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Starting Problems - 6/16/2005 1:32:08 PM

Nrg_plus_34

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Joined: 6/16/2005
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I have a 98 escort ZX2 and today I went to start it and it turned over and started for a second and then puttered dead. If I pressed the gas pedal to the floor during that putter it would eventually rev to about 4000 rpm and would go higher just fine and it would sound fine but if I let go of the pedal then it would just die. I wanted to know if that was my fuel pump or just the filter, or maybe something else? Since it would start and I could rev it I have kinda ruled out the pump but I wanted to be sure.

Sincerely

Nrg_plus_34

Post #: 1

RE: Starting Problems - 6/23/2005 1:02:09 PM

PowerBBS

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I had something similar happen to me once on a Buick Skylark I owned. However, mine didn't happen all the time, it was more likely to happen when I came to a stop and released the gas. It didn't happen all the time tho. It was a problem with my Mass Air Flow sensor. The sensor is what dictates how much feul should be injected into the engine by how much air flow was going thru intake. It's a just a starting point, and is a more serious thing than just a feul or air filter change, but it may be a good start.

Check your injectors, if the vehicle has gotten what the car industry calls "bad gas" you may have a glog in your injectors. I'd go and get some injector cleaner (about 2.00 per bottle) and double the dosage recommended on the bottle at your next feul up, to thuroughly clean those injectors. Then for the next three feul ups, make sure to follow the recommended injector cleaner dosages. That may help unclog those injectors. Also, for preventive measures, remember, injector cleaner isn't something you should just buy when you have troubles, running a bottle thru your system every third to fifth fuel up isn't such a bad idea. Higher octane feul burns cleaner with a more efficient burn of the gas, but can be costly, so using octane booster in that feul rotation from time to time, isn't too bad either.

Air intake can be a cause as well, check that air filter, a high flow one is always a good recommendation in any circumstance, the better air flow will increase your gas mileage and in some cases increase your horse power too. It's not a ton load of noticable increase, but it's better for the engine none the less.

There's other things you can look at as well, maybe the timing of the vehicle is off. Timing is controled by many things, including the vehicles computer, and knock sensors, as well as air flow and feul sensors and of course the feul pump itself.

Some unlikely problems could be that the distributor could not be firing correctly, the alternator could be putting out a low voltage at lower RPM's that isn't firing all the plugs, the ignition wires gone bad, any one of those. But these few mentioned in this paragrah are the unlikely but still possibilities of your troubles.

Hopefully it's an simple problem, start with the basics... filters, and feul injector cleaners,

_____________________________

PowerBBS
2003 F-250 SD 4x4 Auto, Ext Cab SB
SOHC 6.8L V10 Factory SAE 315HP
GIBSON Dual Exhaust & Perf Headers +15HP
K&N Cool Air Intake + 10HP
BANKS TransCommand PCU +12HP
HypterTech III Perf Prog +18HP
Dyno: 368HP@4518/Torque 538lb@3400.

(in reply to Nrg_plus_34)

Post #: 2

RE: Starting Problems - 6/23/2005 3:12:02 PM

cctxfish

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Check the idle control valve, sound like it is closed and not working.