Need Help

I am new to the Forum and of course have an issue.
I have a 1997 Escort Wagon LX and I bought it simply for a comuter car.

It has 115,000Km on it and it started running terrible about 5000Km ago. I changed the plugs and plug wires and the problem went away for a little while and now its back and getting worse. The engine surges especially at an idle, and a little bit as you accelerate slowly. You cannot feel it at all once you are up to highway speeds.
I bought the car with a check engine light on and the code that reads out is a Fugitive evaporative emmisions Control valve code. Since that code has been in since I bought it I don't think it has anything to do with the current problem

I then broke down and took it to a Ford Dealer to try get them to fix it, but that was a mistake. The tried hooking it up to their computer and told me that it would not connect and they said there was a problem with the PCM or a loose wire causing the computer not to read the engine sensors.

So I paid them for nothing and don't know what to do from here. I don't really want to spend a lot of money on replacing computers or getting them to diognos it if I don't have too.

Please Help.

could be a few things.

1) bad fuel pressure regulator. the "surging" could be from the fuel not being regulated properly.
2) bad fuel filter. when was the last time you changed it? they're cheap, and not too bad to replace, it's on the firewall.
3) cracked coilpack. on my 95 wagon, the coilpack got cracked, and seemed like I had a miss. replaced that, and it ran perfectly fine.
4) plug wires. in my experience, the wires need to be replaced regularly. I had a friend who even had a cracked ceramic on his spark plug, and the compression kept pushing the boot off of the plug. the #1 plug and wire is kind of a pain to get, though, with the alternator bracket being right in the way..

good luck!

--sarge

As for your engine code it makes me think there is a problem with the catalytic converter or the charcoal canister... I am unfamiliar with that code and would have to research it a little bit as I do not know for sure which sensor would cause it.
The surging could be from a number of things including bad EGR valve, vacuum leak, and those already listed.
Start by trying to find a vacuum leak.

Surging at an idle and at very low speeds could be sticking Idle Control Valve. We replaced at about 110,000. Once you had your foot on the gas and the car had speeded up past 1st geat it ran fine. And be sure there is not crack or hole or air leak in that rubber ducting leading from the air filter to the throttle body. An air leak in that thing can give goofy results.

Thanks guys for all your input. I will try a few of these thigs, but then I may have to take it in.

I will be away for awhile, but I will post and let you know how it all turns out.