91 Talon running really rich!!

[nates6969]

My 91 talon seems to be running really rich! it was overheated several times so I rebuilt the top end and now I've got the compression back up to 185 up from 75 but when I fire it up it maintains a stable idle for a minute or so but with a weird sound to it (maybe an exhaust leak but like a clicking). after a minute it starts to bog down and eventually die! from the tail pipe it smells really rich. The plugs also completely charred up. I replaced the coolant sensor becasue i heard that could cause that but that did nothing. I was wondering if it could be an O2 sensor but im not sure! I also heard the fuel pressure reg could affect this or could it be in the ignition timing. I want to plug a computer into it because the check engine light is on but I don't know where the plug is on the car. If anyone could help me with this or have any ideas about any of this please let me know! thanks a lot.

Nathan

[SD619]

Go to Pep Boys they hook a scan tool to your ride for free in my town (It should be on the bottom right hand corner of the steering wheel it looks like a nintendo plug lol)If you have emmissions you might have an air pump (for smog) it might be leaking that might jack with your idle. As for the advice you got I dont know where they got that info. Good luck

[1stGenRocks]

well if spark plugs are fucked then that probably the problem if they arent firing well enough to burn all the gas it will smell rich

[nates6969]

That would make sense. the plugs i have in it now are NGK iridiums IX and their only about 6 months old although they were in it when the engine died after being overheated several times. I wonder if that over heating could of fouled the plugs. Also the plugs looked good when i put them back into the engine and now they are right black. I still question whether the plugs could make it run so brutal to the point of stalling.

[1stGenRocks]

just plugs can make the car not run. i would do a tune up on it. clean the trottle body, change the plugs(maybe wires too), run some fuel system cleaner in your gas (the name brand stuff not the cheapo crap, if you read the directions the $4 bottle says to run once and the $2 bottle says to run 3 times lol).

how and why did it overheat?

[nates6969]

the water pump went in it and the previous owner (my friend) kept on driving it and it overheated quite a bit! i now have the whole internals rebuilt but now when I start it, it did start with hesistation but i actually just replaced the plugs and it fires basically instantly, runs fines for about 15 seconds then slowly bogs right out. I actually just checked for sparked and off of each coil pack you get the least of a spark. so I'm wondering if the cables or even coil packs are toast. It did the whole dying thing also before the engine was rebult after it overheated several times. it'd start then die. So I'm wondering if its in that part of the ignition

One more thing...i used a technique someone listed on here about using a volt meter to test the ECU. well according to that it's throwing code 42 or an open or short in the fuel pump circuit. So it leads me to wonder if thats ok. The thing is is fires up every time but only for about 10 second if that maybe less. and when i give it lots of gas it revs up but sputters lots of raw gas smelling smoke and then dies. also does anyone know where the fuel pump relay is and how to test the pump

[nates6969]

ok today I hot wired the fuel pump and the car now runs!! so therefore would that mean the fuel pump relay is toast? It's still runs really rich though. But someone told me the fuel pump relay also controls a bunch of the sesors so if thats gone would that make it also run wierd?

[MrZ]

nates6969;
It doesn't make sense that running 12 volts directly to the fuel pump would cause the engine to run better (unless it wasn't starting at all, or it was running lean). As far as I know, the solenoid only turns the pump on and off, and as long as the ignition is on, the fuel pump should be running. There is a pressure regulator on the fuel rail that allows fuel to recirculate back to the tank under high vacuum conditions. Under low vacuum conditions I believe full fuel pressure goes to the rail, but the regulator may still allow some fuel to recirculate, I'm not totally sure.

As far as the ECU is concerned ,to be sure, you should disconnect the batter for about 30 seconds or so, then reconnect it. This will clear the codes from the ECU, and basically resets it to default. When your engine light comes on again, recheck the codes.

I suggest this because codes are stored in the ECU until they are cleared. The only way to clear them is to disconnect the battery as described.

Mark

[nates6969]

MrZ I actually just sent you a PM but ill put my update on here too. I tested the relay today and it is okay so now it leaeds me to wonder about the ECU? is there anyway that the ECU could be causing the fuel pump to shut off once the engine has started? cause im positive it is shutting off. but everytime you re-turn it over it fires right up again and then dies. could it also cause it to run really rich? I took the computer out and looks and the capacitors and it looks likes there is some black goo (possibly acid) beside the 16V cap. If it did leak wouldn't the computer not work at all or what?

Also one more thing about the fuel system, when you turn the key on to the on position the fuel pump does not run, it only runs on the start position and then shuts off when the key is turn back to run, this is why it dies

[1stGenRocks]

thats the problem then. the pump should run when the key is in the on position. dunno why it wouldnt ask in the eclipse board. make sure to say that its for a 1g

[nates6969]

finally i have found the problem! i picked up aw new computer the other day and it started right up! theres for some reason a bit of white smopke comming out the tail but im not sure what it is! its definitely not oil or gas or coolant! Im thinking its steam of some sort cuz it has no smell at all to it and the pipes dripping a lot of water which is a good thing.

[1stGenRocks]

could just bve moisture in the exhaust from sitting for awhile