i got out and changed the fuel filter and spark plugs that i had in the trunk just in case. it didn't help and car still wouldn't start. so i pushed it to a parking spot on the street and walked through the most dangerous neighborhood in bostonto get home(which isn't in a good part of town either...)
on thing that i thought was strange when i changed the filter:
i didn't relieve the fuel pressure and just took off the top hose and tilted it upright so no fuel could drain out. i then took off the bottom hose and while hooking up the new filter to the bottom hose fuel started to spurt out of the top hose! its not like it flopped over, it was still pointing up and was higher than the rails. so why did that happen? it seems like there was pressure that was suddenly released in the rails that pushed the fuel back out. i haven't had time to look through the fsm about the fuel system so maybe there is a simple explanation but i wasn't expecting that to happen. any idea if that was normal or why it happened?
i think i am definitely going to have to get another car but i won't get rid of the max....

Greeny

iTrader: (43)

Sounds like you have a bad fuel pump mang..

sublunary

iTrader: (2)

well, i replaced it about five years ago so i guess it might have some age to it. i thought it was ok though because i can hear it turn on when i turn the ign. on before starting it. i wish i had checked to see if i could hear that tonight when i was having problems. i would LOVE it if that was the problem...

Greeny

iTrader: (43)

I've replaced 3 fuel pumps on my ve..

I hope it is your problem also,easy fix.

sublunary

iTrader: (2)

yeah, the worst part is waiting for your hands to stop smelling like gasoline.
so the best way to tell if thats the problem is to plug a pressure gauge in right before the filter and turn on the key to see if the pressure is there? could that be an intermittent thing? i can't wait to go check that tomorrow.

Greeny

iTrader: (43)

Yes,all my fuel pumps started out as a intermittent dying problem,then progressively got worse with time..

LvR

IMO I would fit it between the filter and the rails - that way you know what pressure arives at the injectors and can check on the filter's flow tooWas it warm outside and did you drive for quite a while? ................... sounds to me like your FPR may be to blame for this (and your failure to start too) - if that is the case, given your "spurting fuel experience" may be explained by the FPR opening completely and allowing the vapor pressure in the tank to push fuel back up the return line to the rails when the open end of the hose going to the rails sat in atmosphere.

You need a guage on there pronto IMO

sublunary

iTrader: (2)

well i changed the fuel pump and was able to drive the car home. but it still did not seem healthy. when i unplugged the fuel regulator vacuum. hose and blocked the vac. hose to the tb, the car seemed to idle a little bit more smoothly. now i know that is not really a definitive test of the regulator but it makes me wonder if both the old pump AND the regulator are bad. so i need to get a gauge before i can really test the regulator. i couldn't find a pressure gauge at either autozone or a local parts store so i might have to order one which is annoying because of further delays in getting this figured out. is it possible for a bad regulator to cause a pump to go bad, or would that just be a coincidence if both were bad?

LvR

Guess it is possible, but don't waste your time/money on finding a "Fuel Pressure Guage".

You must have missed my earlier commentPressure meters measure pressure and don't know/care about the liquid/gas you feed it - paying lots of money for a fancy silkscreen label just doesn't make sense imo

Greeny

iTrader: (43)

Is the problem just a rough idle issue now?

sublunary

iTrader: (2)

if you mean did it start, then yes i was able to drive it home but i was a little nervous because it didn't seem to be back to how it was before all this happened.

i did have to reset the idle after messing with the iacv. i drove home with it idling about 1000rpm. i got the idle to 750rpm and it is fairly steady but it is not quite there. but unplugging the vacuum to the pressure regulator (and blocking the hose to the TB to eliminate the intake leak) actually seemed to improve the stability of the idle a little bit. it at least sounded better and it only raised the rpms a little, 25rpm maybe?

so i just want to be sure about the pressure regulator being good before i trust the car to get my wife to work. i am replacing the front three ign. coils and o2 sensor tomorrow. old coils were cracked and taped for long time and i have never changed the o2 so im hoping those things will help me pass emissions. but it will also be interesting to see if the idle improves.

and yes, i would say a fuel pump is pretty "fundamental" so many thanks to you guys...

Greeny

iTrader: (43)

Yes,get rid of the cracked coils,the taping fix only lasts a short time. I've had all 3 fronts crack on me,once they do it's bucky bucky time when accelerating..

sublunary

iTrader: (2)

i put in the coils but it still is the same. i think that the car probably is idling the way it was before this whole fiasco and that smoothing it out is a separate issue from the pump/regulator(like wayne said). i am ordering a cheap fuel pressure gauge (couldn't get a oil pressure gauge at autozone either) from harbor freight so it will take some time to clear the regulator of wrong doing. but in the meantime, i am going to keep plugging away at smoothing the idle and also look into getting another car for a daily driver so i don't have to rely on my max so much. then it can be more of a project car and i can really get it right.

Greeny

iTrader: (43)

Ugh...I feel your pain.My ve has had a rough idle issue for years,I've replaced/cleaned every thing related,but to no avail..

The only other thing i can think of that would cause the issue is uneven cylinder compression,which wouldn't surprise me at all being the engine has 313,000+ miles on it. meh,i just ignore it now.

LvR

On the rough idle thing:

I have experienced rough idles too - but on VGs only, and managed to solve the issue with paint of all things

I have on my own vehicle found intermittent rough idles to be caused by the TPS, and since I stay in this armpit of the earth where nothing seems to be available at a decent price, I decided to apply personal engineering to the item.

On stripping the TPS and looking at the socket with the 3 prongs coming from the wiper assembly I noticed something really weird:

(Magnifying headset with built-in illumination required for this) The "contacts" are actually made up of a metal "pin" part that serves to carry a conductive "membrane" that is deposited on the pins and THAT membrane is in contact with the resistive wiper inside the TPs body - in my case I found that "membrane" to have become brittle and it was separating/pealing away from the pins - in such a way that the plug/socket simply could no longer make decent and reliable contact.

So what I did about it:

I cut the plastic socket wall away with a micro grinder, soldered 3 wires directly to the TPS pins' tips (quickly so you don't further damage that membrane) and then after cleaning the whole pin assembly, I used conductive paint to "make" new membranes from the front of the pins where the soldering is right to the back of the pins where the original "membrane" seems to be in much better condition. Allowed it to dry overnight, and then filled the whole of the socket with silicon sealer (suitable for cars).

3 spade terminal sets later on the those wires (to replace the original plug/socket) , and I have had a solid idle ever since ..................... and as a result a few of my VG friends as a result too.

sublunary

iTrader: (2)

well done, necessity being the mother of invention and all...

where do you live? new jersey (just kidding new jersey people)

yeah there are only a couple things left to clean/check before i assume its as good as it gets without an engine rebuild. i know that i need one because my plugs get pretty nasty with oil, which i guess means valve guides and such. one thing i have to decide about is whether to do a jdm swap or rebuild the current one. oh yeah, i also have to figure out how to do it myself....

LvR

South Africa

Greeny

iTrader: (43)

The oil may just be from a leaking valve cover gasket,when the gasket leaks it lets oil pool up around the plugs inside the plug holes on your heads,it can easily be mistaken for oil on the end of the plugs(inside the combustion chamber) because when you remove the plug,the oil will run down the sides of the plug when you take it out..so check inside the plug holes(with the spark plug still in the head) for pools of oil before you decide to rebuild/replace the engine.

sublunary

iTrader: (2)

LvR: wow, no wonder you call a hood a bonnet

Green: yeah thats a good tip, but the insides are clean and i do have low compression on some of the cylinders too, plus the car doesn't have the power it used to. i have run the car very low on oil several times because of leaks so i think it is a fairly safe bet that the engine needs work. there were a few times that i knew the car needed oil because i could hear it that is not good...

Greeny

iTrader: (43)

Dude.....

It might be wise to just replace the engine at this point.

sublunary

iTrader: (2)

well...what a day. i am now really looking for another car. i have to take my max off the road because i can't pass emissions thanks to the engine burning so much oil. i have to do an engine swap before i am going to be able to pass. it is really starting to pump out smoke now.... so i have to figure out where i can stash the max until i get a place with a driveway/garage. i do like living in the city but not at times like this. so...

it does seem like it will be easier to do a jdm swap than try to rebuild because of the extent to the damage. but i would have preferred to rebuild instead of having to worry about the quality of an unknown engine. but ill have to figure that all out later after taking care of the more pressing concern of NOT HAVING A CAR (at least not a legal one...)

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

Greeny

iTrader: (43)

Useless snake oil...I used that stuff many moons ago on my 79 supra(piston rings shot)..It did absolutely nothing,car still smoked like a freight train,i even tried using 2 bottles...

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

works great on the cabs...

Tquick

Straight 30 weight, or 20 W 50 will help with the smoking as well. I'm not sure it would make enough of a difference to get past the emissions test, but if you were close to passing, it might do the trick.

sublunary

iTrader: (2)

i was close to passing 65 days ago but i ran seafoam through the brake booster hose and that really cleaned it out but it seems to smoke more now even though that was two weeks ago. i have 5w-30 in there. i actually thought of the smoke-be-gone stuff but i had tried that on an old work van and it didn't help. i also thought of rubbing alcohol too but i have no idea how much to put in but i doubt that would have helped enough. so i decided to put some bourbon in my tank instead. didn't help the emissions but made me feel better....
i am going to look at a 01 se 5-speed on monday with 100k for $7500. now i am trying to figure out were to stash my car till i can get a new motor and a place to work on it. this would be so much easier if i had a driveway.

Greeny

iTrader: (43)

You should have used everclear(190 proof pure grain alcohol)

sublunary

iTrader: (2)

i meant MY "tank"
my car drives me to drink...

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

Diesel oil will reduce oil burning and I would have just dumped in entire bottles of alcohol to improve the numbers. I never needed to do the alcohol trick because all my cars passed even when they burned oil.

sublunary

iTrader: (2)

i just don't know how much is enough. i mean if there is 1/4 tank of gas and i dump in a couple of pints of isopropyl is the car going to run?
if i could use a product like "restore" (is that it? the gray can that you pour in the crankcase?) and use the rubbing alcohol...i need this sticker and then i don't have to find a place to store the car. that would be fantastic

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

I wouldn't use more than one bottle of isopropyl personally.

truckinusa

Wish I could start my own thread, but what do you do about a car that wont start because the transmission isn't fully in Park. I tap the gear selector and then it will start. Very annoying.

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

shifter bushing is bad probably

Tquick

I personally just tap the shifter when it happens (seems to be more a problem in the cold months) and then start it. It was more annoying when I had the remote starter last winter, and half the time it wouldn't work, but even then, I just had to remember to tap the shifter up into park after I shut the car off at night.