QuestionQUESTION: I was driving my car on a hot day up a hill when i tried to accelerate my car bogged down and wouldn't speed up. If i tap the gas several times car straightens out but not for long. After a min or two of trying this method car will die. Car starts back up immediatly but repeatedly has the same problem. Have also had lots of problems with my temp gauge saying engine is overheating at first start up. But after accelerating the temp gauge drops asap to normal position. Before i got totally fed up and took to a mechanic car was spewing sweet smelling white smoke out of tailpipe. Have been told it was my : head gasket, spark plugs, thermostat, spark plug wires, dirty throttle body, ignition coil, fuel pump, coolant temp sensor, fuel filter, transmission filter, and low fluid level, valve cover gasket, and catalytic converter. A straight pipe replaced the cat converter have replaced every single item on this list to no avail. My temp gauge problem seems to be fixed the white smoke is also gone. Again when i start my car everything is fine about five mins down the road you no longer have control of steady acceleration acts like its choking or something until you turn the car off and on again then you might get another five good mins problem is sooooo worse going up a hill. Someone told me that there was some kinda switch in the fuel tank that has fallen off and might need to be fixed fuel reply switch??? The only codes im coming up with are 61, 44, 36, 43. Do you think my next things to replace should be the cap and rotor? maybe the whole distributor? Any good advice would be sooooo appreciated
ANSWER: Hi Tracy,
The fault codes are relevant as is the history of the sweet smelling exhaust. The latter is diagnostic of a head gasket leak, but you didn't explain whether the mechanic had done anything specific about that because I am not sure if that is included in 'every single item on the list" or not, and if so what was done. It could well be that the 'fix' is to simply loosen the head bolts a half a turn, then tighten them to 65 foot-pounds, then add a 1/4 turn. This would possibly fix a situation where the bolts were not tight enough to prevent a leak, rather than an actual torn gasket. Are you having to add coolant without any sign of where it is leaking from? If so, that could be a head gasket leak that allows coolant into the combustion chamber(s) and out the tail pipe as vapor.
The fault codes are also relevant: 43 speaks of an issue with the spark driver circuit, 44 speaks to an issue with the J2 dark blue wire from the ignition switch to the circuit board (pin 4 of the 14 pin plug at the SMEC), 61 speaksto an issue with barometric pressure read solenoid (part of the turbo), and the 36 an issue with the turbo wastegate control solenoid. I have the powertrain service manual and could xerox copy and postal mail you the pages that discuss each of those. It costs me 10 cents per side plug the postage to send you those if you would like them. Let me know and I will do a page count so you will know the cost.
I would deal with these codes and not throw money away on a cap and rotor or distributor.
Roland
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QUESTION: But do you think the codes that are coming up would cause the acceleration issue? The head gasket did get replaced so that problem is solved. I got some t-pins last night I'm going to check all my sensors tonight. Thanks for the advice ill start with the code issues and hopefully that fixes the acceleration issue. Thanks for your information ill keep you posted on my progress.
ANSWER: Hi Tracy
I would certainly deal with the codes as any of those could cause an acceleration issue. Also, back to the original symptoms: the temp gauge reading "high" early on may be due to air being trapped in the thermostat housing. With the 4 cyl 2.2/2.5 you have to refill the coolant in a specific way:
when it has been totally drained, or at least drain what you have partially down to the point where the coolant leaves the thermostat box level (remove the plug on the top with an allen wrench to observe), refill the system until the coolant level rises to the top of the thermostat box, then put the plug back in, then refill the system the rest of the way as usual.
Roland
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QUESTION: We would like you to send us the information you previously spoke of from the powertrain manual. Let me know how much they cost and i will get the funds to you immediatly. Thank you so much!!! `tracy
AnswerHi Tracy,
It comes to about 20 sides of copies which with postage would cost about #2.61. I can send the pages with the understanding that you would send me back six 44-cent stamps to cover the costs after you receive them using my return address. Let me know your postal mailing address using the 'private' response option.
Roland
