Okay, so I just got done installing an o2 sensor and wires, now my car runs like ****! I'm getting a vacuum of 10 and my idle sounds like some tractor or something.....it will idle horribly until I give it some gas, then the RPM's will run up and the car will start acting normal, making proer vacuum, but as soon as I let off, down it goes again........any suggestions?

 

Did you make sure that you attached each wire to the right plug?

Maybe you crisscrossed the trailing wires, the ones that are wrapped.

Also, did you change your plugs? Did you tighten the sensor enough?

I am assuming the car ran fine right before the 02 sensor and the plug wires.

 

Yeah, I already checked the wires, they're all correct, and the o2 sensor is tight. These were the first things that cam to mind, but would these things make my vacuum drop?

I also checked the vacuum lines, everything is hooked up.

One thing I forgot about thoug...the 2 leading coils in the middle, I couldn't get the boots ALL the way on, would this be a possible problem? How do I get the boots all the way on?

 

Also, when I start my car, there is a lot of smoke. Well, it's not bad smoke I don't think....it smells like pure gas and l has that 'exhaust' color to it, but there's never been this much.

Is my new o2 sensor reading to rich? Should I reset the ECU?

What are the negative side effects of driving with low vacuum at idle?

 

Well, yeah.

If you didn't get those boots on the leading coils all the way, then you will definitely have a poor running car, your vacuum will be low, and you will not combust most of your gas when idling.

It could be that at higher rpms the current arcs across the small space between the leading coil and the wire which would account for the car running better under some throttle.

What you need to do is to take off the intake elbow, and make sure that first you have the wires going to the correct sides, and second push the boots all the way on.

Also, just to make sure, the Leading 1 is at the top, and the Leading 2 is at the bottom on the coil. Leading 1 and Trailing 1 go to the front rotor; the front of the engine, etc.

 

check your boost sensor on the firewall. It is a little black box with a short hose going to a small filter. it is really easy to knock off and has been known to make a lot of people to overreact like myself.

 

Yep, hehe, it was my boost sensor, both vacuum hoses fell off...now my car is almost back to normal but it's still a tad low in vacuum and it's kinda rough.

Also, there is a little smoke coming from the downpipe area, smells like something 'strange' burning. It doesn't smell like oil or coolant, something new, could it just be the o2 sensor burning in? Because it doesn't start doing it until the car starts getting warm.

 

After fixing a bad pressure sensor you will need to change your plugs. They are most likely fouled to hell.

 

That happend to me at the track...I thought I popped my motor. The boost sensor line popped off after my 2nd pass....Scared the crap out of me.