I think I broke my car.
 

Driving home on the freeway I dropped it into 4th to pass someone and think I pushed her too hard. After that pass it's been sputtering when I push the gas pedal, sometimes dying when moving slow. The CEL popped up but I haven't checked the code(s) yet, just wondering what I should be prepared for upon further inspection. It's a '92 with a 5 speed out of an 04 2.5rs, 107k on the clock.

Re: I think I broke my car.
 

Sounds like you may have really broken it!
Keith:(

Re: I think I broke my car.
 

Idk but maybe be a simple MAF.

Re: I think I broke my car.
 

MAF will do that. Also fuel pump, or clogged fuel filter. Maybe you sucked something into it that it didn't like.

Re: I think I broke my car.
 

It was raining kinda hard when it happened but I didn't go through any big puddles. I'm going to check around this site to see how to get the code and go from there.

Re: I think I broke my car.
 

spark plugs??

Re: I think I broke my car.
 

Pulled three codes. One for the EGR and both O2 sensors (32,34,37). The sensors are both less than a year old and I just had a new EGR solenoid installed. Sounds like the EGR took a crap, again....

Re: I think I broke my car.
 

Did you clear the codes out? Could be reading an old set of codes. I would have thought this is a MAF problem from what I read.

Re: I think I broke my car.
 

Sounds like the EGR may be stuck open. Was it OEM?? Since its newer you could clean it.... its not the worst thing to remove and reinstall on the SVX lol. Good luck !!!

Re: I think I broke my car.
 

The EGR is not supposed to be open under full accel. It is only supposed to be open at steady cruising. Having it open under accel would drastically reduce the power output of the engine.

It sounds to me like you have a misfire. The fact that it was raining at the time leads me to suspect a bad plug wire or something like that. If you have a misfire that the ECM hasn't picked up yet, it could throw O2 sensor codes and EGR codes. The O2 sensors will see the big gulp of air that the engine took and didn't fire, and think it is running very lean. The change on the vacuum reading in the intake when it misfires could be misinterpreted by the ECM as the EGR being open, since it calculates EGR flow based on manifold vacuum.

The first thing I would do to it is plugs and wires and see if that helps it at all.

Mike

Re: I think I broke my car.
 

Jumped timing belt?

Re: I think I broke my car.
 

snorkel





xxxxxx

Re: I think I broke my car.
 

I'm starting to think it goes even further past the plugs/wires to my alternator/battery. I found a hose half-connected to the egr so I clamped it back on. Might have been a symptom rather than the problem though, as it's still doing the same thing. When the car starts running rough, it'll die at a stop and I can't start it again unless I jump it.

So, I'm thinking the alternator isn't charging the battery, which doesn't give a spark, which causes that "gulp" of air across the egr/exhaust. Thoughts on that?

Re: I think I broke my car.
 

This "can't start it again unless I jump it" is quite a clue.

A jump should do nothing for you that your electrical system in your car can't do for itself. Sounds like your voltage is not up to par if a jump works and your battery doesn't. Possibly the inadequate power could affect the idle but for sure it affects your cranking.

Translation... a jump works with the same voltage you are supposed to have in your battery, but your battery wont start it.

Keith

Re: I think I broke my car.
 

Yike !! Definitely check the alternator output first..... should be 14 volts or so while running (use a multimeter at the battery terminals). If its juicing the battery, suspect the battery is done. Ive seen plenty of new batteries with bad cells, so dont dismiss that as a possibility. If your alternator isnt putting out anything.... you read 12 volts or lower at the battery, you can hit the alternator with a solid metal object like a hammer... just give it a good ping.... and usually it will start charging again for a time, until you can get a new one. This trick worked for me for about 4 months on my toyota truck. You cant really diagnose your idle problem if your system isnt getting the right amount of current.