What could be the problem now?

ZX2 Dedicated Discussion Problems, Parts and Diagnosis.
1

Hey all, recently I got the VCT fixxed and the cars been running fine. Until last weekend…

How the story goes is I had paid the $1000 to get the VCT replaced and had no codes thrown when I got the car back. The next day I had the “Service Engine Soon” light come back on. So thinking that the Ford Dealership did a shitty job, I brought the car back and they said they ran their diag. It turned out to be just the O2 sensor, its not giving any readings. So my question from that is, does the computer only show 1 code at a time? Or if there was a VCT issue again, would it have shown up along w/ the O2 sensor code? I just want to make sure Ford did a proper job, and isnt trying to pull a fast one. I almost had the suspision they might have put a bad O2 sensor in my car, just to cover up a possible bad VCT code (because then they’d have to fix it for free, because they did a shitty job or something)

I dont know if thats the case, I guess I’m just paraniod about this dealership.

Now as I understand it, a bad O2 sensor isnt going to cause me any problems in the running of my car.

Well I went on a trip a few weeks ago, and the car had no symptoms. It ran nice.

This last weekend, when I was driving off the highway and made a right turn off the off ramp up a hill, the car lost power up the whole of the hill. It struggled to make it up. It’s like it was getting robbed of fuel or something… It made it up the hill and the problem sorta just went away after a bit on a straight away.

It didnt happen the rest of that day. But when I went around another right corner and up a hill, it did the same thing briefly again.

Today It also did it after a right corner, and seemed to be giving me problems along a straight road. It sorta surged, it would want to give me full power on the throttle, then it wouldnt. Then all of a sudden the problem would clear. Like a veil lifting.

The exhaust when I got to work, and checked smelled sorta funny. Like if the catalytic converter was working overtime or something/ like after going up a large hill.

Could my cata be plugged? My car runs fine / beautiful execept for this brief occurance. Anyone shed light on this?

I am wondering if the problem w/ the spark plug cable on the #4 cyclinder that came unseeded from the boot is maybe happening under a bit of G’s from turning corners (see post of about my ford dealership experience). Maybe getting new spark cables… But I dont know, I just dont want drop any more money on something that maybe a good part.

Please tell me what you guys think.

2

i say get the wires it would only help if you want i got a extra set of wires if you want to try themn before you buy

3

I don’t know what the result would be from a cylinder not firing, but for $40 getting new wires can’t hurt even if it doesn’t fix the problem. I’d say take Rousch’s offer. I don’t know what the effect of a clogged cat would be either, but it seems to me that it’d be pretty hard to “clog” a catalytic converter in a car. It sounds as though there’s an issue only when turning right, if it was the cat then it’d be pretty constant. I’d start small. The likelihood of it being the cat is low. Try the wires see what happens.

  • Darron
4

This is possibly the problem:

If the O2 sensor is off, it will tell the computer to add or less fuel. If the mixture is off then the car would slowly lose power everytime you run the car.

[time warp]

You had a problem with your VCT which helps control emissions. If the VCT was opening early, then the hydrocarbons travel down to the CAT where they build up because the CAT can’t deal with the problem in that amount fast enough.

[back to present]

The VCT could have caused the problem with your CAT and O2 sensor after the CAT is getting bad readings causing your power loss under acceleration. The sensor may be fine.

Simple test, does the CAT or exhaust smell like rotten eggs?

5

To the above, the exaust does sorta smell a bit sulpherish.
Think there is still an issue w/ the VCT? I havent gone to a second source yet to get the “service engine soon” code which has thrown. I was thinking that ford could been lying to me about what code was thrown, because they didnt give me a print out on what they found. A sleezy service guy that I have been dealing with just told me what they found after I came back the day after the VCT was replaced.

But if they did do a proper job (the car had been running nice since they did the service; the original symptoms are gone) its been 3x weeks since I got the work done.

I was going to goto Kal Tire today, and just tell them all of what I’ve told you guys. I may as well replace the O2 sensor if that indeed is what is throwing a code. Mostly for the simple fact that I want to keep an eye on the “service engine soon” light, to make sure I dont get anymore VCT codes thrown.

Btw thanks for the offer on the spark wires; but I will just fork the money over and replace them anyways; the ford guys suggested I do it anyhow…

I just hope whatever it is, can be found @ Kal Tire. + isnt something severe or expensive. I have forked over enough $$ in past few months for my car LOL.