pressing gas + climbing rpm = aspire dieing

[rotinaj13]

Thoughts and opinions: http://www.ford-forums.com/ford-aspi...roblems-2.html

This sounds way too familiar

[jtugfestiva]

try disconnecting your EGR and plugging it up. Also it might be your coil thats acting up. Once it goes to operating temperature. try cleaning out your IAC with carb cleaner and see if that works. Try adjusting the idle set screw when the car is at normal operating temperature. THe RPM should run around 900 when at operating temp. The screw is next to the throttle body above the engine.

[rotinaj13]

Ok I have not tried to plug the EGR off yet, but did take it off for a good cleaning. Found the small port in between the big ports was plugged solid. I cleaned it an reinstalled it. I also cleaned the MAF and reinstalled. I ran out of day light b4 I could mess with the IAC. I will fool with the in the AM if it is still acting goofy. I am starting to wonder if it is a problem with the TPS like possibly being covered in oil, Due to it not running right it seems to be blowing oil into the breather from pcv system, I cleaned a small pool out from by the MAF. It was getting dark and I did not feel like goofing the TPS up tonight. I did think about running a 2 VDC source to the trigger wire going to the computer on a toggle switch though and when it acts up, flip the toggle and see if the engine takes off figured that would rule my TPS out. What can I say I hate intermittent problems.

[jtugfestiva]

I hope your using the right cleaners to clean out sensor. Make sure the cleaner is for electrical sensors and not brake cleaner and carb cleaner. The can damage electrical components. Hmm it might also be a bad vacuum line somewhere. Try spraying brake cleaner on the intake hoses and see if that affects the idle. well keep us posted!!!

[lessersivad]

Well after reading thru the posts I'm gonna throw these ideas out there.

Have you tried loosening the gas cap and driving it? A friend of mine had a big block '69 Chevelle that would cruise around town all night long. Someone wanted to race him and half way thru the 1320' sprint the car basically died. Turned out to be the cap wasn't venting.

Another friend of mine had an '82 Olds Firenza. Could drive around all day in town but once he headed to the highway it would fall on it's face. Turn off the car for a little bit, start up and no problems for a couple of miles.
Told him to bring it over to my house to check it out. It was about a 7 mile trip and it acted up about the half way point. Luckily it was getting dark and I was following him. He pulled over and it looked like he had red "neon" under the car. the catastrophic converter was glowing so much you could have lit a cig off of it.

These are only my opinions and are not neccessarily the views of this broadcast station.

Hope this possibly helps.

[Festiva Time]

White Spark Plugs...

Ok messed with it a little over the weekend. Code scanner I could use did not handle live data. I changed the wires, plugs, air filter, fuel filter, cap, rotor. it has a new fuel pump as of 5 months ago with new screen. The old plugs had a white look to them. On cold starts it revs pretty high a little above 1k for about 15 to 20 seconds then starts to drop off. It is running worse now that I messed with it. It is acting like it is running out of fuel except the engine does not stall just goes back to idle. If I keep steady foot pressure on the gas while it breaks up and drops speed once it slows way down to the mph that is equal to about 1200 rpm the engine will produce power again. once it has been running for a while the idle seems a bit low. vac leak? egr stuck open? coil fried? crank position sensor? Come on guys give me some ideas this is the diagnosis I hate because it is not a constant thing but getting closer to constant. BTW no codes in computer.

White Spark Plugs mean you are running really lean. Try adjusting the Idle Screw. Also, unplug the connector to the MAF and start it up. This will cause the engine to run really rich, when the motor has no problems. Have you tried the loosing downpipe to exhaust manifold bolts until they are almost off, and firing it up. It will be a bit loud. This is to see if the exhaust system maybe clogging up.

[Pu241]

White Spark Plugs mean you are running really lean. Try adjusting the Idle Screw. Also, unplug the connector to the MAF and start it up. This will cause the engine to run really rich, when the motor has no problems. Have you tried the loosing downpipe to exhaust manifold bolts until they are almost off, and firing it up. It will be a bit loud. This is to see if the exhaust system maybe clogging up.

Need to learn a little more about the festiva electronics.
We have a VAF, not a MAF.
Unplug it and it should run about 3 seconds before shutting down.
Unless, you jumper the fuel pump.

Not a bad idea concerning the Cat converter though!

[Dustin]

FWIW, I've had two different cars that behaved similarly (1988 olds ciera & 1992 Nissan sentra) to yours. They would run up fine to 2000 rpm or so then hit a wall, no power. Both are higher mileage cars (160K & 204K, repectively), one auto, one four speed. They both had catalysts that were melted into a blob in the center, then carboned shut. I replaced the cats with resonators, both run great. Olds need a new MAF shortly after, don't know if it was a cause or effect. Test exhaust for excessive backpressure to be sure. Good luck.

[Britstiva]

I had the same problem with my Aspire.... I changed everything from air filter, fuel filter, mass air flow sensor, distributor cap... you name it. Turned out it was spark plugs and wires.

I'd be trucking along and then all of the sudden lose power. The car would slow down... I'd have to gear down to 2nd/1st and start all over again. It was like someone was turning off the car while I was driving.

Same thing came back a couple years later... turned out to be fuel pump.

Somewhere between the two events, the original motor died like a movie scene from Uncle Buck. (tons of smoke, people pulling off the road, loss of power...)

[1988festivazoom]

I had this problem in my 89 stang.... replaced every thing I could think of. Turned out to be the tfm in the dist.

[Nerd Racing]

Need to learn a little more about the festiva electronics.
We have a VAF, not a MAF.
Unplug it and it should run about 3 seconds before shutting down.
Unless, you jumper the fuel pump.

Not a bad idea concerning the Cat converter though!

Perhaps its time to learn a little about how to read the thread topic

He has an Aspire, so yes he has a MAF.

Also since its a MAF it will run with it unplugged.