Hmm. So, I keep trying to think if I had this issue before with the SPI. Can't recall if it's the same.
Once the engine heats up and it's set to idle at 650 or so (have to check tune params), it just will NOT idle smoothly. This is a big contrast to days ago when it was hot (literally) and dry out - idling once warmed up, or cold, was always smooth as silk.
Last night it actually died on me once while idling - sounded like a wild-cammed monster before it did. No CELs, and as soon as you give it ANY throttle it's fine. Played with it some, it pulls as hard as it did the other day when it was idling fine.
Ideas? I checked the MAF cable (no cracks) and made sure it was seated nicely on the sensor itself. Checked the spark plug wires (new, no cracks), made sure they were seated fine on each end. Fuel filter is new, plugs are new. Just had an oil change. Nothing has changed parts-wise since it ran well earlier in the week. Haven't touched the tune or optional parameters either. I am considering raising the idle speed to 750 to see if that makes a difference.
could be the IAC, idle air control valve....
Oy... something else to buy / play with. Oscar! I need the first-gen book again!
You check the wires going into the coilpack? Those were my exact symptoms when mine went.
I'll check them today, Nate. Thanks man!
book is at my dad's. I'll grab it next time I go over.
Yeah, the centre wire is cracked and the sheath is split down to the copper, just a bit away from the connector itself. I'm going to see whether Maslack carries these.
Good call, Nate. Thanks man!
Old thread is a wise thread. Sadly, I remember that. Is that bad?
Going to call Ford too. You're a wealth of knowledge, man. We miss you behind the wheel of a Focus.
Lol, think thast bad? I won't tell you ist stickied right above this thread then. Oops.
Installed the new harness last night. It pulls good and hard off-idle, but still idles like crap some. Not as bad as before, but still noticeable. Still doesn't throw a CEL.
Checked the MAF sensor's harness. No cracks in the wiring casings. Going to clean the MAF tonight. Unsure of what else it could be. Also had the neg cable pulled over lunch to clear old ECU data on airflow... seems to pull a bit harder now, or that might just be where it should have been all along.
Ideas? Really don't want to take it to "a shop" and s**t money away (potentially) fixing this.
start looking at vac. tubes...could be a minor vacuum leak on one of those tubes.
Good point (as usual), Nate! I had already earmarked them for testing tonight after work.
Also, Hardk0re and I were talking and it might be as simple as some bad gas. It has lessened some, but it's hard to attribute it solely to either the fact that I just refilled the tank completely the other day or that I did the harness swap last night. It def pulls harder right now that before I did the swap, so the bad coilpack harness may have been a contributing player.
What's the best way to check vac hoses?
there's a couple of ways. Cut a garden hose, put one end to your ear and the other around the hoses, you would hear the leak in the hose...that's the way I do it, but I actually have a mechanics device for it, use it to listen to wheel bearings and such, but the hose way is the ghetto way.
You can also spray break cleaner around the hoses while the engine is running, and from what I was told, if the idle raises while spraying, you have found the leak.
I also forgot to mention that when I originally did the wires to the coil pack, I had pulled the spark plug wires to check on the plugs themselves. i found that each chamber was FULL of water, that couldn't have been good for my engine's performance. I read that you checked the spark plug wires, but if you haven't done so already, actually pull the plug boots off the wire to check for water in there. Also check the tips of ALL the plugs, if any of them have a little rust build up, your getting moisture in there somehow and that will cause bad performance.
Hey Nate - I really should have checked in earlier, eh? Thanks for the ideas, man!
Oscar and I worked on it on Saturday to no avail. I didn't check the plug wires at all (physically removing them), I just ensured that they were snugged to the tops of the plugs and coilpack.
I'll check today for that water issue, and failing that I might start pulling plugs. The really odd part is that at speed, it has TONS of balls. By that, I mean I was "moving"
on Saturday as we took a quick trip to the camp in Powassan. At idle or really light loads, it either bogs bad (idle) or misses sporadically. At in-town and especially highway cruise speeds, no missing is audible / detectable and it pulls with authority when fed more throttle - no hesitation or surging, the powerband is as I recall it.
It DID toss a P0171 - Sys Too Lean 1 code (which I've left for now), finally, but that could be so many things right now it's not funny. Upside: I have the 30lb injectors I got from Kev a while back in the basement. I could always swap injectors and have Randy send me a new tune file if required because of the increased flow over duty cycle times (right?).
Failing that, it could still be bad gas (down to 1/2 tank now, but should run like s**t at WOT, no?), clogged fuel filter (unlikely, but possible. Current filter has less than 15k on it), bad wires (brand new, but see water issue - will check), sparkplugs (as new as above, will check), vacuum lines (for some reason this is sticking out to me), MAF sensor (would likely kark my top-end as well as idle).
Also, we flashed back to stock tune - still idled with bad missing. Flashed back to FSW tune - same thing again. So, that's right out.
Will keep posting updates.
Have you thought about EGR system? DPFE can cause a ton of stuff at part throttle... Just throwing it out there.
Mmm talked to Kev again today. I guess the vac line at the front (exhaust) side of the Zetec is known to rust out and leak, which caused the same code and issues with his Zetec. Hmm. Going to check all of that tonight or tomorrow, whenever the weather clears here.
on Saturday as we took a quick trip to the camp in Powassan. At idle or really light loads, it either bogs bad (idle) or misses sporadically. At in-town and especially highway cruise speeds, no missing is audible / detectable and it pulls with authority when fed more throttle - no hesitation or surging, the powerband is as I recall it.