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95 gl three mechanics stumped on CEL

T

tomasdakid14

New CEG'er
Joined
Apr 22, 2009
Messages
6
Location
northeast pennsylvania
okay i have a 95 gl with a 4 cylinder and automatic transmission and about 150,000 miles. my resonator pipe had a bad rust leak so i bought a new one. when i was installing it i had to beat the old one off and since then i been having this problem. When going up a hill my check engine light comes on then after about 15 seconds i lose power tremendously. I can't go any faster no matter how much i step on the gas. if i let off the gas enough for it to downshift the power slowly comes back, at the same time thought im at the top of the hill already and begining to level out. so i dont know if that is making any difference. once i do level out though the check engine light goes out and the car runs fine. also when going from a stop sign slight lag then normal acceleration. the engine code read "tcs did not change." no help online looking it up. so i dont know exactly what it is. this is what i have done so far since the problem started: gutted cat, new resonator, new muffler, new 02 sensor, new fuel filter, cleaned MAF, cleaned egr valve, cleaned vaccuum lines, and am in process of changing transmission fluid and adding lucas transmission treatment.

and suggestions would be greatful

Thank you.
 
You probably dislodged a piece of material inside the exhaust system and now have a restriction to exhaust flow that is moving around.

As for the CEL, you can pull the codes yourself with nothing more than a paperclip. You really need to do this properly instead of screwing around and replacing parts that have nothing to do with the indicated symptom.

The TCS code usually results from missing the timing window by the person doing the testing.
 
we did a self test. that was the first thing we did. it gaves us egr valve something or other. which is why we gutted the cat to free up that area and then also worked on the egr valve. my mechanic said the egr valve was working properly.

On another note we have a new discovery. while going to drain the transmission fluid we found something interesting. underneath the battery tray there is a plug going to the transmission. the plug isnt connected properly. it sits in its female end loosely. we cant seem to get it reconnected. the female end wiggles around inside its houseing on the transmission. we didnt identify what this plug is for yet, because it was late last night when we found it.
 
there is supposed to be a freely hanging hose on the top of the ATX trans, which is a breather hose, it doesnt connect to anything buy the trannie.
 
Which cat did you gut? there are 3. Two pre cats on the headers and the main cat.

Please pull the code and post the #

Also this really sounds like a restriction in the exhaust..... something loose that blocks the flow when you go up hill...

Read info on the tranny before using an additive.
 
AliasJerk said:
there is supposed to be a freely hanging hose on the top of the ATX trans, which is a breather hose, it doesnt connect to anything buy the trannie.
Click to expand...

It isnt a hose. its a plug. you know, with wires and such.

Aussie Ford said:
Which cat did you gut? there are 3. Two pre cats on the headers and the main cat.
Click to expand...

there is only one cat i have the 4 cylinder.

the code pulled with the scanner is tcs did not change. and the code pulled with the self test with the paper clip is 33, which is egr valve
 
FORGET THIS POST!!! AF

tomasdakid14 said:
there is only one cat i have the 4 cylinder.

the code pulled with the scanner is tcs did not change. and the code pulled with the self test with the paper clip is 33, which is egr valve
Click to expand...
To start with, unless you have put on an after market headder you have two cats: one (a pre cat) on the exhaust manifold and the main one that you probably gutted. If anything that one should have been replaced. Many folks gut the pre cats on the exhaust mainfold. Anyone that said you only have one doesn't know this engine. I happen to also have a 95 Zetec ATX Tour.

I will post info on that code when I have it.

Regards,
AF
 
Aussie Ford said:
To start with, unless you have put on an after market headder you have two cats: one (a pre cat) on the exhaust manifold and the main one that you probably gutted. If anything that one should have been replaced. Many folks gut the pre cats on the exhaust mainfold. Anyone that said you only have one doesn't know this engine. I happen to also have a 95 Ztech ATX Tour.

I will post info on that code when I have it.

Regards,
AF
Click to expand...


you are confusing the zetec and the duratec. a zetec only has one cat. it mounts directly below the exhaust manifold. there is not one under the car where you normally find a cat.

the duratec has a cat built into each exhaust manifold to handle cold start up emissions and then the main cat located under the car.

the zetec only has one cat ... and its zetec not ztech ... we don't drive hondas ...


and I also happen to own a 95 zetec too ....
 
i had a similar problem with a 95 mystique. the "throttle stretcher" for the traction control system was bad. from a stop i could put the pedal to the floor and the car would not go anywhere. then it would slowly accelerate...sometimes. other times it would be fine. intermittent CEL.

this is where i would look especially since your code is related to the TCS.

follow the throttle cable...you'll see it runs into a device behind the passenger headlight. that's the throttle stretcher. you can bypass it completely...but you'll have a traction control light on all the time. possibly a cel as well.
 
BrApple said:
you are confusing the zetec and the duratec. a zetec only has one cat. it mounts directly below the exhaust manifold. there is not one under the car where you normally find a cat.

the duratec has a cat built into each exhaust manifold to handle cold start up emissions and then the main cat located under the car.

the zetec only has one cat ... and its zetec not ztech ... we don't drive hondas ...


and I also happen to own a 95 zetec too ....
Click to expand...
I know you .......ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz too

LOL I was just looking at the Ford CD for 95 Tours and this is what it says in the emissions section for Cats:

Engine Vehicle ......Catalyst(s) ...Fuel .......Electronic
.........Application ....Type .......System ......Engine
................................................Type,...... Control
................................................Mfg. ........System

2.0L Contour/ Mystique (2) TWC SFI-MAF....... EEC-IV
2.5L Contour/ Mystique (4) TWC SFI-MAF........ EEC-IV

AAAaaugh I am turning into one of those people I hate that puts out wrong info:
You can't even trust the ford cd....LOL

I AM GOING TO GO TAKE MY MEDICATION NOW........
 
TGO said:
i had a similar problem with a 95 mystique. the "throttle stretcher" for the traction control system was bad. from a stop i could put the pedal to the floor and the car would not go anywhere. then it would slowly accelerate...sometimes. other times it would be fine. intermittent CEL.

this is where i would look especially since your code is related to the TCS.

follow the throttle cable...you'll see it runs into a device behind the passenger headlight. that's the throttle stretcher. you can bypass it completely...but you'll have a traction control light on all the time. possibly a cel as well.
Click to expand...

isnt there some kind of traction control system thats optional. if it is i don't believe i have it.

and yes i only have one cat directly below the header in between the fan and the block. the next piece besides the flex pipe or regular piping is the resonator which is back by the back doors.
 
okay after a little research i found out that the plug that wasn't connected correctly was a multi plug to the transmission. it controlled inhibitor switch, transmission control unit and something else. well i would think transmission control unit and transmission control switch (tcs) seem to have alot of words in common. so im hoping the tcs did not change is no longer my problem. lol but i got it reconnected.
 
i guess tcs doesn't stand for traction control lol!

anyway, i dunno if traction control was optional or not, but just look behind the passenger headlight and see if your throttle cable is routed that way to find out
 
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