01 nightmare

[jeweltojunk]

I will warn you now, this post will end up being a book! Ok, start at beginning, 01 with the 3.1 6cyl. First thing that started this nightmare is I was noticing a bit of a hiccup after driving for a couple miles. We've only had the car a few months and not sure what maintenance was done so we thought maybe it needed a tune up. Before I got the parts the check engine light came on so I went to parts store to get it read, it was P0302. Did the wires and plugs and it got worse, the code wasnt p0302 now its just p0300. But after the plugs it also started idling really rough and would be slow to shift. Once it tacked up high and wasnt speeding up. That was only once tho. Also now it has no power its like driving a 2cyl lol.

Anyway we decided since the first code said 2 we replaced coil 2, no help..ok, fuel filter and fuel injector 2, no help. Also has cleaned various things Im not sure of the technical name for..sensors and air filters and other things.

None of this has helped the car still idles very bad and doesnt have the power it should have. Also cleaned things on fuel rail(?). He is in the process of replacing the crank sensor as someone said if it was all the way bad it would throw a different code but it may just be faulty.

Im about ready to throw my hands in the air and give up. Anyone have any other helpful input. When I first got it it ran and drove wonderful, now ugh! And if we ever get this fixed we have to find out whats eating the inside of my back tires!

[Tech II]

Check exhaust back pressure....

[jeweltojunk]

How do you do that?

[jeweltojunk]

Gee, I'm so glad I found this forum, so active and so much information....

[Tech II]

OK, first take two aspirin, and call me in the morning....you can't be butting your head against walls....

I said check for back pressure, because if this car was misfiring, it could have damaged your cat, which could be partially blocked and cause lack of power....

With a 3.1, you do the basics.....

Has theis vehicle been losing coolant?

I assume the vehicle is still misfiring? If you drove it while it was misfiring, did the CE light flash?

Did you check for spark on all six cylinders with a spark tester?

You changed plugs and wires...did you use OEM plugs, and check gap before installing? New wires? Did you run the wires to the correct plugs and coil terminals? Did you notice any carbonning/corrosion on any of the coil terminals?

You replaced injector #2? When you removed the upper plenum, were the harnesses ok? Mice like to build nests under there and eat the insulation on the harnesses.....did you check injector pulse to each injector while you had the plenum off?

Did you check fuel pressure at the fuel rail?

If your exhaust is plugged, partially plugged at the cat, you can do several things...remove the O2 sensor(one before the cat) and install a gauge to measure back pressure....should be less than 1.25 psi at idle......you can also disconnect the O2 sensor, remove sensor and drive it a short distance....this will be loud of course, but if power has returned, then there is a blockage....

Usually, when a cat is partially blocked, if you start from a dead stop, and then lay into the accelerator pedal, and the car revs high, and doesn't shift, and bogs down, come to a stop.....now, from a dead stop, very lightly accelerate, if the car slowly gets up to speed and shifts, this is an indicator of a plugged cat.....

Main thing though, if the car is misfiring, that has to be taken care of first....

[jeweltojunk]

ooh geez, just lost a long post answering this, try it again. not loosing coolant yes on misfire and check engine light, pretty sure the plugs were spark tested but not certain. Yes to everything about plugs wires and gap. he didnt mention anything about carbon or corrosion..he did take some piece off and clean the carbon off of it but i cant recall the name of the part. didnt find any problems with the harness when he had the plenum off and not sure about the injector pulse and i think the only way the fuel pressure was checked was on left side of engine hooked to some valve i cant remember the name of. But while he was in the process of changing that crank sensor he managed to over torque something and when we started it sparks were coming out on a bottom pulley he says he damaged the harmonic balancer...idk. and of course it had to go and snow AGAIN so he cant work on it for a while because its a bit too cold to lay on the ground outside right now.

[Johnny R]

Originally Posted by jeweltojunk

Gee, I'm so glad I found this forum, so active and so much information....

Pretty sassy for someone who is looking for freebie help, I think.

[Tech II]

"of course it had to go and snow AGAIN so he cant work on it for a while because its a bit too cold to lay on the ground outside right now."

OK, that's a red flag.....

[jeweltojunk]

Originally Posted by Johnny R

Pretty sassy for someone who is looking for freebie help, I think.

Not sassy just frustration, it says so many thousands of members but only one person had anything to say? Again so much activity...

[rkvons]

Originally Posted by jeweltojunk

Not sassy just frustration, it says so many thousands of members but only one person had anything to say? Again so much activity...

The first thing you did was warn us that this would end up being a book. You scared us off.

[jeweltojunk]

Originally Posted by rkvons

The first thing you did was warn us that this would end up being a book. You scared us off.

Was just being honest and trying to give all the info I could!