Very lost....

I have a 1998 Ford Contour with a 4cyl engine. A few nights ago my check engine light came on but I didn't have time to check into it. A few days later my car started lacking power and not going anywhere when I put my foot on the gas. I let it sit for a few days in my backyard and today it wouldn't start. I kept hearing a "pop" noise from the intake as it was cranking and took it apart to see air gushing out of the hole in the throttle plate like a mini backfire while the car was cranking. I took out the fuel injectors, disconnected the spark plug wires and tried to start it to see if the fuel injectors were spraying. I saw they were so I put the injectors back in and reconnected the wires. The first time Icranked it, it took awhile but it started and was hesitating. After that it started without a long crank and barely hesitated. Also when it wasn't starting I could smell a cross between something burning and gas. Anyone know what it might be?

check all pulleys especially a/c and waterpump. Does it crank slow? or crank normally? check the timing belt (could have skipped a tooth).. Actually the more i think about it that probably is your problem.. You said you got a CEL which would usually mean your VCT solenoid has failed (cause it to have a cam-overretarded code) in which case it would have no power, be difficult to start and overall run like crap.


Could be a number of things, just do what I said and report back.. If you can drive the car get it to autozone and get that CEL code.. that will help alot.

id have to agree. although a friend of mine had a 96 contour and had a similar problem and after taking it to about 5 different shops including a ford dealership they still hadnt figured out the problem so i hope it goes easier for you and hopefully cheaper

Well, I took the car to Autozone to have the code checked out and it said the car is misfiring and it needs an o2 sensor. I just put in new plugs and wires last month, why could it be misfiring?

Well, I took the car to Autozone to have the code checked out and it said the car is misfiring and it needs an o2 sensor. I just put in new plugs and wires last month, why could it be misfiring?

Can you post the code you got here? An O2 sensor code and a misfire code are different.

check and make sure you didnt put the wires in the wrong order because that could be the problem with it misfiring, although that shouldnt have anything to do with an o2 sensor code. but then again it is a ford after all