Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Duratec Performance track weekend - engine problems, but no oil starvation

I'm back from my yearly track weekend with good and bad news. The good news is that the oil pressure alarm that I installed (search on previous posts from July/August) didn't get triggered in any of the high speed sweepers despite the fact that I was carrying a lot more speed this year than in previous years (Konis, H&R's, wider tires, "Aussie" sway bar).

The bad news is that part way through one of the latter track sessions I lost a lot of engine power - I would guess that it was down by something like 30 to 50%. No CEL, no temperatures out of normal, no other warning lights or symptoms. I back off and limped into the pits - fluid levels all good, wires looked normal, nothing else abnormal looking under the hood. I let the car cool down then took it out of the road to see if the problem was still there - wasn't - back to normal. I took it out in the next session (after a lot of internal debate!) and kept the RPM's below 5k - no problems. Then I went back to shifting just before the red line as I had been doing before - no problems. And no problems on the way back from the track.

So I don't know what happened. It was very hot and humid, but I was running high octane (non-SVT engine by the way). I had been higher in the revs on the few laps before it happened. I haven't pulled the plugs yet to see if anything looks unusual. The only "odd" symptom I can point to is that starting Saturday morning (but before I had been on the track) the warning light re: low coolant would stay on after I started the car but would go off about a half minute later - never had that before, but the coolant level was at the "max" level (where it always is) - I kept an eye on the temperature gauge all weekend but it never got above where it normally sits.

Upshot, I haven't a clue what happened - I'm hoping that the electronics saw something that sent it into some "self-preservation" mode. But I'm pretty sure it had nothing to do with oiling. Any ideas?

On a happier note, the car did very well against the BMW's - M3's easily took off down the straights from me, but only a few were quicker through the corners. But then all of us are at a skill level that is still a good bit lower than the cars' potential.

Eric

Stupid question....After it happenned did you stay in the same gear or did you switch when you limped off the course? During one of my track sessions I was downshifting from third to second and the same thing happenned....major loss of power. I nearly pulled off the track until......I realized I had accidentily shifted into fourth. :rolleyes: C'mon everone has done it once.

No wonder those runs sucked!! :p I think everyone has shifted before and not realized. I know I'm guilty.

No, happened over 2 straights with a downshift in between.
Eric

Your coolant light is a known problem. Not sure what year your car is but I know of 2 99 mystiques that the light kept coming on or staying on. It is the sensor in the resvior. It will only get worse now. Dealer replaced one under warrenty which fixed it. I think the other one was jumped to stop it from being on. Not sure though. Good luck finding your other problem.

It's possible that the PCM thought you were in overheat mode -- when that happens it shuts off a cylinder at a time to try and cool down.

If the temp gauge wasn't pegged, I don't know why the PCM would think that, though.

-Lance

Eric: Suggestion-pull any/all codes out of the PCM. You'll likely have some food for thought. I've had that low coolant light problem for years now, though mine's OBD1.

No codes stored in the PCM. Engine seems slightly down on power at the very high end (from 6k RPM up) - I used to run 4k RPM to 6.5k RPM in 2nd gear in <3.5s - now more like 3.6 or even 3.7s.
Eric

Wonder if all the hi RPM running loosened up something in the cat and now you have a restriction.

// Chris Root
// '99 SVT

OBD2 should detect a cat problem-that's why there's 2 additional sensors. Unless it's the main cat....