Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting stalling, rough idle, sputtering, HELP PLEASE!

Hi Guys,

I'm having trouble with my 99 Contour SE. I've been lurking on this site for a couple of weeks now, I did a search and after reading many posts, I think I may have narrowed down the problem.

Here's my problem:

I've had the car exactly 1 month. About 2 1/2 weeks ago the car left me stranded with 1/4 tank of gas. Put a gallon of gas in and everything was okay. I figured the guage was bad, so I never let it get down past 1/2 tank after that. About 3 days later, from a complete stop at the bottom of a hill car started sputtering and would not go past 35mph. It felt like it was almost starving for gas, the tank was 3/4 full. I pulled over turned the car off, waited a few minutes, restarted & everything was good. 2 days later I took it back to the dealer I bought it from, he told me there was a missfire & I had oil on my plugs. He changed a gasket & plugs & sent me on my way. Car felt okay.

Now yesterday the car stalled twice, the sputtering is even worse, it evens feels like the engine is surging forward, like starving for gas or air. I think it may be the fuel pump, but I am not sure. Someone told me is may be running rich??? or maybe an ignition problem??? After reading posts on this forum almost everyone talks about a CEL code, but my CEL has never come on, I even took the car to autozone to check and there were no codes.

To be honest with you, I am a woman who knows absolutely nothing about cars, I am tired of being taken for a ride by the mechanics. I dropped the car off this morning with a different mechanic. I'm waiting to hear from him.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Kelly

Here are the specs:

99 Contour SE
67K miles
Oil change & tune-up about 6 weeks ago

Hmm...dealer says there's a misfire and oil on your plugs? Oil on the plugs isn't a "replace the plugs and send them on their way" kinda deal.
It sounds like a fuel issue. If you were having misfires, you'd see a flashing CEL.
Taking it to a new mechanic is a great idea. Tell them you suspect the fuel pump 'cause it's a common problem with these cars, but make sure you explain the symptoms, too.
Good luck!

I'm having exactly the same problems so would also love any advice, 99se with 56k, loss of power and stalling when tank is at 1/4 but now when tank is under 1/2, under straight line driving at a constant speed it doesnt do it but after cornering or braking it dies and eventually recovers after feathering the gas pedal and being gentle.

Thanks
Julian

I had what sounds like the same issue, surging at steady state running, ie. cruising the interstate, no codes, and the like changed a whole lot of things. Turned out to be the MAF meter, the small platimum wires that are cooled by the in rushing air which tells the computer how much fuel to inject were covered with dirt that insulated them.

Recently I had a problem similar to this. I replaced the fuel filter, which took care of the problem for about 2 tanks, then it reappeared. At one point it left me stranded. When the mechanic checked it this time, he told me my catalytic converter was running nearly 100 degrees to hot (though the flow was fine). Took it to the dealership and their answer was as weird as it was simple - the new fuel filter (nd now my pump) was shot because the little gasket that keeps all the junk at the bottom of the tank from entering the pump and filter had come off, there for letting all of natures garbage come roaring through my fuel lines.

They flushed the lines, replaced the pump and filter (filter at my cost, pump under warranty), and since it has been doing better. I still am having some hesitation going through the power bands (maybe the plugs are fouled now? ). But my fuel filter has been doing fine.

I had a simmilar problem with my 00-SVT (75K miles) and resolved it with a new fuel pump ($259 from Ford dealer)

my symptoms were:

1/4 tank + left hand turn + acceleration = hesitation + quit

sometimes if I let off quickly, it would not quit. But if I pushed it, it would die. I could not re-start it until I added a gallon or so of fuel. As time went on, the 1/4 tank limit became close to 1/2 tank, and I got tired of constantly filling the tank.

When I removed the fuel pump, I found that the screen at the bottom of the bowl had dropped off, and the intake filter was filthy. Also, the insulation on the wiring was crumbling off. So, decided it was time for a new pump.

New pump was a new design with a revised bowl and the intake filter outside the bowl. It also has a new mounting design - it is attached directly to the cover plate rather than mounted to the bottom of the tank, so I had to remove the retaining ring from the tank bottom.

I think 99s were a different configuration, so not sure if any of this applies to you, but it does sound like a fuel pump issue. Hope this helps.

Kevin

I know nothing about cars and I would like some advise if my problem is simlar to the ones mentioned above.

I have a 2000 Ford Contour SE with 40k miles on it. I recently went to Tennessee from Cincinnati Ohio and it stalled and lurched forward when climbing the mountains. I had difficulty keeping it at 60mph. I had 1/2 a tank of gas. When I returned home I had a full tank and it did not have any problems even though I drove over the same mountains.

when ever I go up a steep grade with less than a half a tank it lurches. Could this be a problem like those above, and can anyone tell me an approximate cost for fixing this problem.

sounds like the same issue. I had problems getting fuel to the engine when when accelerating hard and/or going up hill, and was worse when cornering to the left. seems to be a problem when fuel in tank (at less than 1/2 full) was pushed to the rear and right. this could be because the intake sock inside the pump bowl is on the forward-left side of the bowl. anyway, the new pump costs $259, if you can install yourself. I don't know what Ford charges to do the job. good luck.

Kevin