Engine Surging/bucking

[flamcardane]

I have a 93 Ford Festiva L. It surges in 1st gear if I do not give it a LOT of gas and slip the clutch. When I give it the normal amount of gas and let out on the clutch and keep move forward at a constant rate the car lurches violently, but when I accelerate it tapers off and is finally gone by 3rd gear. Interestingly, the car does not surge/buck in reverse and acts completely normal.

Note: This problem has been developing and has become BAD.

Also, the check engine light came on going up a hill and the power dropped by about 4%. I went to schucks but they could not check the code.

What I have checked
-timing belt and TDC matching the cam and crank
-timed the car with a timing light and adjusting the distributer
-replaced air flow meter
-changed spark plugs
-has new wires
-distributer cap and rotor are not in that bad of shape
-transmission is full of fresh oil

I plan on checking for vacuume leaks tomorrow but am not thinking thats what it is. I believe the TPS is good but will check it against a good working TPS. I suppose I could check the O2 sensor but I don't think that's it either.

ANY IDEAS, I am stumped and at a LOSS for what to do next?????

[GenevaDirt]

hello flamcardane, I am sure you will get some responses soon. Just wanted to welcome you to the site and if you could take a minute and add your location to your profile it would make things easier and there may be someone close that could lend a hand. Good luck.

[ejp2fast]

couple of bowling balls in the trunk? these symptoms seem wierd.. how is highway driving in 5th gear?

welcome to the site!

[skeeters_keeper]

I've had this be a TPS problem and I'm pretty sure thats what yours is... but not always. You can clean and then adjust the TPS per the haynes manual.

Also, change the fuel filter if you haven't in a while... JIC.

You can read the CEL codes yourself, once again refer to the haynes manual. you need to jumper a test connector near the drivers strut tower, turn the key on and count the CEL flashes, then look it up in the chart in your manual.

[flamcardane]

I replaced the TPS with a TPS off of an automatic from the junkyard and adjusted it according to the manual but it did not fix the probplem. Fuel filter? That wouldn't cause surging only in 1st and 2nd gears. In 3rd, 4th, 5th and reverse the car does not surge. I will check the engine code today. I also checked for vacume leaks but did not find any. Any other ideas?

[flamcardane]

NOTE: I checked the TPS I installed with a working TPS off of another festiva and they are identical. I used a volt meter and checked everything.

[leo donald]

I have a 93 Ford Festiva L. It surges in 1st gear if I do not give it a LOT of gas and slip the clutch. When I give it the normal amount of gas and let out on the clutch and keep move forward at a constant rate the car lurches violently, but when I accelerate it tapers off and is finally gone by 3rd gear. Interestingly, the car does not surge/buck in reverse and acts completely normal.

Note: This problem has been developing and has become BAD.

Also, the check engine light came on going up a hill and the power dropped by about 4%. I went to schucks but they could not check the code.

What I have checked
-timing belt and TDC matching the cam and crank
-timed the car with a timing light and adjusting the distributer
-replaced air flow meter
-changed spark plugs
-has new wires
-distributer cap and rotor are not in that bad of shape
-transmission is full of fresh oil

I plan on checking for vacuume leaks tomorrow but am not thinking thats what it is. I believe the TPS is good but will check it against a good working TPS. I suppose I could check the O2 sensor but I don't think that's it either.

ANY IDEAS, I am stumped and at a LOSS for what to do next?????

check your fuel regulater it is located on fuel rail near fuel pump remove black vacum line with green marks it goes from regulater to throotle body remove it from throttle body end now suck on it and it should hold vacum with your tongue. if not replace . if it does not leak do tis.. plug open fitting on throttle body and start car if you suck and blow on hose going to reg. engine should change speed and stumble as fuel press flucuates if not replace reg they are cheap .,. just get the right one as regards bend in pipe also can tell you about tps not good to loosen screws unless you know how to reset tps better to test with multi meter or use small batt and meter oops your car is newer but same applies or contact me

[GUS]

I was having close to the same problem. I discovered the crank key had started to shear and was throwing the timing off. I have since learned that this is a common thing on alot of mazda B engines. They call it "crank wobble", you might check that out.

[codex]

I was having close to the same problem. I discovered the crank key had started to shear and was throwing the timing off. I have since learned that this is a common thing on alot of mazda B engines. They call it "crank wobble", you might check that out.

Wouldn't that have caused the timing to be off when he checked it? I'm asking because I now have the same problem with my 93. Reverse is fine but when starting in 1st it is hard to start without stalling or giving it lots of gas and having the wheels spin. It has also started to get worse at idling and will sometimes stall. Sometimes if you don't give it enough gas when shifting at lower speeds the car will start bucking violently. I need to check the codes from the engine but I'm not sure what single pin connector to use on the firewall, there are 2 single pin connectors. Any help would be appreciated, this is my DD.
This is a very strange problem and seems to be related to the ECU or engine sensors. Reverse is fine with no hesitation and it runs very well on the highway.
Thanks in advance

edit:

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26184

I've read this and I'm wondering if that person can comment on this as to whether it is the same problem he is having. Only other thing I can add is that I replaced the thermostat a couple of months ago and used a cheap 170f stat and it doesn't stay very warm in the winter, maybe blocking the radiator would help. While cruising the temperature will steady around 1/3 on the scale. I'm wondering if the problem is getting worse from the colder temperatures of winter.

[codex]

So the other link I posted has different symptoms than mine. Has any information come about from the original post in this thread? We seem to have the exact issues.

[codex]

Problem fixed, there was a large crack in the air duct.