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The cat is Dead an I'm stumped

1K views 16 replies 7 participants last post by  AverageJoe 
#1 ·
This is as much info as I can give.

1995 4.6L Cougar, Auto,177,000 miles.

Recent Add-ons:
New Wires Msd
New Plugs Autolite
New Fuel Filter
K&N Filter
Turn-down exhaust after pre-muffler

Here's The problem.

Headeing back to work from lunch break ,temp is about 95 outside, Get in ,crank car it spits and sputturs. See black smoke(running rich-not normal) and it dies. Crank again, and it barely riuns. Rev to 4000 thinking maybe just needs a good clearing. Finally clears up. Dirving to work only 1 mile away from lunch spot, car dies 500 feet from office, coast in and park. Try to restart, nada. Lift hood look for anything obvious, all looks good. Restart with hood up...seems to run fine. ;Leave work at 6pm car runs fine and I drive 40 minutes to home not 1 hiccup. Go to Denver for work(I live IN SC) come back week later. Try to start car, Nada. Finally get it running and head to work. 5 miles in my trip car dies. Trailer home.

Start working on problem:

Test fuel pressure reads 30 to 35 psi. That's a low number so I put in New Pump.
Result= no good


Change Fuel filter (second time in 2 months)
Result= no good

Here's the kicker.

The car runs better with the hood up than it does with it closed.
I cranked it tonight, It purred like a kitten for 15 to 20 minutes, Then just suddenly dies. We she starts to die ,she puffs black smoke.

Something even stranger. Usually check enging light is on. Not tonight. It never came on and the light is good it lights at pre-start.

My thoughts:

bad coil? can't be this motor can run off 4 cyclinders if 1 went bad.

Bad computer? Possible,the computer did kill the check enging light for no reason

Bad crank sensor? Possible,but the computer should throw a light if its shorting or bad

Any help would be desired. Im taking to shop monday to pull codes thru a snap-on obdII Reader.

Thx guys
 
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#4 ·
The k&n ...less than a month. I just got back from the shop. Its flagging alot of stuff...but most of that is thru testing. It does flag a ECT. Im hoping thats the problem. ECT telling computer enging is cold, when its warm. That would explain the constant running rich(black smoke) and the dying when it gets warm. Ill keep updates coming. This may be 1 for the books, something to remember singce the 4.6 is in just about everything ford makes now.

Laterz
 
#5 ·
Blowing black smoke is most likely a rich condition, but caused by what is your problem. Chances are it's the wire/plugs/ignition. I would start by checking the plugs for fouling. Then replace the wires with OEM wires and see if that helps. If not, I would look into replacing the DIS packs. Good Luck!
 
#6 ·
Help!!!

its hard to imaging plugs , wires or a bad coil shutting the motor down from a 3000 rpm idle. When the motor is cold it idles, and revs like a new enging. Only at warmer temps does it act up. I changed the ECT (ENGINE COOLANT TEMP SENSOR) -(not the gauge sensor) and it didnt help at all. I have no idea where to go from here.
 
#8 ·
as everyone says: clean your maf wires. K&N are notorious for oiling up the wires, causing incorrect readings, which those readings are used for the air calculations in the computer. after a month, the wires may just be dirty enough to now start acting up. clean those, let us know.
 
#11 ·
What were all the codes?

You said alot of codes were generated. What are they? This will give us a better clue as to how to proceed. You also said the car runs better with the hood up. Does your cooling fan ever turn on. Where does your water temp sit? Will the cooling fan turn on with the airconditioning selected?

Chris.................................
 
#12 ·
Well I may have the answer

Finally got a good run test today with all the previous codes cleared. Maf, bank2 o2, tps inconsistent with maf. The special napa(ford tech articles intergrated into a cd) software indicates a bad MAF.

This is where were at as far a whats happening. At start engine is rich , like it should be. enging warms and EEC should adjust to stat leaning. (BAD MAF) Says to keep rich. Car begings a downward spiral to rich as hell. O2 sensors say (yo this aint good) and EEC starts engine running lean. Another downward spiral, EEC locks into lean and o2 sensors say (ok this is really bad) and EEC starts cutting fuel to the point where it just wont run at all.

Well this is a good system in most cases. To lean = burned piston . To rich = flooded and fouled plugs. Ill take fouled plugs any day.

I'm replacing MAF tomorrow and will report results. After replacing the ECT, Fuel pump I hope this gets it. It all makes sense, lets just hope the car agrees.
 
#13 ·
Dude, replacing MAF? Have you tried just cleaning it? These are the problems that these guys are talking about the K&N causing. It gets the sensor wires in the MAF dirty so they don't read accurate and it gets the MAF readings inconsistent with the TPS reading and causes funny fuel mixtures. Hence the rich/lean conditons.
 
#14 ·
BR1 said:
as everyone says: clean your maf wires. K&N are notorious for oiling up the wires, causing incorrect readings, which those readings are used for the air calculations in the computer. after a month, the wires may just be dirty enough to now start acting up. clean those, let us know.
well, did you try that before getting out all those manuals and such? that is probably where your problem is like i stated a few days ago.
 
#17 ·
Alrighty, since you've cleaned it and it even looks bad, I guess try a new one. Have you checked in the For Sale forum yet? I looked agai9n and there's one toward the bottom of the page for sale out of a 97(?) for like $50. Make him an offer, you might come out pretty cheap.
 
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