Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Washed engine, now car won't stay running

Well, i washed my engine last night at the local carwash. I got in and drove it back home, ran fine but it though and engine code. So i get home and put the code reader on it. It gives me a cannot control idle at high RPMs and Cannot control idle at low RPMS. Then it gives me something about the fuel pump circuts. This is all about an hour later i start the car and it starts then cuts off. Then i go and start it again and it just cranks and crank. I look around under the hood and see nothing out of the ordinary. I go back and it starts so i rev it a little and it sounds find. Then i go to let it idle again and it drops to like 400 or 500 RPMs and then cuts off. So i try to start it agian, it just cranks. I stop for about 5 minutes and go back and it starts right up, so i rev it agian and then i try to let it idle and it just cuts off. I went though that processs for an hour then i give up on it. So i help finish putting the body kit on my friends CRX. Then like 2 hours later i go back and it starts up and runs fine. But i still have a sputter around three grand and my whole car shakes at idle.....Anyone had this or have any ideas?

Water in the coil pack connections?

or in the plug holes shorting it out

ContoursKickAss,
I've washed my SVT's engine several times, just last Saturday in fact, & have not had any starting or running problems.

As ScottK & el contouro mentioned, the most likely culprit is moisture inside an electrical connector or device.
I assume you used a high-pressure water wand or similar apparatus to clean your engine, hence the likelihood of moisture penetration is increased compared to just using a garden hose as I do.

Another possibility is the high-pressure may have caused a vacuum or other hose to become loose which may create some kind of air leak that your EEC computer is attempting to compensate but does not show up as a trouble code.

I had this happen on my Saleen Mustang one time when for some inexplicable reason it would not maintain a steady idle & would constantly stall.
After several agonizing attempts to isolate the cause, I finally traced it to a flexible connector between my supercharger's discharge tube & the throttle body inlet. There was just enough of a mismatch between the two that it wasn't readily apparent to a cursory inspection, but it was enough to allow the pressurized air to escape, causing the computer to go a bit zany.
Once I realigned the connector & tightened it, the idle returned to normal.

I'd suggest looking closely under your hood for loose connectors, hoses & any residual moisture.

Hey ContoursKickAss,

Get yourself a can of carburetor cleaner that comes with a straw.
After starting your engine, spray some short bursts around the areas where different
parts mate, like the Mass Air Flow to the Manifold, Upper/Lower Manifold,
Injector/manifold area, EGR mounting, Idle Air Control mounting, etc.
Any vacuum leaks will result in an IMMEDIATE increase in idle when you spray the carburetor cleaner.
This is how you find an air leak.

For Electrical -
Take your plugs wires and give both ends a good filling of Silicone Grease.
Any electrical connectors that do NOT have weatherproof seals can also get a douse of Silicone grease.

If these don't solve your problem, I suggest you take it to a dealer,
and tell them what your car is doing and DON'T MENTION that you
POWERWASHED the engine.

Pete...