Hey all, having some trouble with this new-to-me 87 Turbo 2. Got a bit of a weird issue so here goes:

I purchased the car non running after a fresh rebuild a few weeks ago. After discovering that the AFM was physically seized shut, I removed it and got the car to start with the help of some starter fluid. It idled very high but started up and sounded quite healthy. A few weeks later, I come back to go back to work on it and cant get the car to stay running. The AFM has been replaced, and only after about 15-20 seconds of cranking will the car sputter to life. When it does, the tachometer does not work, the engine revs to roughly 2500 rpm, then completely cuts out. It has no response to throttle input during these few seconds. The car does not stay running when starting with starter fluid either. Below i've included some diagnostic/repair work I've done so far when going down the list of what could cause this, but I'm totally at a loss here. Any help is appreciated!

- AFM replaced
- Set timing
- Inspected visually for vacuum leaks
- Verified ~48psi static pressure through a FPR
- Noticed that the tachometer still works when trying to push start the car but fails when car actually runs now?
- Tried removing the AFM and leaving it connected while propping it open with a stick, no change in behavior
Engine Modifications:
- Running on Rtek 1.8
- FMIC setup
- Full 3" exhaust
- Appropriate injectors for the Rtek (all done by previous owner but must be min 720cc)
- Walbro fuel pump and aftermarket FPR
- Emissions delete

 

There are two things that have caused this symptom for me in the past:

- Unplugged the AFM to test something and forgot to plug it back in.

- Coolant temp sensor on the back of the water pump housing unplugged. Look behind the alternator, between it and the nearby rad cap on the thermostat elbow, and straight down. It looks like an injector connector. When unplugged the ECU assumes a warm engine and doesn't provide start up enrichment.

 

WondrousBread,

I have also experienced these before unfortunately The AFM is definitely connected and my last FC suffered a water temp sensor failure which did not resemble this. I already inspected it anyways and the connector appears intact. Thank your for your advice though!