Any suggestions welcome!!!

[VegasPeanut]

Ok so here's the latest on my 91... (pasted from an email)

The 3-cyl has a throttle body with a Throttle position sensor( 90% sure on this part), but there is an Oxygen sensor located in the air filter housing that has been spliced in fairly recently, as there is household electrical tape and not heavy duty industrial cloth electric like all other stock wires. Since Christy has stated that the car only gets poorer as it gets warmer, I am concerened about either the engine melting the adhesive, thus the connection, as the block warms or that the oxygen sensor is either failing to heat itself or is adversely overheated by the engine. My thoughts are that if there is no Mass Air Sensor then the oxygen sensor must take over the duty of sensing airflow and air temp. My dodge has a MAP (manifold absolute pressure) sensor to measure volume airflow and temp. extrapolated from positive atmosphereic pressure inside the throttle body and air housing chamber combined with a Throttle Position Sensor to tell how open the Butterfly valves are. The Geo has a TPS, its made by Denso and is on the side of the body itself. Whereas there is another unidentified part that is a housing of some sort for a sensor or electric device that makes un upsidedown U that the air filter attaches to, whilst hanging directly over the butterfly valve openings. This has a pos and neg wire running to it. I am concerned that it could be this unit that has shorted out. Also, the butterfly valve was coated with a slick layer of gas this morning after I moved the car into the garage from the street to begin service. I do not know if it is signifigant as a clue, but the car shouldn't be running so rich as to leave gas on the butterfly. could this be an indicator of a specific component malfunction?


I appreciate any words of wisdom!!!!

[geozukigti]

Actually, that's an air temp sensor in the intake housing. It also combines with a TPS and a MAP sensor. The MAP is mounted on the firewall. If it's running that rich, you're probably looking at a bad o2 sensor, or a faulty injector/injector resistor. Find out the proper resistance(in a repair manual) for the resistor, and measure it, to make sure it's within tolerance.

[VegasPeanut]

Great, thank you!

[SeanMurphy]

it could also be that air temp sensor in the intake. I had a busted wire on mine and the car thought it was -44'C all the time, and dumped extra fuel to compensate. Check the resistance across that, too. If it's an open circuit, it's busted.

[VegasPeanut]

Ok.. we're pretty sure its something re: exhaust now...
because Friday we heard a "clunk" and it started driving nicely again!! lol... whatever was blocking (possibly the cat.?) un-blocked itself..
its still not perfect by any means and will need fixed -- but at least its 8somehwat* driveable now!