I was just driving my car in town tonight when suddenly it started idling really rough, when I hit the gas it had no more power than it did without any gas so i let it roll into a parking space. Any idea what this could be?

There is a strong smell of gas when the car idles. Could it be the fuel filter, can they go suddenly? I just filled up earlier in the day but drove like 30 miles before this happened. Don't hear a vac leak but it was already dark when this happened so I'll have to take a better look tomorrow. Guess I'm looking for some things to check first.

thanks.

strong smell in gas w/ rough idle could indicate leaky injector(s). i know i got a leaky one to replace soon.

OK, I went and started it up today but didn't really get the gas smell anymore. still idling like crap. When I try to drive it it goes in D ok as long as your foots off the gas. as soon as you give it any the engine hesitates, jerks the car foreward a little then goes back to having no power and it will continue to do this.

Mine does that, but its very rare..

I normally just turn it off for a while and when i start it again its fine...

I would like to know what it is as well.

Now this sounds very familar...

I thought it was my FPR(Fuel Pressure Regulator), nope but replaced and runs better.

I thought it was my fuel filter, nope but now thats been replaced I can feel a change to good.

I thought it was a bad vacum line, nope

I thought it was my spark plugs, nope but car runs smoother and cranks ASAP when I wanted it to.


Thinking its my TPS(Throttle Position Sensor), I'm working on that right now and from reading and researching I think the problem is the TPS. Just having some problems right now in calibrating the right voltage. I'm getting help right now with 89-Bird whos been a great help on this. So to make a long story short look into the TPS. If you go to youtube it will give you an example on how to check if it is bad....

Got my money on the TPS(Throttle Position Sensor)

Yeah, most of that stuff is new (less than 1 year old) on my car, and no vac leak, at least that I can hear.

So is there a thread going on that has any info on this? when I was having car trouble that night some random guy walked up and looked at it for a second and said it was probably the TPS. To be totally honest, I've never done anything with a TPS, I don't even know if I could find it on the car.. Any links you could provide that might be of some help?

Hey K I was/and still in the same boat. I didnt find much on info and clips on changing the TPS....maybe we should put somethign together on that. K, 89 bird is working on this with me. But the problem is that he is very very familar on the 2.8 and 3.1 is some what different. hey Bird you should foward K the pic I took and sent you maybe that would help him out. or stamp those bad boys on here....dont have them anymore

If you go to autozone the part will be 29.99. - Heres the thing, you just dont buy it and bolt it in...it can be easy but I'm making it hard.

Here's the pictures entrig00 sent me of his .

It looks SLIGHTY different than mine, But I bet it's essentially the same thing. The thing is my car isn't throwing any codes and it seems like if the TPS was to balme i"d be getting some. Then again, with OBD1 nothing is for sure.

And why would bolting in a new one not work if that's the problem? I've been trying to find specs. for what the ohm readings should be at different spots but havn't had any luck.

Have you checked for codes when the TPS on my 2.8 was going out it would kick the light on for a second then go out and not stay on and the only way to know was to check the codes . entrig00 is haveing problems getting his on and adjusting the volts to .54v .

These are just wild guesses but how about Catalytic converter? Check timing too. Maybe it jumped time. It is a shot in the dark though without codes.

Kevin

Anything is possible but I would check for codes .

Slice on mine it didnt give me any codes either....and today in 2-3 hours from now I'm giong to try it again....

Yes your right it is the same....

My car is cat free, I did replace the cap a month or so ago, I checked it and everyhting seems tight, but I guess it's still a possability. Since I can barley get the car to move I don't think I'd be able to get it somewhere to have any codes read, if there even is any. I don't get an ses light.

Basicly what I'm thinking is TPS or timing right now.

K-Slice today my car would not move. I tried rev it to low RPMS that way it can move and nothing. this is starting to P**** me off. I know its the TPS or i'm that sure and confident it is that but no matter how I put it in or what I do its doing the same thing. I can take it to a shop because it wont move. I also do know get any codes.

Hopefully someone has the key/trick to fix this because I know a show are going to want a alot for such a small fix I'm sure...

Right as it sits, the 88+ TPS is NON-adjustable. You have to MAKE it adjustable by using a Dremel-type tool and elongating the mounting holes so you can move it a little bit. The setting is .55 VDC.

BTW, the ONLY way to do a proper resistance test on a TPS is with an old-fashioned analog needle-style ohmmeter. Unless, of course, you happen to have a very expensive DMM that does graphing...

:edit: Also, if I were you guys I'd pull a plug or 2 and find out what color my spark is. Sounds like at least one of you has a coil going bad.

Can you provide pix or video on how that is done lol.....

Thanks...

Which part? Elongating the TPS mounting holes or the test?

The test is easy. Just hook up the meter (provided you can find one), between the light blue wire and the black wire, and very slowly open the throttle until you hit WOT. If the needle or graph drops to zero at any point above the closed throttle position (actually, it shouldn't at all), you have a dead spot in the TPS.

I can get you a pic of the holes in my TPS later. FYI, at closed throttle, my TPS was putting out a signal of .67 VDC, and the ECM was throwing a "can't control the idle speed" code, 25, I think.

Same type of problems in my 351 Bronco. Needed a new fuel pump.

Bird was walking me through the testing of the voltage/setting it but I kept getting -329 ...what does that mean?

Well, the negative part seems as though you had the black test lead connected to the light blue wire for the TPS signal instead of the red one (black connects to ground, usually). And I would assume that you were trying to read the meter as it was set for the 2000 mV (millivolt) scale instead of the 2V scale, in which case you should be reading 550 mV. Either way, your TPS holes have the output set WAY low, it seems.
I'll try to get some pics up tomorrow, depending on the hit-or-miss weather here.

pictures would be great. I do know that I kept getting that reading when I had black with black red with blue. The connection to the TPS has black(in the far left), Grey(bottom center) and blue towards the right. I was told to put black with black and red with blue.....using the 2000 mV...

Guys I might just take this in and see whats going on....then I'll have to check back and provide info, I'm starting to feel that its not the TPS....S.O.B.

I had you useing the 20vdc scale since the sensor voltage is between 4 and 6 volts . You could try elongating the bolt holes to move it around to get the volts set .

Well Mine should soon be running again. I replaced the fuel filter, didn't make a difference. However, the gas that came out of the filter was grey and full of metal, a sign the fuel pump was burning up. Took it to the shop and they measured the pressure at 15psi, it should be at around 45..
Me and my friend are putting the new pump on saturday and hopefully the car will run good after that.

I hope that does it for you .