I have a heavily modded 89 turbo. Recently, when I start out in first the motor hesitates, and I have to feather the clutch to be smooth. If I give it full throttle it sometimes bogs. When I am driving often there is a major loss of power puncuated by an explosion and flames shoot out the pipes (ie mixture not lighting in chamber but instead when it hits the turbo). Sometimes the lights dim and it just dies while I am driving. but it always starts right back up no problem. My thoughts are a) fouled plugs, b) bad plug wires, c) faulty fuel pump, d) clogged fuel filter, e) bad alternator (the problem was much worse when I had an electric fan installed, and the battery dosent seem to hold as much charge as it should). I don't think it would be in the computer or ignition because it is sporratic not constant. Any ideas?

 

Sounds like you are on track looking for electrical problems. I would include checking all the major grounding points.
Kevin

 

I do have an 8 gauge ground strap from the motor to the chassis, I will check out and clean up the other grounding points. Thanks

 

does your car have any sort of fuel management (afc or stand alone)?
If so you could just be running really rich and if thats the case simply lean is out a few points and see if that helps. If you have no fuel management a)i would look into it b) like you said check all your grounds and continuity test your wiring system.

J

 

I have a Haltech E6a connected to (brand new) MSD digital 6 plus and DIS 2. Factory computer is gone. I checked the grounds today, they are good. I went for a drive with my mechanic friend, we came up with the possibility of the O2 sensor, MAP sensor, water temp sensor, or throttle sensor being bad. Something that would be controlling how much fuel is injected. The car does run rich (11.? to 1 at full boost) so the O2 being fried is the most probable, but hey sometimes puppies die. I don't think it is the fuel maps because it used to run fine and the problem has come on gradually since my last day at Willow Springs to the point now where it is not driveable. All the vacuum lines were recently replaced. When the boost gauge is below 0 it just randomly sputters. If I just went into boost it sputters then backfires. When it sputters it feels like either I'm running out of gas (yes the tank is full) or the mix is not firing. The backfires tell me the latter is much more probable.. At idle it will be fine sometimes then sputter and die others. Anyone have a thought on bad sensors?

 

Check your compression.

 

I thought about the possibility of the motor being blown but it just dosen't feel like that. It will run fine for a while then run like ****. It really does just feel like when you just run out of gas. When it stalls it starts right back up. I've never blown a rotary but it seems like if there was no compression it would either always run bad or just not start. If I'm wrong let me know...

 

So today I got my stalling problem narrowed down to something electrical. Come to find out when it has the loss of power and stalling, there is simply no trigger signal at the ignition unit... SO I'm going to start with putting in a different crank angle sensor, then I want to test out the magnetic signal stabilizers that are between the crank sensor and the haltech (does anyone know how to do this?) and if that dosent work then I'll have to look at the signal coming from the haltech to the ignition box (anyone?). As of today, the car will start, idle fine for 5 or 10 seconds, then die. Repeating the process gives identical results. At least yesterday it would make it to the end of the street first... Do crank angle sensors go bad? What electrically would cause it to run fine one moment then repeatedly misfire the next? Any other advice for me? All my friends are lauging at me but they know deep down that when I get it running good I'll be invincible... hehe ~ Jeremy

 

Ok today I tried a known working coil and also a different crank angle sensor. Negatory on both. My next step is to somehow see if the magnetic signal stabilizers are bad then after that the (gasp) haltech itself. The car will start and idle for 3 to 5 seconds then die exactly as if you turned the car off with the key. The trigger signal just stops. You can see the light flashing on the MSD ignition unit for each trigger signal it receives. Keep in mind the problem started as a misfire when I was hauling ***, then progressed to stalling after misfiring when I was just driving, then to this. It seems like I turn it on, the haltech takes a look around, then sees something it dosent like and kills it. Possible? Anyone?
*perplexed* ~Jeremy

 

dumb question but do you suddenly have a lot of endplay at the E-shaft? I've heard of the thrust bearings going stuffed and causing a lot of endplay, which among other things will cause the CAS to intermittently not work.

 

How can I check? Just grab the main pulley and wiggle? Where is the thrust bearing located?

 

behind the front cover.

You know what, nevermind... for some reason I thought you had an FD setup

 

I just did datalogs yesterday, and I noticed two odd things. (I don't have the manual for the E6a yet but I did order it..) First next to the MAP values there is an asterisk when the car is running. Second at no time while running did the voltage in the system go above 11.8v. My battery dosent seem to hold a charge above 11v (optima) and I also tried with a known good battery (12.9v) so maybe the alternator is dust. If anyone wants to take a look at my datalogs I'd appreciate it, my email is jeremy@ferberphotography.com Also now the car wont start at all.

 

i know that you probly don't want to here this but i think that you need to rebuild your turbo. i have an fd with the exact same problem. drain your oiland see if it is runny because what could have happened is the seels went out and your antifreeze is mixing in with your oil. any way i'm almost positive that is your problem. sorry i know it sucks and is very expensive.

 

It RUNS!!! It was a damn circuit breaker...

 

so much for the bad turbo!

 

so which one was it ? i just got my turbos back today but havn't got a chance to to put them back on yet. so i just want to make sure that i don't have the same problem once they're in. thanx for the help. by the congrats on not having to pay for a turbo rebuild, man thery're expensive!!!

 

well i got my turbos back in and still have the same problem. so if you could tell me what was wrong on yours it would be very helpful because i think i have the same problem.

 

hey my friend has an 87 tII that we just put a complete new intake setup on and we had to take the air pump off to make it work. once we put it on it idleed real bad but was drive able. then it just slowly started dying and acting the same way your car is. I mean it got to the point where it started blowing five foot flames out the exhaust and turning the cat red from the heat. we thought it might have been a vacuum line or something. let me know what circuiit breaker it was so we canfix it and get back on the road agian...thanks