Originally posted by JSmith:
Originally posted by jd28:
First I must stress this, I would never knock someones work, nor would tell them to not attempt stuff them self. It is also why I ask what you want to do if it's something simple.... Please do not be upset about what I will say.
Basicly I feel really bad, and wish it was something more...

The TPS harness was shorted out. All the wires touched after the final wrap. I knew that the computer is a very very very hard thing to fry, even if you shorted everything out, it's hard to kill. I moved the TPS harness (last thing I went for) and the fuel pump and relays clicked with each movement of the wire... I openned the harness up, made sure nothing was touching... she fired right up...






I had a feeling all along that it was something simple and silly that was wrong. That sounds like it was something simple and silly to me.

I'm just shocked that with the test equipment and trained personell that the dealer was unable to pinpoint a problem like this.



Well they did and didn't. They came back saying E4 harness. If you look up the E4 harness it's the harness that goes into the computer and out to every sensor. It also has the power come down into it. The TPS sensor is part of the E4 harness. The part about throwing a computer at it I don't totally understand but they were trying to rule it out, at the cost of the customer.

And I'm sure there is other things that made them not want to take it, as a dealer I'm sure they had some nightmares come in. They where ignorant to the car because they saw work done, and he said he messed with it (I would assume told them what he did work on).

This is where they started jumping the gun. Also when you pop the hood and see some flames painted on, and wire all bunched up by the fusebox (from add ons) the tech will start acting like "wow someone f'd with it" all that was is air horn and fog lights, but a tech would just assume that it's a problem, and someone been moding and racing it (which wasn't the case in this car) but this is how they act, because of the cars that have been hacked up and fried.

How I did it. I wanted the old computer with the car because it would already be programmed for the keys or should be. I openned the computer too see for any signs of a major fry (though ICs don't show that, caps and resistors will) smelled the computer too sniffed for any kind of a left over cooked trail ( i know I'm crazy) got lightheaded from the sniffing and figured lets plug it back in...

PATS light started flashing... I knew there is function in this computer. Turned the key no CEL no start. Openned up relay box, jumped the starter relay terminals and she cranked over. Before hand I was printing up countless schematics on wiring relation and so on. I know how a relay works, and knew there was no ground on the other side of the coil for it to not work. Schematic shows the PCM ties back to the ground side of the coil for the starter relay and this is why it's not going to crank, PATS.

Next thing I thought was power relay for PCM, had the key in the run posistion pulled the relay and it clicked off, put it back in and it clicked on, but no CEL.

In the meantime the car is still in run, I figure well last thing to go for is short, I'll check this TPS harness (touched it) and click from the fuse box and a very noticable fuel pump prime from the rear (the PCM controlls the fuel pump relay also) moved it around, click, click I knew she was on, check the dash had a CEL, turned the key she started. Fixed the TPS wires.

Then today the reason why it was being worked on. First CEL on without even driving, just starting 3-4 times and running 2-3 mins it tripped it.

Cleared it went for a drive, got to the top of the street push the clutch and the brake to stop, and RPMS went up to 4000 and stayed there. Went to next stop sign, same thing even waiting for it too come down, tapping gas to see if something was hanging. Started going up more, and people were looking at me like this man doesn't know how to drive stick or thinks he's cool (it was the later one hehe) went back around the block with the engine racing. If I shut it off the idle would be fine until the next stop.

Die grease, it was causing a resistence on the contact throwing it off. Flushed that, and check the other sensors all having it, flushed them all off. But then the RPMs getting stuck at 2500, even if you didn't really bring it up that much. But after 3-4 seconds would come down. IAC faulty/leaky no bottom bolt head, assumed bottom was also leaking (had to be) pulled upper intake (thought it would be easy to remove the remaing bolt stud with it off so I don't damage the surface) found linkage for lower intake butterfly flap controll (whatever it's called) disconnected, the flaps were not moving at all on the side towards the front, and even r sticky.

So going to clean the upper and lower intake, replace the gaskets for them, also EGR gasket, IAC gasket and IAC, also get a clip to hold the linkage onto the flaps for the lower intake, and see if that fixes the high RPM problem.


JD a.k.a Fingers "Don't Panic" '98 Contour GL 2.0L VCT ATX 88k '98 Contour LX 2.5L MTX 120k Street racing can kill just less of a chance with a 2.0