Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Zetec Maintenance Varaible cam timing issue

I don't mind them adding things to get more gas miles and clean the air. They should have stayed with the EGR. The whole VCT thang using oil just creats more stuff to fix and worry about. It's bad enough that just about every oil change place puts in the cheap and often wrong grades of oil. And to make matters worse they charge too much money for the VCT part.

Got no light so HURRAY. Thank god it's not both gears. But with no cam keys, that's easy enough so long as VC is in it's neutral state!! In other words not advanced or retarted in the hub. Maybe I will spend a little more time serching CEG history next time. I used my NAPA 2002 adition timing belt CD and even they had no mention of VCT. I think it's all just another reason to have to bring it back to the dealer and put money in thier pocket.

howdy

my friend "the viking" posted here to ask about timing my 2000 vct 4 cyl. well the engin seems to run fine but the check engin light is on. was told by the shop that replaced the timing belt that the valves in #4 where bent. engin passed a compession check with the #4 cyl being the second best. we retimed it and it runs better than it did from the shop. (go figure) seeing that they did not charge me for a valve cover gasket i'm assuming they didnt pull it to set the timing right. so long story short any ideas on why the cel is on?

also while driving home from the shop the cel was flashing now it on steady.

im lost,

phinfan

"we are the people, our parents warned us about"

if you don't have a code reader, take it to Autozone and have them tell you what code it's throwing.

Come back here and tell us what it is.

We will provide recommendations from there....

ok autozone checked it and #4 cyl mifire. so i asked if they could clear it and they said they cant.(i guess its a new law) but when i went to leave the cel was off. not shure what that means.could it have been showing the bad timeing job that the shop did and my friend was able to fix. (thanks to you guys.)

thanks

phinfan

2000 contour 4cyl vct

"We are the people our parents warned us about"

I doubt that's the issue. bad timing does not equate to a misfire.

I'd bet on flaky plug wires or plug or a failing coil.

Okay...this is my first time here, but the VCT cam timing is a pain...I think. Here's my problem and if anyone can help I'd appreciate it. My 1999 Ford Contour SE 4-door is acting really goofy. When I am trying to do a "rapid acceleration" like pulling from a driveway onto the highway and accelerate quickly, my car kind of jerks and doesn't want to go. You have to pull over to the side of the road, brake completely to a stop and then can go. Sometimes it will do this jerking thing again and sometimes it is just fine. Major prob...it doesn't do this all the time...it's really sporadic. My hubby and I have talked to 3 diff mechanics who all have different answers..the fuel pump, the VCT cam timing or one swears it is a sensor and can be fixed no time flat.

Does anyone have any idea what's going on? We've already replaced the spark plugs, fuel filter, new oil, oil filter, air filter, checked the connections. My hubby's a mechanic and he did all this and just can't figure out what to do next. HELP!!!!

I am gona say that it's not likely to be fuel pressure related. It has been my experience with FI systems that if it requiers 52 lbs min pressure and has 51 lbs, it simply does not run. Do not take my word for this, I don't know every EFI. It could include some type of fast voltage loss shutting down the pump. TPS is also likely. Need more info,like does it jerk all the way to a stop and then you go? Does the engine idle rough or die, do you have a CEL? Auto or 5 speed?

We have 4-speed automatic transmission. It does not jerk to a stop. It idles fine. Inspected timing belt, replaced ignition wires, filters, etc. Also, last night cruising about 65 mph, the engine sounded like it was having a hard time keeping power. It never stopped, just sort of lightly chugged along.