some help would be appreciated
03-09-2006, 06:29 PM
#1
Staging Lane
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some help would be appreciated Please take the time to listen to my story, even though I have told it numerous times on this and other boards.....
My car had an SES when scanned said "Fuel too lean in bank 2", my fight to try and combat this has included numerous swaps of parts.....including in december of last year the swapping of my stock fuel pump with a high flow racing fuel pump, well after that didnt fix the issue, I just stuck with it and headed up to my parent's house for the holidays.
On the way there, the car all of a sudden refused to shift into reverse. I managed to get to my parents house and we took the car to a tranny shop. They told me that due to my improper torquing down of a new clutch plate, it was only wearing on one side of the clutch. Well that was an expensive lesson about do it yourself repair.
So with a new clutch installed I headed back south. Item of note, the SES light never came back once the clutch was changed out and the drivetrain reassembled. I drive the car throughout the month of January with no issues.
All of a sudden, there would be instances when in 5th or 6th gear, if I put too much gas into it, it would start choking, the car would start shaking violently and backfiring. After talking to my father who knows alot more about mechanical work than myself, I told him that I thought it was the fuel pump sending too much fuel to the engine. This is also based on the fact that while driving friends would point out that gas would come out my tailpipes.
So I took it back to the mechanic who installed the aftermarket fuel pump, we went for a drive in the car and he said that the engine was misfiring. Ran a scan on the new SES light, and it agreed that the engine was misfiring, although it didn't indicate which cylinder. He called and said that he would swap out my plugs, wires, and change the fuel pump back out with a stock one for 600 bucks.
I said ok, I get the car back 3 days later, with the plugs and wires changed, but the pump wasn't changed. Since he messed around with changing the wires and plugs for all that time, he still charged me 600 bucks. I was pissed, took the car back and drove it around. NOW the idle is a lot harsher, the SES light will flash at idle once the engine comes up in temperature. I have yet to inspect the wires and plugs myself.
Over the past week I changed the fuel filter and the fuel pump with the stock one, started the car back up, same issues.
So here I sit, afraid to drive the car for fear of damaging it, but still need it to get around. I have several ideas in mind, what with my limited technical knowledge.
1) With the fuel system, the fuel pump is sending way to much fuel, over time did it start building up somewhere? I changed the pump and filter, where would the build up be? The injectors? Or am I just going about that aspect all wrong?
2) Is it this new clutch doing this? Is it installed wrong? It worked fine all that time, shifted like a dream, until mid-January.
3) As far as the issue about the idling and engine missing more often after the plugs and wires getting changed out, the wires were re-routed and instead of being up by the block, they look taught and almost strained, that might be why the engine is even more worse off now. Or maybe it's just the problem getting progressively worse.
I am really stuck in a rut and out of ideas, well, besides those. if anyone has anything they can suggest to me or maybe a RELIABLE place to go and have it looked at in the virginia area, as I always say, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks
My car had an SES when scanned said "Fuel too lean in bank 2", my fight to try and combat this has included numerous swaps of parts.....including in december of last year the swapping of my stock fuel pump with a high flow racing fuel pump, well after that didnt fix the issue, I just stuck with it and headed up to my parent's house for the holidays.
On the way there, the car all of a sudden refused to shift into reverse. I managed to get to my parents house and we took the car to a tranny shop. They told me that due to my improper torquing down of a new clutch plate, it was only wearing on one side of the clutch. Well that was an expensive lesson about do it yourself repair.
So with a new clutch installed I headed back south. Item of note, the SES light never came back once the clutch was changed out and the drivetrain reassembled. I drive the car throughout the month of January with no issues.
All of a sudden, there would be instances when in 5th or 6th gear, if I put too much gas into it, it would start choking, the car would start shaking violently and backfiring. After talking to my father who knows alot more about mechanical work than myself, I told him that I thought it was the fuel pump sending too much fuel to the engine. This is also based on the fact that while driving friends would point out that gas would come out my tailpipes.
So I took it back to the mechanic who installed the aftermarket fuel pump, we went for a drive in the car and he said that the engine was misfiring. Ran a scan on the new SES light, and it agreed that the engine was misfiring, although it didn't indicate which cylinder. He called and said that he would swap out my plugs, wires, and change the fuel pump back out with a stock one for 600 bucks.
I said ok, I get the car back 3 days later, with the plugs and wires changed, but the pump wasn't changed. Since he messed around with changing the wires and plugs for all that time, he still charged me 600 bucks. I was pissed, took the car back and drove it around. NOW the idle is a lot harsher, the SES light will flash at idle once the engine comes up in temperature. I have yet to inspect the wires and plugs myself.
Over the past week I changed the fuel filter and the fuel pump with the stock one, started the car back up, same issues.
So here I sit, afraid to drive the car for fear of damaging it, but still need it to get around. I have several ideas in mind, what with my limited technical knowledge.
1) With the fuel system, the fuel pump is sending way to much fuel, over time did it start building up somewhere? I changed the pump and filter, where would the build up be? The injectors? Or am I just going about that aspect all wrong?
2) Is it this new clutch doing this? Is it installed wrong? It worked fine all that time, shifted like a dream, until mid-January.
3) As far as the issue about the idling and engine missing more often after the plugs and wires getting changed out, the wires were re-routed and instead of being up by the block, they look taught and almost strained, that might be why the engine is even more worse off now. Or maybe it's just the problem getting progressively worse.
I am really stuck in a rut and out of ideas, well, besides those. if anyone has anything they can suggest to me or maybe a RELIABLE place to go and have it looked at in the virginia area, as I always say, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks
03-09-2006, 06:40 PM
#2
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As far as being rich is there a fuel pressure problem" too much pressure" If so its not the fuel pump. you can have the biggest race pump but the fuel pressure regulator with just recirculate it back to the tank. I believe you may have a couple of problems
1 going bad optisparks dont set codes but car will run like **** intermitantly.Then just die and never restart.
2 the rich or lean bank could be a bad O2 sensor.
3 get a good set of wires and put them on your self -have fun with that.
1 going bad optisparks dont set codes but car will run like **** intermitantly.Then just die and never restart.
2 the rich or lean bank could be a bad O2 sensor.
3 get a good set of wires and put them on your self -have fun with that.
03-09-2006, 11:42 PM
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I'd start with new Optispark and then O2 sensors. The misfires are what's causing the car to run rough and crappy. Misfires are either no spark or no fuel. You already know you have fuel since it's running out the exhaust. Therefore, you have no spark. LT1 are notorious for problems with the Optispark so do that first. If that doesn't fix your problem, you may need to replace to O2 sensors
Any mechanic should have been able to figure this out before just replacing plugs and wires. At $600, you got ripped you off big time. You should get most of your money back.
The clutch isn't causing the misfiring. Don't worry about that for now. Good luck.
Any mechanic should have been able to figure this out before just replacing plugs and wires. At $600, you got ripped you off big time. You should get most of your money back.
The clutch isn't causing the misfiring. Don't worry about that for now. Good luck.
03-10-2006, 07:06 AM
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I'm going to have to say it's your optispark. My 94 had the same symptons when mine was bad. Probably a good idea to replace the o2's if you're still on the stockers. Get those 2 fixed and your car will run like a champ again.
