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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 8
Newbie
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OP
Newbie
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 8 |
I have put up with a problem that has haunted my 1999 Contour 4 cyl with 57,000 miles on it for the past two years.
It will just simply die without warning, when I am driving under 30 mph in slow traffic with my foot off the accelerator or when I am manuvering to park. It never has acted up in winter, fall or early spring; It hits me in the summer.
Two years ago I fixed it with a new gas filter. Last year I tried the filter (didn't fix), tried premium gas, Octane Booster, and air filter(still didn't fix). Weather changed to fall and problem went away.
Now this spring and summer I have the problem again. I took it to a repair shop where they cleaned the carbon off of my throttle bore, and replaced my spark plugs(didn't fix). A week later they said my fuel pump was not pumping out sufficient fuel. They replaced the pump and car ran fine for 5 days. On the sixth day it died while I was tying to park in front of my house. This car is driving me nuts and costing me big bucks. Does anyone have any ideas? Please?
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Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 2,408
Hard-core CEG'er
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Hard-core CEG'er
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 2,408 |
Welcome to CEG!
Of course the fastest way to diagnose this would be to hook it to an analyzer on a hot day.
So many things to go wrong, so little time.
If you were ever in doubt of fuel delivery, a fuel pressure guage is your best bet. The ECT and IAT temperature sensors may have a problem. Vacuum leaks and intake leaks are always a possibility. In cold weather these air leaks tend to make the RPM's cycle up and down.
If there are any other symptoms, they might help to pinpiont the problem.
And, if the CEL has come on, get the codes checked.
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" -George Santayana
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 8
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OP
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Well, I just wanted to follow up with my post. In summary, a professional repair shop finally appears to have fixed my problem. In the past 4 weeks the same repair shop cleaned out the throttle bore and replaced my spark plugs for $138.00 on one visit. Then on the next visit, they determined that the fuel pump was not pumping adequate fuel and giving me a lean reading(check engine light). The cost of that operation was $490.00. Today, they finally replaced the mass airflow sensor for $182.00 (cost of part only) and said that the problem with the mass airflow sensor probably caused the fuel pump to go bad. I have always trusted this repair shop and they had my car for a total 7 days to diagnose the problem and try the various repairs. Any comments?
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 655
Veteran CEG\'er
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Veteran CEG\'er
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 655 |
It took my dumbass dealer six days to find a wire they unhooked while fixing a squeak in the dashboard. The wire made the car not start and die while on the road. The a month later the car died on the road and they had it for three days only to find out that when the car was in for repair the last time, that they had unhooked another wire and forgot to reattach it. So with a complex problem like yours I would say 7 days is good compared to the 9 days for two loose wires that they unhooked and forgot to reattach.
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 67
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 67 |
Quote:
Re: car dies in hot summertime driving
That is a common symptom for a fuel pump. It kinda sounds like they were guessing. They cleaned the throttle body and replaced the spark plugs? Did they think all 4 or 6 plugs were failing at the same time and causing your car to quit? Or were they just recommending them because they needed replaced? I mean if I were to not be able to duplicate your concern, I would tell you that i suspect it is the fuel pump. Sometimes they could drive your car for hours and monitor the fuel pressure and it never miss a beat, but your problem was kinda common on contours and i believe early Focus also.
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 8
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Joined: Jun 2002
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As a further post script to the earlier story, i just finished a happy drive to work and then back home this evening, only to notice that with the air conditioning on, I have a choppy idle, and now my check engine light is back on. Words can't describe how disgusted I am with the car and the mechanic.
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 8
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Newbie
Joined: Jun 2002
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Just thought I would add that I see more stalling and drivability problems mentioned by other members of this site. While I was initially upset about my check engine light being on, and having a bit of a rough idle with the air on, my car hasn't died since the mass air flow sensor was installed. Maybe the mechanic was on the right track. Maybe I'll withold judgment.
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 9,442
Addicted CEG\'er
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Addicted CEG\'er
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 9,442 |
Just wanted to add that my car kept shutting off on me also. No CEL's though. Finished the new fuel pump thismorning and she seems to be doing fine.
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 9,442
Addicted CEG\'er
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Addicted CEG\'er
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Joined: Jun 2002
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Thanks for your reply. I saw a similar post last summer where the guy switched his relays and fixed his problem. I did notice with mine,though, that the car still hadn't died since the mechanic had it last Monday. I thought I would have the codes read at Auto Zone; so when they checked them, their reading (they forgot the numbers) said system too lean-manufacturing control fuel/air metering. As far as lack of confidence that the mechanic didn't reconnect something, maybe there is that possibility, I recently found the nuts holding my air cleaner onto the throttle body are gone. I found one sitting on the cowl behind the engine.
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