Back to the old cold / wet running problems...I just barely made it to school today, ugh....so here it is. Car fires up fine in the cold, no problem...once it reaches normal operating temp, however, it surges and cuts out all over. Have to floor it from a stop, otherwise no other amount of fuel given results in any results...sputters, coughs, etc. I popped the hood when I made it to school, and the plenum was cold enough for me to touch and leave my hand on....?? What's the deal with that? I mean, it's warm, but noththing near hot....and the temp display shows nothing too out of the ordinary, maybe a tick lower due to the cold weather. I also added weight to the rear, though I don't think it should matter....I'm at your mercy here guys, what's the deal with this damn thing...???

 

Injectors would be my first choice to check...

Tho I'm thinking once the ecm comes out of warm up mode, it's leaning out too far... maybe a bad o2 sensor?

 

Typically, ignition problems are less noticeble when cold, but can become VERY noticable when the engine gets hot. Start with the basics.

Check the resistance of all the plug wires with an Ohmmeter. Wires shouldn't have more than approx. 4,000 ohms per foot.

Check spark plugs for carbon tracking.

 

Any SES light coming on. This sort of sounds like either a temp sensor problem or The MAF. Generally when the MAF goes it cause those kinds of problems. That is if your car even has the MAF.

 

I'm thinking its your ignition module in the distributor has gone bad. They are heat sensitive (make sure you use the grease pack supplied with the new unit whenever replacing). When it goes bad, your timing will jump all over the place. Take it off and and go to Autozone to have them test it for you(They do that free of charge) If it is bad, purchase an A/C Deco module (Not a POS Wells unit).

 

I had EGR code a while back, cleaned it up, seemed fine from then on....could it be EGR related, I wonder...? Either way, time for cap/rotor/fuel filter and all those goodies.....

 

EGR is a possibility. Does the problem happen everyday?? If it does, try disconnecting the EGR and see if it still occurs.

 

Just a thought, next time it does that shut it off then right back on. i got a stick so it a tad easier to do while moving but my car acts funny some times when its really cold out. Like the car starts before all the sensors come alive.

I dont notie it till I get moving an anything over a tad of pedal just bogs but i dirve it for about a block till I got room to push in the clutch and turn it off and back on. Then it runs fine.

really acts like it just cold and something a sensor what ever does not come on. Turn it off then back on and shes happy.

 

I had the exact same problem once. Replaced the coil and O2 sensor and that fixed it. Never did figure out which one was actually bad though.

 

Problem only occurs when damp, or in colder conditions, which is what leads me to believe it's spark related....fuel pump is good, and all of that....I'm praying on the coil, feels like it may be the culprit....any other suggestions are great, I'll keep you guys posted on progress....thx.

 

Ok, here we go...went out to turn it over, recently it's been a biittt harder to start, as I thought due to increasing cold...but it appears to be a bit more then that. Tried to turn it over, kind of went "rrrr..." like it was starting to turn over...then dead. Nada. Took the key out, waited half a minute, tried again....turned over, just barely, and fired up. Hope this is another clue - ovbiously a spark/ignition issue, hopefully causing the same problems?> I'm by no means a vehicle guru, but would love to fix this myself to avoid repair costs....thanks again.

 

Sounds like a classic ignition module death to me. They work great when cold, but when they get hot, they stop working. Do you have a 2.8 or a 3.1 (digital EGR)? If you have a 2.8 with a vacuum EGR, just put your fingers underneath the valve; the diaphragm should be resting at the bottom. You should be able to push the diaphragm up (takes a slight bit of effort) and it should pop back down when you let go. Do you have a fuel pressure gauge?

Also, over-advanced timing could cause a car to barely run. Have you done what CaliCamaro suggested, and checked out the tips of the plugs yet? Timing that's overly-advanced and causing detonation can actually destroy a spark plug's tip. You could also get another clue by reading the spark plugs; check the tips to see if they're wet with fuel. If they are, that kinda points to a misfire.

Might also be a dead battery and/or alternator, or even a corroded battery cable- you said the engine stopped turning, and then you waited a few minutes, and it barely cranked?