Degreaser nightmare

[KingFish]

I think I killed it. I have a 90 EFI that I converted from ATX TO MTX I cleaned my engine bay today by spraying it down with de-greaser and rinsing it with water. I did not get the moduel or the coil wet and I dried the dist. cap. everything else got soaked Now it does a very odd thing.

It will rev to 3000 and do a rev limiter thing where the fuel cuts out

Then it drops to 2500

then to 2000 Rpms

Alwasy in 500 rmp increments. Very percise.

It is just like a rev. limiter. I am lost. I thought it may be my TPS so I cleaned and reallinged it, same thing. I was about to pull the dist and blow out all the moister but it had started to rain. I have to get to work in the morning, man this is bad. I killed my car.

[25Horseplay]

Spray some wd 40 in the dist, it will help displace the moisture.

[Tim]

Check the spark plug wires.

I have had similar things happen to me with older wires on a wet day.



Tim

[KingFish]

Thanks guys, I'm off to the store.

[jglutz]

I'm not to sure the dist is the problem....it we cause more of a rough idle than and eleveted idle.

Check the connectors at the ISC and the VAF...also pul the air filter cover and reach inside and make sure the paddle is not stuck open.

It would not hurt to disconect the battery and reset the ECU.

I wash the engine compartment annually....back it in the garge the night before....push it into the drive way in the AM.....spray it down (Castrol Purple Power)...let it sit 15 minutes...take the garden hose to it...let it sit in the sun all day...push it back it the garage that night....start it the next day....pull off the road on my way to work as it starts to die....pull the dist cap and wipe it out....back on my merry way.

[KingFish]

I pulled and cleaned all contacts full tune up, and a healthy dose of foul language and it think it did the trick. My description of what it was doing is not very good, but i don't know how else to put it so , I will leave it at this and thank you all for your help.

EDIT: No dice, it did the same thing on the way to work today. It is now sitting on the side of the road waiting for me to call a tow. I really need some input here guys, anything will help. I think it might be the cam sensor in the dist. But who knows. Very costly gamble if I replace it with a rebuilt unit. I am missing work today and thurs is still up in the air.

[KingFish]

Bump because I am desperate. I am tottaly dependant on Bruce to get me the 50 miles to work everyday and have no money to take him to a shop. On the good side the motor looks GREAT!!

[GenevaDirt]

Have you checked the fusible links on the fenderwell....the middle one is notorious for going and giving intermittent running.....just a thought.
Other then that....a hair dryer on high at all electrical connection and on the distributor with the cap off.....never know.

[jglutz]

Check engine light On?

Leak(s) in the air inlet ducts...between the air filter and throtle body...including ISC?

Vacuum leak...are all of the hoses in good shape (PCV...Brake Boster...Fuel Pressure Reg...)?

Take the idle adjustment screw out and make sure the bottom of the cavity and the screw are clean.

[joebreck117]

The only thing that I've had that sounds REMOTELY like that is water in the distributor cap. That's all I can think of, though your description doesn't sound quite like it.

[KingFish]

Full description of whats going on,

You get in the car and start the motor, it idles fine. Without putting it in gear, you depress the gas peddle to 3500 rpm. It hold this speed for a moment then drops to 3000 rpms and no matter how far you get into the gas it will not pass 3000. Then it drops to 2500 you can tell its fuel cut off because it cuts in and out to maintain the rpm. Then it drops to 2000 rpms, then to 1500. Sometimes it will even skip around but always in 500 rpm increments.

Someone at work told me it was the MAF. Sound good to me. If anyone has a know good one for sale pm me. I need it quick and am willing to pay for overnight delivery. Thanks guys and wish me luck.

[Skidmark]

Just sell the car to me and that will fix the prob.

Later Mike

[nEighter]

could it be ANYTHING from going from ATX to MTX? Was it running right prior to the change? Did you mix some wires up somewhere?

[scitzz]

Sort of sounds like the MAF to me as well, have you made sure it is VERY dry?

I would take apart EVERY electrical connection, and spray wd=40, or wire dry in every connector.
Better yet, use that electrical cleaner that a good auto parts store sells. The problem began with water, seems it would end when it is dry.....

[jglutz]

Seems like the ECU is in horsepower (rev) limiting mode. One input for sure that the ECU reads is the CPS sensor between the dist and the end of the cam shaft. I've experienced rev limiting (ECU cut the fuel injectors) at/about 5.5K rpm. Thhis is twice your problem window. Maybe somehting went wron inside the sensor (pulse pick up) that tell the ECU the rpm's are higher than they actually are. I would pull the dist cap, rotor and the palt behind to investagate.

HELP....ANYONE....does the festy have a VSS (vehicle Speed Sensor) feeding the ECU....I forget...it early in the morning....and if i get up right now...i'm heading to the bedroom first....coffee pot second....and to look for my manuals third. Thou common to Fords....I doubt it ...if the VSS and CPS don't match...the Check Engine light will come on.