need some help with my fd
 

OK so the other day my car starting running very roughly. What happened is that it started idling very roughly and took much longer to get warm. Once it got warm I drove it and it wouldn't accelerate correctly at first, then all of a sudden when the car was fully warm it ran fine. It was suggested to me to change the spark plugs which I did.

So now. It still idles roughly or idles too high. it's kicking out clouds of black smoke and when I did drive it the temperature rose to high which it wasn't doing before. I checked all my lines that I disconnected and any others around the area that I was working on and all were connected. So I'm wondering why i'm experiencing the symptoms I am:
rough idle or higher idle (2000 rpm)
black smoke from my tail pipe
temperature raise that wasn't there before
and it still doesn't accelerate right.

I'm planning on changing the oil, oil filter, fuel filter and the vaccuum lines. Should I get some injector cleaner too and put that in this tank of gas to see if it's a clogged injector? help me out with some ideas. Thanks
-Nic

How many miles does the car/engine have?

the car has 95k on it engine and all, so I was expecting the engine to go soon but didn't expect it to run fine one day and the next when I started it to just give out

check the MAP sensor (boost sensor), located on the driver's side rear firewall in the engine bay, opposite the steering column. There is a vacuum hose that is connected to the underside of it. if the nipple on the underside of the MAP sensor has no vacuum hose to it, there's your problem. Find the vacuum hose, connect it, and zip tie that bad boy. hopefully that's your problem and your motor is fine.

Happy trails :).

I would also suggest a compression test (after you check the MAP sensor). This will tell you for sure if your engine is toast.

Yep. If you changed the plugs, I am betting dollars to doughnuts that you bumped off the map sensor hose.;) Good call Goodfella!

Jeff

Yep. If you changed the plugs, I am betting dollars to doughnuts that you bumped off the map sensor hose.;) Good call Goodfella!

Jeff

thanks guys I was planning on starting the hose job this weekend anyway, so we'll see. would that hose being off explain the black smoke as well, or is that a whole other issue? I'll take a look anyway though tonight just to see if that's my prob.
-Nic

yeah, i have a similar problem, the idle is smooth but it takes forever to warm up. what is the average time for the engine to warm up? mine stays cold after about 20 minutes of driving. even after that the coolant temp guage reads cold, but i think that's just a problem with a loose wire... or is it?

Those of you who had this problem before or know of it. When you had rough idle did you have the black smoke as well that I have or is that a seperate issue?

Yes, fuel mixture becomes extremely rich, causing the black smoke. Idle will be very rough, low boost, etc.

Mark

what does fd mean?

ok thanks for clearing that up for me. Probably seemed like a moronic question but I'm still learning. I'll check that line tonight as a temporary fix, but then I'm going to do the Vac hose job soon. Regardless thanks for all the info guys and I'll let you know if everything is ok after I check that.

Ok as luck would have it.... the vacuum hose is connected and there. The other end is also connected so it's not that..... Any more ideas anyone I'm at a loss.... Thanks

Did you do anything to the car between the time the car ran fine and started running rough? Did it overheat? Did you do anything at all? You need to retrace your steps first.

Jeff

No that's the thing I don't understand. The friday before all this stuff happened I opened her up a couple of times to just get her going. Then the next morning when I went to drive her it started running incorrectly. Meaning she just ran kind of rough and wouldn't boost. Later I started her up again and that's when the rough idle started and again she wouldn't accelerate correctly I could hear the turbo start spooling but then nothing so I'd have to shift early. After a few minutes of driving it was fine again. but then the next time I started her up again same thing, so that's the point I changed the plugs thinking it could be that and by suggestion of others.
After changing the plugs she continued to idle rough, but higher and then after that as I was driving it'd be ok again, but now I saw my temp gauge go up. I accredited that to the fact that the coolant had spilled out of the UIT when I removed it to change plugs and wires. It only did it once. So now I looked at the MAP sensor vac line the one end is connected to the MAP sensor but I'm unsure if the other side is totally fine or if it's kinked I'll have to pull the elbow and throttle body off to check but I'm starting the vac line job this weekend so maybe that'll will help. Could it possibly be a bad MAP sensor? Any ideas would be appreciate.

Maybe you have a blown LIM gasket? That would explain the high and rough idle, but not the lack of power.

running incorrectly?
 

I am no expert, being a fb owner but check the catalytic converter. It might be clogged.Often the simplest things are overlooked .

Ok I'll check that but here's my thought... I have an aftermarket boost gauge that gives me vacuum pressure before I'm boosting and then the boost. If that is being tied into the MAP sensor or (boost sensor) like I believe it is if there's a problem with that vacuum line I'll get no reading there right or am I pulling that totally out of my ass?

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying. Your boost gauge is tied into your MAP sensor? Most people plug it into the extra nipple on the passenger side of the UIM.

Your boost gauge is probably not tied to the map sensor (it's probably on the UIM like paw140 said); however, you could connect the boost gauge to the MAP sensor using a T connector (I found some at autozone) so that the other hose is still connected also. Don't forget to cap the nipple on the UIM where the boost gauge should be connected. If you get the same boost readings that you normally get, then the hose connected to the map sensor (the hose that you are "T-ing" into) is not kinked.

Then you can test your MAP sensor as detailed in the shop manual (page F-181 I think). All you need is a voltmeter. The shop manual is downloadable at www.iluvmyrx7.com.

If both these tests come out ok, then your problem is somewhere else.

Good luck.

Again thanks guys for all the info and help yeah there's a T in my line to the Map sensor but it's capped I didn't see that last night it was kind of dark and I didn't get the hanging light out, anyway I think I'm going to take the elbow and throttle body off tonight and take a look at the line see if it's cracked or if it's kinked or disconnected. When I was running my hands along it last night it seemed that if the lines have been replaced then they were replaced with rubber lines again because there is no give or elasticity to the lines currently there. The guy I bought the car off of said pettit did all the maintenance for him on the car, but I don't know why they'd replace the vac lines with rubber ones again. anyway I'll keep you posted on what I find. Thanks again.
-Nic

One more idea I had as I was reading around. If I check the vac hoses and they are all ok, would my o2 sensor be a cause as well? that would explain the black smoke and rough idle, but would it explain the high idle.... just a thought...

A bad or no o2 sensor may make the car idle a bit rich, but it will not make black smoke and it would definately not make you lose power. I do not think that is your problem.

I really think you need to test the boost sensor.

Jeff

ok thanks!! I'll do that asap