My engine is slowly giving up the ghost.
 

For the first time ever, my car won't start. I have noticed lately that it takes longer to start up, but I figured it was just the starter going out, which I could just replace when I did the engine swap.

Turns out the starter might be in okay health. After trying to crank the engine for 30 seconds today (more than once) I checked my engine error code and it turns out I have a problem with my fuel injection system.

Odds are it's just a loose wire, or maybe a defective injector. I've prepared for both scenarios. I went to the junkyard today and quickly removed 2 injectors from similar cars. hopefully one of them will do the trick.

I find it funny that it's giving me trouble right before the engine swap. I'm also wondering if the gummed up fuel injector, or even the loose wire, is part of why my mileage dropped like it did. I just assumed it was the winter blend, but this could have something to do with it too.

We'll see.

Oh, I also noticed that my car burned over a half quart of oil in about 100 miles, which is much more than it was burning before. Looks like the engine swap couldn't come at a better time.

Re: My engine is slowly giving up the ghost.
 

Don't spend money on the old engine, you're going to replace it anyway. It looks like it's on it's way out. A loose wire can be in so many places.

oh great you melted the
 

oh great you melted the injectors with the acetone!

Re: oh great you melted the
 

ROFL!

Re: My engine is slowly giving up the ghost.
 

Would you recommend I don't drive it for the next month or two then? I need to get it running, even for just a while.

engine check
 

Check the plugs and while they are out do a compression check. May be the rings going loosing compression. Could also be valves with worn guides. Compression check will give a higher reading if it is low when you add a squirt of motor oil to the cylinder if the rings are worn - if it the valves the oil will not raise compression. You can also try a little blast of propane into the air intake as you crank it - if it starts with that then you have a fuel delivery problem. I used to start the Rambler on really cold days with a propane torch with the nozzle removed into a hose to the intake manifold which I swapped with the vacuum gauge. It would actually run on the propane until the carb started vaporizing the fuel.

So it is a starting problem?
 

So it is a starting problem? Will the engine turn over and not catch or what? Can you explain it a little better?

Fuel injector system code is kind of odd, so unless you get it again [or have had it more than once], I wouldn't put too much weight on it. My car was behaving VERY strangely and it turns out it was the ignition switch.

Oil consumption is a *****, ain't it? I find that my oil consumption goes way up [sometimes more than doubles] if I drive the car really hard. My conservative driving techniques have brought my oil consumption way down.

it cranks and cranks, but it
 

it cranks and cranks, but it won't start. I'll double check the code today again. if it's still CEL 16 I'll run through the troubleshooting guide.

I'll then check my spark plugs and then I'll check my distributor cap and rotor.

It's odd, as I've only noticed oil consumption in the past when on road trips (to Vegas, etc.) Usually it would consume about a half quart to one quart on the trip down. It consuming this much oil in just city driving is NOT a good thing at all.

Don't forget the FITV!
 

Don't forget the FITV!

oil and starting
 

Hey are you doing mods to the crankcase vent - could be a vacuum leak or excessive air flow form the crank into the engine sucking up the oil and allowing too much air into the intake.

Re: oil and starting
 

This engine is 100% stock.. no modifications. I'll double check the hoses though.

This is one of the reasons I
 

This is one of the reasons I don't want an old car. No offense Matt.

Re: This is one of the reasons I
 

No offense taken. Your car payments are the reason I don't want a new car.

That stinks
 

That stinks. Well, cranking with no start is one of two problems: no fuel or no spark. The code 16 narrows it down, but is it the FI computer or what exactly, I wondering. Also, make sure the FI fuse isn't blown -- that one tricked me once.

The oil consumption is probably unrelated, unless the PCV valve is sticking open or is faulty, and oil's being sucked into the intake and clogging injectors -- but I assume you have a PCV catch device. Check the coolant -- if it's brown, you have a blown head gasket and you're might not be getting any compression. Speaking of compression, I'd reccommend barrowing a compression guage and hooking it up to each cylinder to see if that's a source (that one's a stretch, really).

I just had to fix a friend's '00 Focus that would randomly not start -- turns out that one of the spark plug wires was arcing with a bolt on the valve cover and shorting things out -- discovered it by random chance -- the car would start with a jump, but not on its own. Really took some thinking...turns out the jump battery lead provided a better ground to get it started. I looked at it in a dark driveway with a flashlight -- saw a spark, revved it up, and sure enough, arcing.

At any rate are you getting any fuel delivery at all, that you can tell? Take a look or smell the tailpipe emissions while someone cranks it. If there's no "flooding" smell, assume the injectors aren't injecting fuel, but if there is, assume it's spark related and go from there. Any fuel and spark should produce a sputtering or a sensation like it'll want to try and stay running.

Otherwise, a check/replacement of the injectors might have to do.

Keep us posted...

RH77

starting
 

Have a friend with a Saab with about 70k on it and it would not start one day - just cranked - had lost some coolent - mechanic did the compression test and had no pressure on a cylinder or two and others were low - tried starting it again a day later and it ran just fine and has been ok since . . .
oooOOOOoooowwwww!


I used to retorque the 23 head bolts on the Rambler Flathead Six every year to 60ft lbs - to keep the head tight. Motor would idle soooo smooth you could not tell it was running.

Re: starting
 

It's good to see another Rambler guy around. I was beginning to think I was the only one that ever owned one, or four. :-) I had a '71 Hornet with a 232 ci that would run 60 psi oil pressure when warm; it had over 120,000 miles on it.
As for Matt's problem, I would tend to think that the oil consumption may be the problem. A half quart in 100 miles is an awful lot of oil in such a short time. I would check the PCV valve as was mentioned in an earlier post.

Rambler
 

When I finally had it towed to the final resting place it has 157k on it - of which I put 100k after having it rebuilt a little when I first got it spun a rod bearing. That was before I knew about oil pressure and what pushing a flathead that was driven to church by a little old lady on sundays would do to the pistons hitting the heads covered with carbon.

Re: starting
 

My first car ever was a 68 Rambler American with a 199 straight six and a three on the tree. It ended up with a 401 and a 727 auto from an ambassador. Oh yea, a 8 3/4 mopar rear end.

Next was a 70 hornet and then a 74 gremlin, both 258 sixes. The 76 Matador was a 304. My fondest memories are of my 70 AMX, 390 4 speed. Then I had to grow up and go to college.

I have changed over the past 25 years, hopefully for the better. Now for my midlife crisis, I want a different kind of performance.

Ramblers
 

Yeah I did a little work on mine like big rear radials flaired the front and rear fenders a little - 1/2 inch square chicken wire grill made a fiberglas flex fan instead of the piece of hand choping steel blades - took a while to get used to working on another car with a full size fan blade!! Solid copper red clear plastic wires CDI ignition - big gapped plugs - cable controlled timing on the distributor, water injection - Constant velocity SU Carburator - heating oil added to the gas. One nice thing about the old pitman arm steering was that it would follow the ruts in the road and you could drive with no hands. 16 gallon gas tank that you would fill at 25.9 cents a gallon gas and I still wanted to increase the gas mileage. Once drove to Norfolk VA and did it on a single tank of gas I think it was over 600 miles was getting like 35mpg. Dropped a drive shaft on the way home from college one night from the front U joint - that was pretty sudden - vibrated for a few seconds and pow cling da la ding ding.

Problem solves
 

I used the helms manual to trouble shoot today. I checked the wires, the grounds, and the injectors. I actually had to go back to the junkyard b/c I got the wrong injectors (I got one for the primary, not the auxillary injector).

While I was in there I also replaced the fuel filter, which ended up being a PITA.

I replaced one injector, even though I didn't need to. The replacement was just cleaner than the original, so I figured "why not?"

With the new fuel filter and injector, it started right up.

I might go get a new PCV valve too, although at this point any more effort I put into this engine is wasted. We might have a road trip soon, however, so a new PCV valve probably won't hurt.

I still can't find my PCV
 

I still can't find my PCV valve. My book tells me where it is but I can't find it.

I still can't find my PCV
 

I still can't find my PCV valve. My book tells me where it is but I can't find it.

On your 2.4L your PCV will look....
 

...like this :<BR>

https://www.partsamerica.com/product_...ar/0450330.jpg

Hope that helps?

If you showed me a picture of all the lines off your intake and your valve cover I bet I could locate it.

That doesn't exactly help
 

That doesn't exactly help since it's screwed in into the breather/separator.

Anyway I found it. I had the Hayne's manual and it was for the 1993-2001 altima. The problem was that Nissan updated the breather/separator so the breather/separator looks completly different on my car. But I found a pic of the head off and the PCV attached to it. So I looked at the same parts in the back of my car and found it hidden by a couple of parts. I think that Hayne's should updated their manual a lot more than just putting codes from the 1998+ altima.

It will be a pita to replace, I heard that it could take an afternoon. Maybe my mpg will go up a little since I replaced all the stuff except the PCV valve.

Re: Don't forget the FITV!
 

You may be right...

The car runs, but after it warmed up today I noticed a surging idle problem. Since it happened after the car was warm it probably isn't the FITV (Fast Idle Thermo Valve), but is the IACV (Idle Air Control Valve). It's also possible that it's just a vacuum leak.

I'll try to diagnose it later tonight.

Re: Don't forget the FITV!
 

I had horrible surging idle in my car a few months ago [this is on a DPFI]. It was so bad, I hated having to stop at the top of my street in the morning because the kids at the bus stop would laugh at me. Turns out it was a small vacuum hose that was pinched - the one that controls the throttle plate dashpot.

Off Topic -- Damn kids!
 

Damn kids! No respect for the elders. Sorry, but my wife's a high school teacher, and this year the students are downright disrespectful. OK, I'm done ranting...

RH77

Re: Off Topic -- Damn kids!
 

What grade level / subject? I have immense respect for teachers - I would never want that job.

Re: Don't forget the FITV!
 

please tell more. I tried searching on Honda forums for this problem, but there really isn't a lot of support for DPFI cars. I think it's entirely possible that one of my vacuum hoses is just pinched, even if I didn't notice it before.

I really don't want to take off my IACV and clean it... what a pain.

Find where your throttle
 

Find where your throttle cable attaches to the throttle body. There should be a dashpot right by it that can open the throttle plate a little bit [you can see the arm that pushes down on the part where the cable attaches]. My vacuum line going to this was not rubber, but rather some kind of plastic. It had a big kink in it that was permanent due to the vacuum line becoming less flexible over time. I just replaced the line and no more surging idle. If you need more detail, I can probably take some shots of it.

Re: Off Topic -- Damn kids!
 

High School History (After 1877) and "Modern Social Issues" -- mostly Juniors. I truly respect her for her job. I could never do it. For the most part, it's thankless and underpaid. Because the school "***"ministration would only allow 3 teachers/admins to go (4 were required by the museum), I volunteered to chapparone a field trip to the Liberty Memorial here in KC 2 days this week since I was in town (basically a WW1 peace memorial, museum, and tower). For the most part they were well-behaved, but some were just downright rude. I understand, it was a boring subject for me when I was their age, but I'm into it now -- History Channel addict and everything.

Thanks Dax for the inquiry, I'm quite proud of her gumption to stick with it and by trying to make it interesting and "real".

RH77

Re: Off Topic -- Damn kids!
 

I, too!

Re: Off Topic -- Damn kids!
 

Same here. They got an interesting way of showing history. I love Modern Marvels.

Modern Marvels
 

Modern Marvels is my absolute favorite show. I load-up the DVR with MMs when I'm out of town, but they never get old I watch them back to back -- even the re-runs. Mythbusters is another fav (Discovery Channel, of course).

RH77

Re: Modern Marvels
 

I watch those too. There are also some pretty good shows on National Geographic. I think it's called Explorer. I also kind of like How It's Made and Beyond Tomorrow.(Science Channel)

cable
 

Must be nice to have cable TV . . . They just installed it in my building on Friday after trying to get it here for 5 years.

Cable TV = sucks That and
 

Cable TV = sucks

That and cell phones are things I have committed to never own or rent or whatev in my life.

Re: Cable TV = sucksThat and
 

Now that's a pretty powerful statement. I got along without a TV for a couple of years during College. Actually, my brother doesn't even own a TV -- he and his wife read and listen to NPR for news. For me, I subscribe to the classic American TV addictions, but still turn on NPR on weekdays.

Now for the Cell phone. I too had the same goal, but my job requires that I answer urgent medical questions immediately, so it's required. Since I'm contracting, the phone is mine, and I use it to call home when I'm out of town because of free nights/weekends. In addition, when the wife needs to get a hold me for some reason I have it (it took a while to get used to carrying with me after-hours).

RH77

Newport TV
 

Newport broadcast TV is a bit marginal because they don't like sending the signal out over the water where there are no TVs to pick it up. Back in Tiverton on the high hill we pick up 30 stations or more with rabbit ears. Regular TV has too many commercials like 12 in a row!

The Cell phone issue sounds like you need to get a good one like my Sony Ericsson T68i which has a 12 hours talk time and 240 hour standby with a new battery - it also has really low radiation low power output so you don't fry your brain cells or DNA. Reception is outstanding where I even get signal in the basement here where conventional cells don't get signal on the first floor. I have to gets my calls whereever I am - when people's computers go down they NEED an answer right away. It was great when the Geo bit the dust also. A couple of people actually stopped by but not the cop that drove by in front of me and they all asked if I had a cell phone.

Cell phones are great. I
 

Cell phones are great. I didn't have a cell phone and whenever I needed to call someone I couldn't. I got a cell phone in 04' it was basic and it was all I needed. But last year there was an unbelieavable deal on a cell phone and I got it super cheap.

It has 2 e-mail accounts, one of them is my service provider so I don't have to go to my computer to check e-mail. It has all the Instant messengers I want. It has all the games I want. It has all the power saving features I want, it has the alarm clock and calender features I want. It also has a built in mp3 player where I can listen for hours. It has a special airplane mode where I can use the phone on an airplane, so I can listen to music and play games and do other stuff. It has a Blooth tooth. It has speakers so I can listen to music outload or on headphones. It has internet, camera, and video camera.

The phone was $100. Not to mention it has reception everywhere!