[Woggie]

Occaisonally, when I start the car it will sputter, almost like its missing a cylinder. After about 30 seconds it smooths out and runs normally. There is also a very rich gas smell. It doesn't do this every time I start so I don't think its the spark plugs, and I just replaced them. I am wondering if there is a fuel problem or maybe a CPU issue.


No mods, 2.0 SPI

 

[penguin]

How many miles on it?

It sounds like you might have a leaky fuel injector which sometimes dribbles fuel into one of the cylinders after you stop, while the fuel system is still pressurized. Did you check to old spark plugs? Did they all look generally the same, or was one somewhat different in terms of deposits or color?

 

[Woggie]

We're pushing 100k on the miles. The plugs all pretty much looked the same. We've got a check engine light and we put it on a hheld and it came back with PO171 which is bank 2 too lean/rich. How do I check for leaky injectors? And how do I fix them?

 

[penguin]

Odd, I seem to find that a P0171 code should be a bank 1 lean condition.

With that code, perhaps you just have a loose vacuum hose. This could explain the missing and might also be a source of the gasoline smell. A dirty MAF sensor could also give you that code, but i'm not sure why it would give a gasoline smell.

I would do a very close inspection of all the hoses in the engine compartment, particularly any going to the intake manifold/system. Make sure none have disconnected and/or cracked open badly. It's also not a bad idea with 100,000 miles on it to clean the MAF sensor in any case. So I would do that and see if it has any impact.

In terms of checking for leaking fuel injectors, the normal way is to test the residual fuel pressure when the engine is shut off, i.e., you attach a fuel pressure gauge to the fuel rail and watch the pressure when the engine is shut off. If it drops too quickly, you have a leaky fuel injector(s), a bad check valve in the fuel pump, or a leak in the fuel lines somewhere.

I do not know of any good way to test for a leaky injector without an appropriate fuel pressure gauge. Perhaps someone else has an idea.

 

[Woggie]

I found out what it is....

We spun a rod bearing![?|]

They tell me I now have to replace the motor![!]

Anyone know of a good, inexpensive mechanic in the Phx area?

 

[penguin]

"We spun a rod bearing!"

How did they dianose that?

Rather odd symptoms if you ask me. How does a spun rod bearning result in a gasoline smell?

 

[Woggie]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention my wife went to the store last night and when she got in to come home the car wouldn't turn over. The lights were dim so she called her dad for a jump. He showed up, put the cables on and turned the ign. The car starts to make a loud rattle and blowing white smoke out the pipe. I thought either she got water in the intake (it been raining pretty heavy here) or a blown head gasket. Got it to the shop and they pull the plugs to check the cylinders. They said #4 spun a bearing 'cause the piston is coming up too high and slapping the spark plug. I don't think they're lying because they don't do that kind of engine work there so there's no real money in it for them.

 

[penguin]

"They said #4 spun a bearing 'cause the piston is coming up too high and slapping the spark plug."

Thanks for the info. I was curious to add it to my cranial information base of "what things go wrong and how to recognize them."

There's a place called "motor replacement company" in Mesa. I haven't used them, but the name suggests they might specialize in what you need.

I have used a small shop in east mesa once during a trip called White's Auto Repair. It was a rather small shop, but they seemed to be an honest bunch and did about $1,000 worth of various repairs to my Explorer. They also seem to give good references to other places, such as body shops, if they do not do the work. It might be too far from you, but you might give them a call. If they don't do such work they might give a recommendation.

P.S. The guy who owns/runs the shop is called William. If you can, talk to him directly rather than the office lady.

 

[Woggie]

Thanks for the advice.[]
I actually found an '02 motor at Arizona Auto Recyclers for $750.00 and the guy there said he could put it in for another $600. I'm thinking about that, or maybe getting the motor and going to AAI or another school to see if they can do it for less.

 

[penguin]

Well, there is some advantage to having the same place that sold you the engine put it in, e.g., I know someone who bought a rebuilt auto tranny one place and had another put it in. It failed and there was a lot of finger pointing back and forth. The tranny place said the installers twisted the lines to the tranmission cooler causing inadequate cooling and the failure, while the installers said the transmission must of been rebuilt wrong.