Hey all,
Few weeks ago I finally got my erratic idle to stop by adjusting the tps to 1v. All is fine for the next few weeks.
Well the wife drove it to work, filled up (empty tank just about). The gas stations pumps were not working with regular so they were giving super at reg. price. BONUS lol.

Car drives fine, for the next 15 miles. Next day start it up, notice the idle is not down to the point of wanting to stall 500 or less....
It is also now having a preaty bad studdering issue, even just cruising at speed. Give it gas, spudder, spudder just like the 3800 studder....
YOu will feel it, then clean out, back again........


Car hasn't had much gas all winter due to storage, and this is was the most gas its seen since I bought it back last august...
Guess my question is you think I stirred up some crap from the tank? Or should I look elsewhere. There isn't a way super could make this issue is there.... LOL...

Gotta get this thing moving, with 2 kids, we need to cars. Im gonna reground the boost sensor tomorrow as I seen from the searches I did, but anything else?

Many thanks..
car is a 87 n/a 126K miles...

 

Check fuel filter in engine bay as well as the fuel sock on the pump.

 

Gas stationed realized that they were going to lose out on selling premium for regular price, so they stuck a water hose in the storage tank?

 

Today I checked tps again, 1v, I adjusted it all the way up to 1.25 and anywhere in between, still idling at 500 or less.
Regrounded boost sensor, nothing.

I notice my fan is running ALL the time. It used to turn on then shut off until needed, but now its running all the time. Associated? How?

Tomorrow I will change fuel filter and check sock also, no time today.
Anything else...

 

probably bad gas

stay away from the chili, it gives you runny poop.



normally i give the BS meter when people claim bad gas but for a station to give premium away for regular price, i smell something fishy.

 

They said it was because the 87 was empty in their tanks. Not the first time I have seen that around here. Really rural area..
Think that would be water? How can I get that removed? Or just run it until its empty?

 

drain the tank and add about 3-4 gallons of good fuel, if the problem doesn't go away in a few miles then you can assume it wasn't the fuel and reuse what you drained.

 

The wife didn't confuse super with diesel did she? As far as draining the tank you can take the fill line off the fuel filter, jump the diagnostic port, and let the pump drain a good portion of the tank into a gas can.

 

OUCH, its completely full LOL. Gonna need a lot of gas cans...
Ill give the fuel filter and sock a shot, if not would it honestly hurt something to just run the fuel out. It runs ok with just a bit of stuttering with throttle, (well lets say drivable LOL) and a bit better at interstate speeds 65 or above.
Just the idle is like 500 at best. Wants to die.
Or just drain it if the above doesn't work.

Its gotta be the gas or fuel filter and sock as nothing was done to the car recently, and happend right after the fill up within 10-15 miles...
At least I'm hoping.

If it helps it sounds as though its misfiring. I took the leading plugs out to see condition and they were caked black. For now I just metal brushed them up, but didn't help. Think I should check the trailing also?

I thought about her putting in something wrong, but wouldn't it smoke if diesel was used? Smells fine, no smoke, nothing weird like that.

 

Well I changed the fuel filter, didn't help.
I couldn't get the fuel pump out to clean screen as the screws to get it out are totally rusted out and preaty much fall apart when trying to remove. Dunno how I will ever get that out without a new tank, that sucks....

I added some water remover, and it ran good for 10 min, then idle just went too low, 500, then tries to die, but stays running, bounces up to about 700, then down to low, keeps doing this..

The car does "smell" different. No smoke, just smells different when running. Looks like its getting terrible mileage currently.
I am thinking AFM.

Im gonna try testing the afm, what color wire should I be tapping to check? There are 4, 5 of them.

Thanks again all for the input so far.

 

I've had similar experience with bad gas. I thought my motor was blown it was so bad.
Add several bottles of drygas and a couple of fuel injector cleaner and it should help. Then run the tank to nearly empty and fill with fresh gas.

 

That's my first thing I am thinking, the gas.... Hopefully, but still above half a tank, so its gonna be a little bit for it to get empty.

It does sound weird. Well it did, until I changed out plug wires, then it seemed like the misfire was gone, but still the low, low idle.
I did clean some grounds months ago, maybe I got one with a bad contact. Im on my way out to check all of those this morning.

Its not a vac leak as I have looked over everything several times and most vac lines have been replaced last fall, ran fine for months now so not that. Others I didn't do as they are perfect shape.

 

Hey all I just wanted to update.
Its fixed now. The actual problem I should have thought about but I guess I assumed the worst so I overlooked the thought.

It was not the gas. Just a "it happened right after this..." thought. BUT turns out the leading 2 plug was so coated with dry light brownish, maybe grayish, stuff that flaked off when I brushed it, must have been causing a slight misfire. I cleaned it up ad nice idle, no more stuttering/bucking.
Plugs not that old and all others were not in that condition. Others were normal. I wish I would have taken a pic of it. It was nasty. Is this a concern and why just this 1 plug.

Thanks all for the help with this matter....