SVX can't climb hills

[WhatIsThisIDont]

Between my frozen sausage fingers, I can't get the coil wires undone. However, I Did manage to take the passenger coils out of the head and checked the boots. They were all clean with no abnormalities.

So I took it for a test drive again to see if there was any change after the fuel additive and top off. It ran pretty well for 20 miles of driving. Up and down hills, highway speed, city speed, crawling through parking lots speed. It went for about an hour and then it lost power on a straight stretch of road. When I would give it gas, it would bumble for a few seconds and occasionally backfire, and then it would give a half hearted attempt and go again.

I parked it for about a minute and took it out again. I could feel the same symptoms within a few minutes just driving through the parking lot.


I can't get to a lot of these little wires with fingers the size of New Jersey in this cold, so it really comes down to the question of does anybody know of anyone that does decent work in the Erie area? I know a ton of people back home that would be willing and able, but she doesn't seem to be willing to make that drive in her current condition.

Thanks, guys.
-Randy

[SVXRide]

Randy,

So, am I reading your post correctly that you were able to pull the boots off of all 3 passenger side plugs and they don't show any sign of arcing?

If the answer is "yes", the next step is to do the same thing for the driver side plugs.

How close is Nate to where you are? Can you drive your car over to Mike's car dealership? I bet if you asked Mike/Nate nicely they'd let you pull the car into their warm maintenance bay and swap out coils

Good luck!
Bill

[NiftySVX]

I'm a fan of the exhaust restriction as a possibility. Another could be the strainer on the fuel pump. I wouldn't think more than one coil would go bad at the same time. Make sure it has the correct spark plugs. You could have a dormant MAF problem but you said you checked that.

If this car came to me, I would put a vacuum gauge on it and a fuel pressure gauge and go drive it. If one of those doesn't reveal your problem, you have an ignition problem.

Watch the vacuum for evidence of an exhaust leak or intake restriction. Watch the fuel pressure for decrease due to faulty pump or clogged strainer.

(BTW-this is almost textbook exhaust restriction)

[WhatIsThisIDont]

I did pull the passenger side coils from the plugs and they looked pretty nice around the boot. No deformities or burn marks to be found. The more this happens, the more I realize it very well may be an exhaust restriction, which could really only be a cat when these temperatures are reached, I assume.

If that's the case, how do I test the cats if they don't get hot enough to glow in the dark? Would an IR thermometer tell me what I need to know or is there another way to do it?

Thanks for the tips guys. I've put too much work into this old girl to give up now

-Randy

[svxfiles]

Originally Posted by WhatIsThisIDont

I did pull the passenger side coils from the plugs and they looked pretty nice around the boot. No deformities or burn marks to be found. The more this happens, the more I realize it very well may be an exhaust restriction, which could really only be a cat when these temperatures are reached, I assume.

If that's the case, how do I test the cats if they don't get hot enough to glow in the dark? Would an IR thermometer tell me what I need to know or is there another way to do it?

Thanks for the tips guys. I've put too much work into this old girl to give up now

-Randy

If you remove the O2 sensors, the exhaust will be loud, but unrestricted, and yes you can let them hang for a test.

[NiftySVX]

You can test for an exhaust restriction by observing engine vacuum.

See above. ^

[THE NEW GUY]

have you check your oil level? have you check the coolant level? Do you hear a knocking noise when in power lost condition?

[WhatIsThisIDont]

Originally Posted by THE NEW GUY

have you check your oil level? have you check the coolant level? Do you hear a knocking noise when in power lost condition?

Oil and coolant look fine, and it backfires a good bit.

I'll see if I can find my vacuum tester and test that restriction theory. Thanks for the info

[WhatIsThisIDont]

My exhaust is all kinds of rusted and beaten. There is a loud buzz from what I assume to be the resonator, and if the cats are bad to boot, I'd be tempted by a new system.

Are there any options for a new manifold back exhaust or is everything a one off DIY job?

[svxfiles]

Originally Posted by WhatIsThisIDont

My exhaust is all kinds of rusted and beaten. There is a loud buzz from what I assume to be the resonator, and if the cats are bad to boot, I'd be tempted by a new system.

Are there any options for a new manifold back exhaust or is everything a one off DIY job?

You live in or near Erie PA.
Contact Nate 1986.

[Tapani]

How about swapping the MAF to a known-to-be-good one?

Or do the resoldering excercise?

Sounds very much like mine when it was bad..... resoldering is free.

/T

[WhatIsThisIDont]

Originally Posted by Tapani

How about swapping the MAF to a known-to-be-good one?

Or do the resoldering excercise?

Sounds very much like mine when it was bad..... resoldering is free.

/T

There is no difference in performance between the two MAFs I have. I thought about the MAF when it fell on it's face yesterday, so I unplugged it and tried to restart. Even with it unplugged, a CEL coming on for the MAF, and the ECU resorting to it's failsafe settings when it can't read the MAF, the car wouldn't start at all. When I plugged it in, it started. It wasn't happy, but it started. So I'm throwing the MAF farther down on the list of possibilities.

[NiftySVX]

The backfire issue makes me think it is even more an exhaust issue. I would check that asap. If you drive it like that it will mess up the engine pretty bad

[WhatIsThisIDont]

Originally Posted by NiftySVX

The backfire issue makes me think it is even more an exhaust issue. I would check that asap. If you drive it like that it will mess up the engine pretty bad

Way ahead of you. Since that last drive, she is officially off the road until I can check it out. My vacuum gauge should get here tomorrow, so we will know more then.

Just to be absolutely sure of the test itself, it's just connect to a vacuum source after the throttle body, rev a bit and hold it, and if the vacuum slowly falls, I have a restriction, yes?

[NiftySVX]

Anywhere that is a good source is fine. Just not one of the ones for the EGR modulator. It may not show from just revving, but I bet it will. If it doesn't show up just from revving it or idling for awhile then get some hose, run it up and tape the gauge to the windshield and go drive. I have done that before.