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Advice needed

P

primalzer1998

CEG'er
Joined
Jan 27, 2007
Messages
145
Location
Macomb, IL
Alright just for starters I am a college student on a budget with nearly NO tools at my disposal. Couple of basic hand tools, and MAYBE a basic ratchet set. Well now the problem, my car seems not to be running well. Just doesn't have the oomph it did when i bought it and often stutters at idle. It has 108,xxx on the odo, and gets a lot of highway, not too much around town, but will go a long time without running (4 days then a short drive, 4 days then a short drive, after a couple months a 500 mile trip etc). Now I have read through the sticky, I don't really have the means to do the intake manifold clean by myself, and sucking in some berrymen's just seems like a moot point. Changing the plugs and wires doesn't seem to be too economical especially if it doesn't do much of anything. And I wouldn't even probably be able to do the plugs and wires, and would have to pay to get it done. It does have a CEL, but it is a lean on bank 1, and I've been told it is a false code, but is making me think more and more that it might not be false. I try to put premium gas in as much as possible, but I stay in chicago a lot of the time, and when gas is 3.05 a gallon for regular, it's very hard to suck up and get the premium. So my question is, where should I start, and what should i suck up and do?

-Jon
 
Start by catching up on maintenance. Do it a little at a time if necessary.

The approach I would take would be to start with a can of RedLine SI-1 in a full tank of fuel. If RedLine is not available, use Techron (the concentrated stuff, not the stuff that says it includes Techron), Berryman's or Valvoline Synpower Injector Cleaner.

Confirm condition of air filter and replace if needed.

Clean the throttle body and IAC. Minimal tools needed.

Clean the intake manifold (yes, it does help).

Pull a spark plug and check its condition. If they haven't been changed yet this could be most of your problem. If in doubt, replace.

Check condition of plug wires and replace if in doubt.

Change oil and filter if it isn't fresh.
 
OK, that's pretty much what I figured. I just ran some injector cleaner through, but it definitely wasn't any of those, 108 Octane Boost (My dad recommended it because he often used it in his Mustang SVO). My air filter is pretty well new, but I'll check it again. Oil just got changed ~300 miles ago with filter. So that really just leaves the IAC, throttle body, plugs and wires, and the manifold.

Anyone have any idea what the labor time would be to take off the manifold and do some cleaning??

Thanks for the help
-Jon
 
I had a K&N cause the lean code on my wifes Mystique. To fix it I cleaned the MAF with electrical cleaner. I would recommend trying that to see if it will get rid of your code. There is a how to some where on here I think. At that time I then removed the K&N and the code never came back.
 
Take to Advance or Autozone to get the code read. Then post the exact code(s).
 
Yeah man if you need some help with this stuff I live 20-25 mins west of chicago in Elmhurst. Its really not that hard. I have had mine off and back on within an hour. No cleaning involved in that removal though.

Also, cleaning the MAF is easy and worth a try to fix the code.

Plugs cost about $25 and good wire ~$50.

Also, no need to use octane booster. By the time you add the cost of the bottle to your fill up cost you could have just bought premium. Additionally, you do not need the extra octane for a naturally aspirated car. I think 108 has an additive that can wear O2 sensors too. Your dad may have benefitted from the octane boost because his car was turbo.
 
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at 12 gallons to fill the tank, and 20cents at the most above regular, why would you not fill up with premium?! you're talking a little over 2 dollars a fill up! even if you fill it 20 times in a month, thats 50 bucks a month, and 600 a year! It's not like ford jsut decided to tell us that it required 91+ octane for no reason?!
 
Big Jim said:
Start by catching up on maintenance. Do it a little at a time if necessary.

The approach I would take would be to start with a can of RedLine SI-1 in a full tank of fuel. If RedLine is not available, use Techron (the concentrated stuff, not the stuff that says it includes Techron), Berryman's or Valvoline Synpower Injector Cleaner.

Confirm condition of air filter and replace if needed.

Clean the throttle body and IAC. Minimal tools needed.

Clean the intake manifold (yes, it does help).

Pull a spark plug and check its condition. If they haven't been changed yet this could be most of your problem. If in doubt, replace.

Check condition of plug wires and replace if in doubt.

Change oil and filter if it isn't fresh.
Click to expand...
Great advice. This normal, relatively inexpensive maintenance will keep your car running great! I hope you realize that premium fuel is required, not just recommended.
All of the above could be done for about $100.
 
Don't think it was mentioned, but a lot of stuttering and similar problems on my vehicles is caused by fuel filter, they are inexpensive and all you need is a screwdriver to loosen to clamp holding the old one in place.
 
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