My car seemed to be running just peachy this morning - I took the freeway up north to take my girl to breakfast...

I got off the freeway, made a left, and then went to pass a slow minivan - I gave it gas (not floored, but a decent amount) - and suddenly the engine sounded different.

It thought "that's strange" - then as I was thinking that, I noticed the throttle wasn't working right - no power.

I then made a hard right into a sidestreet when it died.

Now when I try to start i get the following symptoms:

1) Car won't start unless I feather the throttle - if I let go for even a second, it dies.

2) The engine shakes violently when feathering the gas like that.

3) smell of fuel is strong from exhaust

4) Black smoke out of tailpipe - not like a diesel engine, but enough to be worried about.

5) Computer throw code 0505 - "all systems go."

I also took 2 plugs (front right 2) out and looked at them - they have 2k on them, and are covered in black soot that rubs off easily - otherwise, no oil or anything on it.

Also checked oil level - oil looks nice and clean and is perfectly filled.

HELP!

 

Holy ****, sorry man. Nothing about what you explained sounded good and I wish I could be more help to you. I guess the car is still at the side of the road huh? Or you had it towed back to your place or to a shop (dealer) by now?

 

Nope - car is still there - trying to figure out what to do next - I left my cell phone at home, and all the numbers for the local guys who may be able to help me were on it - so I caught a bus home and I'm trying to figure out what to do next - turns out all the guys that could help are out of town!

 

Anything I could do? I am up in Everett but could be down there if you needed me to?

 

i remember the same symptoms in my old camry.. it had to do with bad gas and the cold weather.. car ran fine after i added some dry gas to the fuel tank

 

Well, I can't seem to get ahold of anyone else.

Check your PM's.

 

Your MAF sensor failed. Strange that it's not throwing a code yet.
Find somebody from the org close to you and swap sensors really quick to make sure thats what it is.

 

You think so? Seems morel ike the engine is misfiring than anything.

 

You know what, after I think a minute, could be the famous crank sensor failures. Symptoms are the same, no start, lots of fuel. And they don't throw codes right away either. There's two on the car and you can check them yourself with a multimeter. One by the lower pully and one on the bell housing that looks at the flywheel.

 

i know you checked a couple of plugs and the ecu says 0505 but it "sounds" like a ignition problem. you're smelling the unburned fuel.

 

So you guys don't think the engine went "pop"?

 

No....




But something did go pop.... you just need to figure out what

 

Good, because of a flame war last week - if my engine went "pop", I'd owe SprintMax some $$$ and never live it down...

 

I hate the CPS and the coil packs! I too have had similar problems. For CR's and JD power's most "reliable" car, it sure wasnt for me.

 

Lookin in the Chilton's, the plugs being black is from running rich....which I have been running rich on purpose because I got the AFC and haven't tuned it yet....

Going up there again now to check the rest of the plugs, and do a voltmeter test on the MAF and CPS.

 

Car's fixed:

Problem - I'm a dumbass.

 

You gonna leave us hanging or tell us what happened?

 

Sure - Although I'm going to get flamed for this:

My SC piping was loose behind the MAF.

As soon as I popped the hood again, we caught it.

 

Your right, your are gonna get flamed for that!

 

Oh well, i figure I allow myself 1 stupid thing a year - that was it....

I feel dumb, but releived.

 

Whew!!! Glad to hear it's nothing major

 

Only 1 stupid thing/year? Sure are hard on yourself. My wife allows me 365. Leap years are kinda tough for me.

Looks like njmaxseltd was right on when he said MAF.

Dave

 

good job i was about to suggest that. because i did that before had the car in service drive at my dealership and i noticed the hoses were really loose hahahahaa i was like omg i know what i did wrong.

 

The best feeling in the world is finding out something that seems serious is just a dumba$$ thing. glad it worked out fer ya!

K

 

Hehe.........wish I had a SC to make the same mistake with tho!

Good for you Ian.....glad it was something simple.