Full Version: Still have random bouts of backfiring and power loss
I've been fighting an issue for a few months now.
My 2.0 DJet randomly decides to backfire and lose power.
A fellow Chicagoland member helped me to adjust the points and check the timing. That seemed to fix it... at first. He said the cam in the distributor looked like it was started to wear.) The points, wires, etc all look relatively new.
Sometimes upon starting the engine, just revving it a little in neutral is enough to feel/hear the sputtering and backfiring. If I go to the engine and sort of wiggle/push/jiggle the distributor cap and/or wires, it goes away for awhile. I discovered this just when trying to see if the distributor was loose or something.
The car will run fine for awhile, then out of nowhere just start bogging, backfiring, etc. Then it will just go away and run fine again.
It sort of seems (or I am imagining) that if I decelerate, that might trigger the symptom. Like cruising in 3rd at 3500-4000 RPM but then if I coast and it drops down to 3000 it will "crap out" when I open the throttle back up. But then if I downshift, it wakes up again.
It's just a bummer cuz even when it's running ok on the rare occassions lately I'm able to go for a drive, I can hardly enjoy it because I'm waiting for it to crap out again.
I have a dumb question, so get ready.
Have the gas stations recently changed to gasohol?
My 2.0 D-Jet REALLY went south a couple of months ago, and I'm suspecting it was the COMPLETE change to gasohol here in eastern Massachusetts that did it. I think it was probably marginally lean, and the 10% ethanol put it over the edge. Now it bucks and shudders, especially at part throttle cruise, but also at WOT.
I think the fix is a recalibration of the MPS to richen the AFR up by .7 - .9 to maybe 12.7 part throttle, 11.8 or so WOT. No smoking gun yet, but that's my theory. Just collecting data.
Jim
Have the gas stations recently changed to gasohol?
My 2.0 D-Jet REALLY went south a couple of months ago, and I'm suspecting it was the COMPLETE change to gasohol here in eastern Massachusetts that did it. I think it was probably marginally lean, and the 10% ethanol put it over the edge. Now it bucks and shudders, especially at part throttle cruise, but also at WOT.
I think the fix is a recalibration of the MPS to richen the AFR up by .7 - .9 to maybe 12.7 part throttle, 11.8 or so WOT. No smoking gun yet, but that's my theory. Just collecting data.
Jim
QUOTE(BigDBass @ Sep 3 2006, 01:26 PM) 
My 2.0 DJet randomly decides to backfire and lose power.
Sometimes upon starting the engine, just revving it a little in neutral is enough to feel/hear the sputtering and backfiring. If I go to the engine and sort of wiggle/push/jiggle the distributor cap and/or wires, it goes away for awhile. I discovered this just when trying to see if the distributor was loose or something.
The car will run fine for awhile, then out of nowhere just start bogging, backfiring, etc. Then it will just go away and run fine again.
My guess is it's in the dizzy. I had that exact behavior, and refurbing the distributor took care of it.
Dan if you are still having issues give Brad Mayeur a shout 309-694-1797. Maybe he can give you some trouble shooting ideas.
Julie wants to know how your wife and baby are doing?
Julie wants to know how your wife and baby are doing?
This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.