Big, Big Time Poster
No power below 3000RPM, idling is like a old fishing boat
Well i went to the store this morning, bought some stuff and was about to drive home. Started it up and it sounded like a old fishing boat, My old volvo sounded like that when it fired on 3 out of 4 sylinders.
However I tried to give it some throttle and it backfired a couple of time through my airfilter (open filter, K&N style) and it revved up to 3000rpm, then it was like normal.. I could drive home with no problem as long as I kept the engine above 3000rpm`s. Below that it lost all power and felt like my aunt`s mazda.
I`ve pulled out a plug just to check, and ther was some oil in the plughole, not much, just so that i was dripping a bit from the plug when i got it out, how the h***l did i get oil down there?
Anyway, a buddy thought it might be the air mass meter (not sure it this is the right english word for it) i unplugged the connector when the enginge was "idling", and then the idle raised up to 1200rpm, before it dropped to 800 and was like normal again. Tried to drive it without my air mass meter and it pulls fine all the way.. Plug it back inn again and the fishy idle was there again.
Anyone? Please? I would be so gratefull.
PS! Its a 525 m50. Recently(2days ago) fitted a "huge" stereo in the trunk, could this have ruined some electrics?
Last edited by Espen; 05-27-2006 at 05:35 AM.
Major Contributor
Valve cover gasket leaky? Or did someone botch an oil change and spill?Originally Posted by Espen
If removing it makes the engine run better, then that's your culprit right?
Does your engine give you codes for the MAF? Backfiring can seriously hurt your MAF since it's a single wire set-up.
Major Contributor
Clean the oil out of the plug holes, clean off the plug boots and spray them down with a liberal coat of silicone and let the carrier evaporate off before you reinstall. see if the problem goes away.
Repair the oil leak asap, it will ruin the plug boots if it hasn't already.
Do what Morgenster recomends, if it will barely idle now, unplug the MAF and if it improves, the MAF is almost for sure the problem.
Super Moderator
First i would look at the rubber boot that connects from the
mass air flow sensor to the throttle body and look for cracks where air could be sucking in . If its cracked or the hose clamps are loose it will suck air around the mass air flow sensor and give it a false reading.. Also does the car have asc and a secondary throttle body? Also i would look at the mass air flow sensor to see it the oil from that wonderful K&N has contaminated it and affected it readings.
5-10 Grand Master
This happens to me when the valve cover leaks. Oil sits on the plug and messed up the spark so you will misfire on it weird like. New VC gasket and new plugs, clean off the coil packs, and you'll be on your way.
Big, Big Time Poster
Thanks for great answers!
The oil could come from a oilrefill. This is the first time i remove the plastic cover , i noticed that the rubber sealing around the oil inlet was not lying right. The oil on top of the plug might have it source there.
Im not sure if the maf is the culprit, i thought removing it would force the DME to use default fuel tables (limp mode?), so that it gives it a very rich mixture. I have no error codes on the display, havent done a diagnostics check, no check engine light.
Backfiring isnt good, yes i know. I`ve driven with the MAF unconnected all day to avoid backfiring, fishy idle, and no power. The idle seems to be a bit high without the MAF, i think that is normal, because it is running in "limp" mode.
ASC? Second throttle body? (My english is not that good) Ill just post a picture of my engine bay, and you`ll figure out.
plug boots? Not sure if i understood you, its just the bottom of the "nut-part" (16mm socket) that was covered with oil not the white part on the top, there wasnt really much oil, and not all plugs had oil on them.
I bought 6 new plugs just to be sure, so ill change them tomorrow. The old ones looked kinda old anyway.. Cant hurt changing them.
How can i find out if it is the MAF that has problems? It could be a false air problem, and there could also be another sensor that is shot? O2 sensor?
Big, Big Time Poster
anyone?
Big, Big Time Poster
bump
Major Contributor
Clear the codes, hook every thing back up, disconect the stereo. take it for a test drive. If you have no trouble start with looking into the stereo install. people mess this up alot and it can cause lots of odd problems.
If the problem is still there, pull the codes, and check that out. typicaly though, if you disconnect the MAF and the idle improves, the MAF is bad. You will already have a MAF code since you ran it with it disconnected, so make sure you clear the codes first.
The oil on the plugs that both JonK and I spoke of is important to fix even if the opil is not yet pooling up to the boots. eventualy it will and cause a missfire, then it can short out the coils and lead to other trouble. Make sure you know where the oil came from, assuming it came from spilled oil is not a safe thing to do when you consider the cost.
Major Contributor
The plug boots are the long tube extensions on your coils.
How old are the plugs?
O2 sensor would not give you this when starting cold.
Double check the oil thing before putting in the new plugs, otherwise you could end up fouling brand new ones.
Disconnecting the MAF in itself should give you an error code.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
