Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting MAF Problems

I'm having problems with my '95 Contour (V6, 5 Speed) where it will not idle properly, but drives fine otherwise. When idling it might run fine for a few seconds, then the revs drop, and about half the time the engine stalls..

This problem started about a week and a half ago, and I thought that I had it licked.. I cleaned the IAC, replaced the EGR valve, replaced the PCV valve, and still no joy. Then I cleaned the MAF, and everything was good for a few days/hundred KMs, but now the exact same problem is back.

I tried cleaning the MAF again, but the car still won't idle. If you unplug the MAF, the car runs fine, but with a higher than normal idle (exactly the same as it did a week before). The MAF tests fine using a multimeter, and the car throws no codes..

Since the MAF is clean, and it was working fine, could the MAF simply be shot now? Could it be a problem with the temperature thing that goes into the airbox?

What's the next step that I should be taking?

Fuel pump dying? Check the rail pressure. Possibly O2 sensors but throwing no codes would be unusual.

1: Do you have a k&n filter (over oiled)???

2: Have you cleaned the throttle body and the EGR ports behind the throttle body?

3: Coils do go bad eventually. I don't know how to test that, a shop did mine, but that'll cause a rough idle to.

I don't know if it's the fuel pump, as it idles fine without the MAF plugged in, and runs fine at higher RPMs.

I do not have a K&N, but a stock-style paper panel air filter. I have cleaned the throttle body, and its perfectly clean, but have not cleaned the EGR passages themselves, but again, the car runs fine with the MAF unplugged. I'll probably clean the EGR pssages tomorrow anyways, because it does need to be done. For the same reason it doesn't seem like a spark problem to me. I did try changing the plugs, and the ones I took out all looked fine. The wires look to be in fine shape.

I think I may just phone around and see if I can buy a cheap used MAF somewhere to test with.

Have the intake gaskets been replaced?

If they're original I'm sure they are shot.