car dying problem

kevxr2002 · 03-11-2008, 10:52 PM

ok so i was driving home from work and was in the middle lane of a majorr highway and in stop and go traffic. I hit the gas to go and my car died on me. I tried to restart serveral times and finally it did. I pulled off to the side and turned the car off and restarted it to see if it would start right back up and it did. Later on after i was in traffic moving about 60 mph I pressed the gas a little more than half way and it jerked real hard and almost died again before i let off gas. I talked to my dad and he thought maybe fuel pump or pressure regulator for injectors. I would like to know what everyone thinks this could be. I've had the fuel pump replaced from the recall back around 85k and i know have about 132k.

Vix · 03-11-2008, 11:05 PM

Start with the simple stuff maintenance, like for instance; fuel filter???
Could it be that you are having tranny problems?
Changed your fluids lately?
May consider doing a tranny flush if never been done.

DanG · 03-11-2008, 11:22 PM

You've got an '02 Cougar, which is returnless. If it's not a severely clogged fuel filter, it's classic fuel pump failure symptoms. The giveaway was that she almost died on you until you let up off the gas.

When you hit the gas, the ECU sends a command to the fuel pump to increase line pressure, and adds timing accordingly. Trouble is, the fuel pump for whatever reason can no longer supply the extra pressure needed during moderate to heavy acceleration - Demand exceeds supply, the car runs stupid lean, and sputters out on you.

kevxr2002 · 03-12-2008, 09:11 AM

no i shouldnt need a fuel filter again already but i will check it. If it is the fuel pump if i had the recall replaced before would it be replaced again? I didnt know if they replaced it with the same one or one that is supposivly fixed.

DanG · 03-12-2008, 09:28 AM

The easy way to tell would be for them to either hook up a fuel pressure gauge to the Schrader valve and punch it (watch the pressure hit the sh*tter), or monitor via the ECU for electronically registered fuel pressure from the sensor on the fuel rail.

kevxr2002 · 03-12-2008, 10:06 AM

anyway I can do this at autozone or will this need to be done at a mechanic shop?

DanG · 03-12-2008, 12:10 PM

Autozone may sell high-pressure fuel gauges, but unless you're qualified to be messing around under the hood, have a pro do it.

kevxr2002 · 03-25-2008, 08:53 AM

ok Dan I have some updates on this and need some more help if you dont mind. Basically I took it to the shop and they couldnt find anything wrong with the car. they checked the fuel pump and it was fine. I had them go ahead and install my new clutch and flywheel why i had it there and it seems to be doing fine.

Now new developments: Not all the time but every now and then I will get a slight jerk. Not a real hard one but a slight one. Then this weekend I had a CEL come up for the two O2 sensors running lean and autozone guy said its usually the MAF and I bought some cleaner for the MAF and codes went away.

So any ideas? Do I need to replace my MAF you think because it still has the slight jerk. Could it be the injectors? I dont have F/I but I do have a chip and headers, exhaust, SVT lite. Would it do this if I had put spark plugs about 3 months ago that arent the same as the one in the fact section(due to the fact i never saw that in there before i changed them).

DanG · 03-25-2008, 10:40 PM

My first inclination is to pull the chip and see if the problem still persists. It's along the lines of a computer problem- Pull out a candidate for a bad piece of hardware, and if the problem goes away, you know what you pulled is bad. What kind of chip, where'd you get it, and how was it programmed (dyno tune w/ wideband O2, or just a pre-programmed "best guess" program)?

I hesitate to say the MAF is bad, but you can clean the MAF element with some electronics cleaner. Try swapping MAFs with someone in your area (or buy one from a boneyard to have a spare on hand). Make sure the MAF is from a car with the same fuel system as yours (return or returnless). The two are not interchangable in my experience, despite others' assertations to the contrary.

kevxr2002 · 03-25-2008, 11:52 PM

hey I appreciate it. I will try removing the chip tomorrow. Its the blue superchip and I heard from some its good and from some its not.

03-11-2008, 10:52 PM	#1 (permalink)
kevxr2002 NECO Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Saginaw, TX Posts: 967	car dying problem ok so i was driving home from work and was in the middle lane of a majorr highway and in stop and go traffic. I hit the gas to go and my car died on me. I tried to restart serveral times and finally it did. I pulled off to the side and turned the car off and restarted it to see if it would start right back up and it did. Later on after i was in traffic moving about 60 mph I pressed the gas a little more than half way and it jerked real hard and almost died again before i let off gas. I talked to my dad and he thought maybe fuel pump or pressure regulator for injectors. I would like to know what everyone thinks this could be. I've had the fuel pump replaced from the recall back around 85k and i know have about 132k. __________________ 2002 Cougar XR 1985 Mazda RX-7 GSL 1931 Chevy -for sale. 2007 Dodge Caliber

03-11-2008, 11:05 PM	#2 (permalink)
Vix NECO Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: somewhere, ut Posts: 1,055	Re: car dieing problem Start with the simple stuff maintenance, like for instance; fuel filter??? Could it be that you are having tranny problems? Changed your fluids lately? May consider doing a tranny flush if never been done. __________________ Please read the signature rules! Banners must be smaller than 100 tall/600 wide, and under 20k in filesize! Sorry, but i guess that's a hard thing to do when you have jugz like those.

03-11-2008, 11:22 PM	#3 (permalink)
DanG Dan G. & Son! Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Gainesville, VA Posts: 4,250	Re: car dieing problem You've got an '02 Cougar, which is returnless. If it's not a severely clogged fuel filter, it's classic fuel pump failure symptoms. The giveaway was that she almost died on you until you let up off the gas. When you hit the gas, the ECU sends a command to the fuel pump to increase line pressure, and adds timing accordingly. Trouble is, the fuel pump for whatever reason can no longer supply the extra pressure needed during moderate to heavy acceleration - Demand exceeds supply, the car runs stupid lean, and sputters out on you. __________________ Dan G. '99 Spruce Green 3.0L ADC T3/4 Turbo Cougar- SOLD. 2006 Pontiac GTO - CGM, M6, 18s - !CAGS, JHP Binnacle Gauges 1998 Contour SE V6 ATX <--- Beater

03-12-2008, 09:11 AM	#4 (permalink)
kevxr2002 NECO Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Saginaw, TX Posts: 967	Re: car dieing problem no i shouldnt need a fuel filter again already but i will check it. If it is the fuel pump if i had the recall replaced before would it be replaced again? I didnt know if they replaced it with the same one or one that is supposivly fixed. __________________ 2002 Cougar XR 1985 Mazda RX-7 GSL 1931 Chevy -for sale. 2007 Dodge Caliber

03-12-2008, 09:28 AM	#5 (permalink)
DanG Dan G. & Son! Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Gainesville, VA Posts: 4,250	Re: car dieing problem The easy way to tell would be for them to either hook up a fuel pressure gauge to the Schrader valve and punch it (watch the pressure hit the sh*tter), or monitor via the ECU for electronically registered fuel pressure from the sensor on the fuel rail. __________________ Dan G. '99 Spruce Green 3.0L ADC T3/4 Turbo Cougar- SOLD. 2006 Pontiac GTO - CGM, M6, 18s - !CAGS, JHP Binnacle Gauges 1998 Contour SE V6 ATX <--- Beater

03-12-2008, 10:06 AM	#6 (permalink)
kevxr2002 NECO Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Saginaw, TX Posts: 967	Re: car dieing problem anyway I can do this at autozone or will this need to be done at a mechanic shop? __________________ 2002 Cougar XR 1985 Mazda RX-7 GSL 1931 Chevy -for sale. 2007 Dodge Caliber

03-12-2008, 12:10 PM	#7 (permalink)
DanG Dan G. & Son! Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Gainesville, VA Posts: 4,250	Re: car dieing problem Autozone may sell high-pressure fuel gauges, but unless you're qualified to be messing around under the hood, have a pro do it. __________________ Dan G. '99 Spruce Green 3.0L ADC T3/4 Turbo Cougar- SOLD. 2006 Pontiac GTO - CGM, M6, 18s - !CAGS, JHP Binnacle Gauges 1998 Contour SE V6 ATX <--- Beater

03-25-2008, 08:53 AM	#8 (permalink)
kevxr2002 NECO Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Saginaw, TX Posts: 967	Re: car dieing problem ok Dan I have some updates on this and need some more help if you dont mind. Basically I took it to the shop and they couldnt find anything wrong with the car. they checked the fuel pump and it was fine. I had them go ahead and install my new clutch and flywheel why i had it there and it seems to be doing fine. Now new developments: Not all the time but every now and then I will get a slight jerk. Not a real hard one but a slight one. Then this weekend I had a CEL come up for the two O2 sensors running lean and autozone guy said its usually the MAF and I bought some cleaner for the MAF and codes went away. So any ideas? Do I need to replace my MAF you think because it still has the slight jerk. Could it be the injectors? I dont have F/I but I do have a chip and headers, exhaust, SVT lite. Would it do this if I had put spark plugs about 3 months ago that arent the same as the one in the fact section(due to the fact i never saw that in there before i changed them). __________________ 2002 Cougar XR 1985 Mazda RX-7 GSL 1931 Chevy -for sale. 2007 Dodge Caliber

03-25-2008, 10:40 PM	#9 (permalink)
DanG Dan G. & Son! Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Gainesville, VA Posts: 4,250	Re: car dying problem My first inclination is to pull the chip and see if the problem still persists. It's along the lines of a computer problem- Pull out a candidate for a bad piece of hardware, and if the problem goes away, you know what you pulled is bad. What kind of chip, where'd you get it, and how was it programmed (dyno tune w/ wideband O2, or just a pre-programmed "best guess" program)? I hesitate to say the MAF is bad, but you can clean the MAF element with some electronics cleaner. Try swapping MAFs with someone in your area (or buy one from a boneyard to have a spare on hand). Make sure the MAF is from a car with the same fuel system as yours (return or returnless). The two are not interchangable in my experience, despite others' assertations to the contrary. __________________ Dan G. '99 Spruce Green 3.0L ADC T3/4 Turbo Cougar- SOLD. 2006 Pontiac GTO - CGM, M6, 18s - !CAGS, JHP Binnacle Gauges 1998 Contour SE V6 ATX <--- Beater

03-25-2008, 11:52 PM	#10 (permalink)
kevxr2002 NECO Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Saginaw, TX Posts: 967	Re: car dying problem hey I appreciate it. I will try removing the chip tomorrow. Its the blue superchip and I heard from some its good and from some its not. __________________ 2002 Cougar XR 1985 Mazda RX-7 GSL 1931 Chevy -for sale. 2007 Dodge Caliber

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