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Imrc

mlnelson

Be Gentle I'm New Here
Joined
Apr 30, 2007
Messages
4
gents,

! have read just about every thread on IMRC problems. sounds like my problem. What is an imrc? does anyone have pics?

thanks in advance.

mn
 
Remove the plastic engine cover at the front of the motor and the IMRC is under there. It's a silver box. If your car is a 1995 V6, it will not have one.
 
Intake Manifold Runner Control. The IMRC box is controlled by the computer and physically opens the secondaries in the intake manifold above 4000 RPM (3400 RPM at wide open throttle). The box is connected to the linkage by a cable. The box is mounted under the front engine cover, on the front cam cover. The linkage it connects to is under the throttle body. The secondaries are built into the lower intake manifold. Opening the secondaries opens a throttle plate above the second intake valve in each cylinder.

The concept is that low engine speed drivability and fuel economy is enhanced by keeping the air charge velocity higher and at upper engine speeds more air is allowed to enter the cylinders for better high engine speed performance.

Can you tell us more about how your car is behaving? Has the car set codes for the IMRC?
 
in all my research, I have found symptoms of what happens to your car when the IMRC goes out, However i have not found what it is supposed to do when it is working. Can you help me with that too?
 
Yes I can tell you what my car is doing. Sorry for the pre-mature fireback of the other question.

car: 1998.5 Contour SE V6 155k miles, Driven daily. has K&N open element filter on it. I used to have the throttle hang mod on it but i took it off.

Honestly I think i have more than one thing going on right now but Ill try and keep it to simple symptoms.

1) Secondaries dont respond consistently. ?
My wife drives this car most of the time. Occasionally Ill take it out and drive it hard (she rarely goes above 3500 RPMs) I notice that sometimes ill get into it and it will feel great but when the RPMs get high there is a distinct loss of power, and a change in the sound of the engine. I have worked on cars as a shade tree mechanic for a while and the best thing I can liken this to is it feels like a bank of pistons goes out, without the roughness or missing that would normally accompany that. Id say it feels like 1/2 the power it used to have.

2) There is some surging. However I cant pinpoint where its coming from. Sometimes it feels like it only happens when the AC pump engages. and other times its just at moderate low rpms in 4th or 5th gear 45-55 mph. So 1800-2200 rpms I guess. When crusing at 75 I can totally feel when the AC pump engages it causes a noticable bump in feel of the engine. and then it does the reverse of that when the pump turns off.

so my view is that apparently the IMRC isnt working all the time. and the AC clutch prob. needs replaced because its not "clutching" its just engaging all the way.

What is your view on all of this?

thanks again. I appreicate the "collective consciousness" represented by the forums. Everyones help is greatly appreicated!

MN
 
firstly, if the A/C compressor isn't SHORT-cycling but rather is cycling at the correct frequency as it is designed to do, then the other symptoms you gave for the A/C surge are normal.

Our car and its inherent design means that every one of us "feels" the A/C compressor kick in all the time. Its like this on a new car, and on every working A/C system on this platform. It just simply wasn't ever "hidden" from us, at all...

As for the IMRC...
Does your car have the CEL (check engine light) illuminated? and codes you've had scanned? (You can do so for free at Autozone, etc, just tell them you want the codes read on your car. Just make sure to get the code NUMBER and not the description of the glassy eyed drone who works there..)

If you say you can FEEL the secondaries working (surge of power if you floor it, when you get to ~3250rpm) then at other times it does NOT surge like that, then your IMRC is likely failing intermittently due to heat.

Its quite common, since the folks at Ford decided to mount our IMRC (transistors, and electronic components, mind you..) on top of the front CAMS! (heat..... electronics... hmm, great combination...)
 
I suspect that you are due for pulling the upper intake and cleaning the secondaries. If you have never done anything to clean this up, there could be enough carbon built up to create this problem, allowing the secondaries to partially hang up at times.
 
ok ill pull the intake and clean the secondaries. Ill leave the AC pump alone.
the most recent code was a misfire on number 3. I have a code reader and check them right away when the come up. And no, there isnt a CEL on currently.
Is there anything besides remove the plastic cover, that i should do to the IMRC? what are my options on that?

Replace stock or Mod it according to the IMRC thread?

As far as my diagnostic technique... Is there are better way to discover problems than feeling and hearing? Thats how I find most of the problems except the ones that come up with CEL codes. What am I missing?




thanks again guys.
 
Last edited:
Just a follow-up on the A/C. The A/C "Clutch" is not like the driveline clutch and is never supposed to partially engage, it's either fully engaged or disconnected.
 
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