I swapped plug wires back to the OEM ones on Tuesday night.. Last night I swapped coil packs.. removed the battery and checked all my grounds.. Found 1 ground sitting in some standing water - removed it and attached it to the negative battery terminal as it was a ground that was attached to 2 areas of the car - as in a ground grounding itself?
Anyways I got in the car - started it up and the idle was kinda all over the place yet.. CEL was gone -- drove it a few blocks, misfired -- drove it a bit more - took it to the gas station and threw in another 1/2 tank of good premimum gas -- started it up, drove a block, misfired and CEL came back on. Kept driving and in a few more blocks it misfired BAD - really BAD.. it was almost impossible to drive, attempted to give gas harder and it did not help - I had to just put in the clutch and coast to the side, turn it off and back on.. then drive away. When it misfired bad I could smell rotten eggs really strong. Got the car home after a few more misfires and kept it running.. I noticed that the exhaust seemed to almost "rattle" a bit now and shake under the car with it running.
Talked to the person who helped me rebuild everything and he thinks its the fuel filter.. we forgot to change it and the past owner confirmed that the car sat for over a year before I bought it from him (spun bearing)
We gut the cats and built mil eliminators and replaced both upstream sensors due to a code stating that all O2 sensors were not working.
I'm seriously at a loss right now.. I agree that the fuel filter should have been changed immediately but if that doesn't do it, what next?
Beside the fuel pressure test how can you tell your fuel pump is going? I own a return Cougar and this car is also return.. I never had the fuel pump problems of the 2000 up Cougars that I've heard of so I have nothing to reference.. Wouldn't the car just stop running? I had a Saturn SC2 a few years back and I thought I ran outta gas as it just died, I was low - but definately not low enough to run out.. we added a can of gas and it was still dead.. towed it to the dealer and they said it was the fuel pump. Wouldn't the same deal apply to this car? It sputters like all hell and bucks when it misfires but when it does run good its smooth and has normal power.
