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Clogged Cats

S

SVTDave

New CEG'er
Joined
Nov 21, 2005
Messages
15
Location
Macclenny, FL
I've had a long-time problem with hesitation under acceleration with my 2000 CSVT. Whenever I try to accelerate any other than granny-style, the car studders. This obviously affects performance. I have replaced the fuel filter several times, the fuel pump, spark plugs, spark plug wires, air filter, cleaned the MAF...yeah, I think that's about it.

So I decided the other day, I'd see, just for the heck of it, if the guys at Advance could pull codes or whatever on my car. After being told they can't pull codes without the CEL being presently on, I explained my problem to one of the seemingly-knowledgeable guys. I told him about the code I ocassionally receive using my dad's SCT scanner (using the DTC-reader function of the device), which was a "catalyst efficiency below threshold" code. He told me this is most likely a clogged catalytic converter. He asked what kind of gas I run in it, and I told him I've always run the recommended premium octane gasoline, but it made me think...I have no idea if whether or not the previous owner ran it with regular gas. Which brings me to my question: if this answer from the Advance guy seems like the most logical (which it does to me, after replacing most other air/fuel-related items) or my other theory which is clogged fuel injectors? What else could it possibly be? I just want my car to run right...it's the only thing I don't like about my CSVT (other than the dashboard curl, of course, but that's another subject......)
 
Most of the time on our cars, the cat effeciency codes are false codes. Ford even had a TSB about reprogramming the PCM (reflashing the chip) to provide broader parameters before the code would set. It was for earlier cars than yours, but the same concept is applicable.

That code has set many times on my car but further testing showed that there was nothing wrong with the cats.

For cats to be bad enough to cause a problem they would have to be badly plugged. The symptom for plugged cats is similar to a bad fuel pump, loss of power under load or at high rpm. Doesn't sound like what you are experiencing.

It is more likely that you have dirty injectors, coked up valves, and / or a coked up and restricted intake manifold.

At the very least you should run a can of RedLine SI-1 Injector Cleaner through the tank and perform the vacuum suck intake manifold cleaning with Berryman B12 and see if that makes much difference. If it helps and you are still feeling it, think about pulling the intake manifold off for a thorough cleaning.
 
Remove the vacuum line at top of the intake manifold just behind the throttle body. Actually, there are two of them and it may help for even distribution to use one and then the other. The line is plastic. There is a retainer, also plastic, that looks like a ring slightly above flush with the manifold. Hold down on the retainer (hold with pressure toward the manifold) while pulling up on the vacuum line and the line will slide out. If it has never been removed before, it may help to GENTLY pry with a screwdriver at the same time you hold the retainer down. DON'T try to pry up without holding the retainer ring down.

Find a piece of vacuum line that tightly fits into the hole. Two or three feet of line is nice. Drop the other end into a can of injector cleaner or something similar. Berryman's B12 works well. Ford Combustion Chamber Cleaner also works very well and it foams so it tends to soak in better. It may be harder to find. Most any decent injector cleaner will work though, such as Techron, RedLine SI-1, and Valvoline Synpower. I think it works best to treat with the Ford stuff and then follow up with Berryman's or one of the others mentioned.

You must meter the cleaner into the engine or it will suck through too fast to clean well and will probably cause the engine to stall. It helps if you have something to restrict the vacuum line with a tiny hole in it, about the size of a a #75 to #80 drill. You can live without such a restrictor, but it does help. I have an air bleed metering jet left over from an old Pinto carb I use.

I also clamp the hose and gently open the clamp. I use Vice Grips and use the adjusting screw to control the crush on the hose. Something with a much finer screw thread would be easier to control the cleaner flow. To start with, clamp the hose so there is no flow.

Start the engine and bring it up to operating temperature. Hold the throttle slightly open. Up to about 2000 RPM is about right. Start feeding in the cleaner by GENTLY opening the clamp. It is hard to control and get the flow too heavy so pay attention. Ideally, you will allow the engine speed to drop a bit, to maybe about 1500 RPM, without increasing the throttle opening. Dropping to 1200 is OK, but not preferred. Shut off the cleaner and then the engine when you still have a bit more than half of the bottle remaining (about 5/8) and switch to the other vacuum port, then start the engine and feed the cleaner as above until you have about 1/4 or a little less remaining. Control the throttle and the feed rate of the cleaner so that you allow the engine to stall as you run out of cleaner. Shut off the key and allow the cleaner to soak for 15 to 30 minutes.

Restore the vacuum lines. Start the engine and allow the cleaner to blow out. It may be necessary to hold the throttle wide open while cranking to shut off the injectors until it lights then back off on the throttle and hold it open enough to keep it running until the roughness disappears. It will run rough for a few moments until the cleaner is blown out.

Take it out a give it a bit of spirited driving and enjoy the restored power.

If it is really clogged up, it may benefit from a second dose. It will also help to clean the throttle body. It is best to do so first, but doing it after allows you to see just how clean the manifold became. Also end up with a bottle of injector cleaner in the fuel tank to clean the injectors.

My preferred products for this is the Ford Combustion Chamber Cleaner for the first dose, Berryman's B12 for the second dose, whatever is convenient for cleaning the throttle body (on the car using a soft old toothbrush) and RedLine SI-1 in the tank as an injector cleaner.

Although not necessary, if you are planning on changing the sparks plugs or engine oil, do it after you have completed the cleaning treatment.

If you do this, let us know the before and after performance. I know it works, but it's always nice for someone else to post how it works for them.
 
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Okay. That sounds similar to the way one would "seafoam" a car, but most people say to seafoam through the PCV vacuum line. Are you familiar with this method? I'm currently attempting your method with Berryman's B12 and will most definitely post results.
 
It's probably the same general technique. If at all possible, you want to find a vacuum source that will distribute the cleaner evenly to all cylinders. Often the PCV system will not do that.
 
Okay, after completing the procedure, the car seems a tad better. But after every "fix" I've done so far, it only seems a little better, then after a bit of regular driving, I realize it's not really much better at all.

After comparing my car with my brother's (ever-so-convenient) CSVT, I guess the best way to explain the problem I'm having is: Let's say I'm in fourth gear and going 40mph. Granted, I know this is a rather low speed for fourth gear, but if I were to hit the gas on my car, it jerks like it doesn't have enough gas or who knows why. In a "normal" CSVT (my brother's), the only thing that would happen is the same thing that would happen in any car when you try to floor it in fourth gear going 40mph...slow acceleration. No jerking. But why does my car jerk?
 
SVTDave said:
Okay, after completing the procedure, the car seems a tad better. But after every "fix" I've done so far, it only seems a little better, then after a bit of regular driving, I realize it's not really much better at all.

After comparing my car with my brother's (ever-so-convenient) CSVT, I guess the best way to explain the problem I'm having is: Let's say I'm in fourth gear and going 40mph. Granted, I know this is a rather low speed for fourth gear, but if I were to hit the gas on my car, it jerks like it doesn't have enough gas or who knows why. In a "normal" CSVT (my brother's), the only thing that would happen is the same thing that would happen in any car when you try to floor it in fourth gear going 40mph...slow acceleration. No jerking. But why does my car jerk?
Click to expand...
Time for UIM/LIM rebuild.
http://www.contour.org/ceg-vb/showthread.php?t=41
 
Actually, I'd give it a test drive with the MAF sensor disconnected. Ignore the resulting CEL but monitor the drivability for any change.

Steve
 
SVTDave said:
... but if I were to hit the gas on my car, it jerks like it doesn't have enough gas or who knows why. In a "normal" CSVT (my brother's), the only thing that would happen is the same thing that would happen in any car when you try to floor it in fourth gear going 40mph...slow acceleration. No jerking. But why does my car jerk?
Click to expand...

I will bet real money that you need to check/replace the plugs and/or wires. Especially double check the wire routing to the coil to make sure it is correct. There are two wires that are swapped when compared to the cylinder layout. I forget which.
 
I'm also having this same issue. What's confusing me is that it only happens until my secondaries open up, then alls well. Dave, is the same true for your situation?
 
TourDeForce said:
I will bet real money that you need to check/replace the plugs and/or wires. Especially double check the wire routing to the coil to make sure it is correct. There are two wires that are swapped when compared to the cylinder layout. I forget which.
Click to expand...

As mentioned in my first post, I've already replaced wires and plugs...among many other things. That's why this stumps me so.
 
Big Jim said:
Have you cleaned the injectors yet?
Click to expand...

I did your vacuum suck cleaning method, but still no major improvement. It may be a tad better, but not as it should be.

I'm thinking about doing the UIM/LIM rebuild/cleaning (time-permitting, and securing a temporary transportation), and when I do that, I have considered sending my injectors away to someplace like Cruzinperformance to get them professionally cleaned. $14 x 6 = $84 plus the cost of what I need for the intake rebuild/cleaning. I've already printed out the two how-to's available here on CEG, plus I have my Ford service manual CD for reference. I simply can't see what else to do...
 
getsum111 said:
I'm also having this same issue. What's confusing me is that it only happens until my secondaries open up, then alls well. Dave, is the same true for your situation?
Click to expand...

I don't know if it has anything to do with the secondaries opening, but yes that seems true...once I get above a certain RPM, the jerkiness seems to smooth out...
 
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The vacuum suck cleaning does very little to clean the injectors. To do so you must run a cleaner through the injectors, not just past them.

Add a good injector to the fuel tank. My preference is RedLine but the same Berryman that you ran through the intake should work well too.

Normally, one bottle to one tank of fuel is the dose, but when I know or suspect I have a particularly dirty set I'll use one bottle to a half tank.

You may be experiencing a mild lean miss which is amplified when the secondaries open with it's additional air and ignition timing spike.
 
Big Jim said:
The vacuum suck cleaning does very little to clean the injectors. To do so you must run a cleaner through the injectors, not just past them.

Add a good injector to the fuel tank. My preference is RedLine but the same Berryman that you ran through the intake should work well too.

Normally, one bottle to one tank of fuel is the dose, but when I know or suspect I have a particularly dirty set I'll use one bottle to a half tank.

You may be experiencing a mild lean miss which is amplified when the secondaries open with it's additional air and ignition timing spike.
Click to expand...

I have run Techron injector cleaner, Berryman's, Redline, Wal-Mart-brand, etc. etc. through the gas tank...just about anything that's been recommended...still no help.

And the hesitation lessens when the secondaries open, so I don't see how it would be amplified when they open...
 
well one more injector cleaner to try.. the lucas injector cleaner. its 4 bucks and lucas is a trusted name.. put it in and fill it up, then when it gets down to about 3 quarters, just drive the hell out of it.. hop on the highway and open it up. that would be the best way to get the stuff flowing. my past two fills of the tank I've used a full system cleaner, then the lucas, and i'm seeing a difference.
 
As stated above Fords older PCM software had recorded a false emissions failure for the catcon. They had revised updates for the PCM.


A quick and easy way to see if the converter is plugged is to see if the outlet is colder than the inlet. If it is then it is plugged. Or you can go to a Ford dealer and see if their is an update for the PCM.
 
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