Ok here is my cars new problem!! The other day I had a heater hose go bad so I changed them both along with the clamps. Well now one of the front hoses coming off the water pump blew out so i changed it. But when it went bad it blew antifreeze directly into one of the plugs that was in front of it and disconnected ( used to be the plug that went to the smog pump I think) Now when I start the car it runs horrible it will not idle when its cold it sounds like it is missing terrible. My lean rich gauge does not even show up on the gauge at idle.. Before it used to hunt back and forth when it was cold.. What is up with this car!! Any ideas... When you rev it up it sounds ok but at idle you can hear the miss form the exhaust and smell somthing bad like either rich or lean I can't tell.. Do you think the computer is bad?!! I give up..
Running like crap !!
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Most likely corrosion in one of the connectors on that side of the motor. Coolant temp or throttle position will both do it. Friend 93 calypso lx had the TPS fry the other month in all the rain and it ran like absolute crap. Everything checked out ok, but it would come and go. Finally it acted up long enough for me to unplug the sensors under the hood one at a time until it cleared up and it was the TPS. Swapped it out with another with just the plug and the motor was fine. Bad TPS read nice and smooth on the meter when swept so how knows. Thinking the +5vdc was getting shorted out.
Remove the distributor cap and clean the inside. Use some WD40 and a paper towel to wipe down the inside of the cap.
Dump the codes and see what the computer says is wrong…Codes may be present in the computer even if the Check Engine light isn’t on.
Here's the link to dump the computer codes with only a jumper wire or paper clip and the check engine light, or test light or voltmeter. I’ve used it for years, and it works great.
See http://www.troublecodes.net/Ford/
OR [[
See http://www.mustangworks.com/articles/electronics/eec-iv_codes.html
IF your car is an 86-88 stang, you'll have to use the test lamp or voltmeter method. There is no functional check engine light on the 86-88's except possibly the Cali Mass Air cars.
Codes have different answers if the engine is running from the answers that it has when the engine isn't running. It helps a lot to know if you had the engine running when you ran the test.
Trouble codes are either 2 digit or 3 digit, there are no cars that use both 2 digit codes and 3 digit codes.
For those who are intimidated by all the wires & connections, see http://www.actron.com/product_detail.php?pid=16153 for what a typical hand scanner looks like. Normal retail price is about $30 or so at AutoZone or Walmart.
Or for a nicer scanner see http://www.midwayautosupply.com/detailedproductdescription.asp?3829 – It has a 3 digit LCD display so that you don’t have to count flashes or beeps.. Cost is $35.
The code dump will likely give some clues on which sensor needs attention.
Dump the codes and see what the computer says is wrong…Codes may be present in the computer even if the Check Engine light isn’t on.
Here's the link to dump the computer codes with only a jumper wire or paper clip and the check engine light, or test light or voltmeter. I’ve used it for years, and it works great.
See http://www.troublecodes.net/Ford/
OR [[
See http://www.mustangworks.com/articles/electronics/eec-iv_codes.html
IF your car is an 86-88 stang, you'll have to use the test lamp or voltmeter method. There is no functional check engine light on the 86-88's except possibly the Cali Mass Air cars.
Codes have different answers if the engine is running from the answers that it has when the engine isn't running. It helps a lot to know if you had the engine running when you ran the test.
Trouble codes are either 2 digit or 3 digit, there are no cars that use both 2 digit codes and 3 digit codes.
For those who are intimidated by all the wires & connections, see http://www.actron.com/product_detail.php?pid=16153 for what a typical hand scanner looks like. Normal retail price is about $30 or so at AutoZone or Walmart.
Or for a nicer scanner see http://www.midwayautosupply.com/detailedproductdescription.asp?3829 – It has a 3 digit LCD display so that you don’t have to count flashes or beeps.. Cost is $35.
The code dump will likely give some clues on which sensor needs attention.
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