Bogs, stalls, won't go.

[jamesmc]

is it me or is the problem he's having not making any sense?

how did you drive the car if it stalls and can only idle at 1000rpm?

Sorry, maybe I didn't explain too well. Been pretty deprived of sleep, and just caught up. (Much of what I said is confusing, after reading it lol.) Here's a sensible summary.

I drove the car 1000mi to Nova Scotia, getting ~50mpg.
One very wet day, I went out to the car and I noticed it running very rough. The only way it would move is if my foot is barely on the pedal, otherwise it bogs down. If I rev in neutral, it acts hesitant, randomly revving up ~500rpm. It never went above ~2500rpm. It stalls pretty randomly. If I ease it down to ~1000rpm, and then let the clutch out it usually -won't- stall. If I just let the clutch out at high rpm it usually -will- stall.

First mechanic said that it needed new piston rings because compression was lost in two cylinders.
Second mechanic said the compression was fine.

Once the weather dried up, the car was still running very rough. However, the car would rev all the way up just fine. It no longer bogged down when I floored it, allowing me to drive it home. Driving it home it got me ~30mpg.

Unplugging the VAF allows the car to idle without running rough at 1000rpm. When it is revved with the VAF unplugged, it dies. (I'm under the impression that this is normal.)

Sorry it's quite long, just trying to bring some clarity.

[FestYboy]

ok, now this makes sense.
and, yes, reving the engine with the VAF unplugged will cause the engine to stall, but what's curious for us is the fact that the engine idles at all with the VAF unplugged. once started, the engine should die on its own after 2-3 sec. of idling. if this is not the case then there is something wrong with the VAF harness or plug that's allowing the fuel pump to continue to run without the ECU seeing the VAFs pump signal.

[DrMaxwellEdison]

did someone bypass the Relay with the connector next to the firewall? that should keep the fuel pump running indefinately.....

[FestYboy]

that would kill the battery, don't you think?

[JohnGunn]

Could we have an update on the status of this thread?

John Gunn
Coronado, CA

[jamesmc]

Could we have an update on the status of this thread?

John Gunn
Coronado, CA

Of course. I've been waiting to get a VAF to rule that out, but the only Festy I found at a junkyard was a carby with no airbox anyway. I just went out to it to give it another look. I started it up, running rough, and unplugged the VAF. It revved up a bit, then died. I tried starting it again (VAF unplugged) and it immediately died.

So I plugged it back in, and started it. It ran rough like usual. I unplugged the VAF, it revved up a bit, then sat at 1000rpm indefinitely. I gave it a little throttle and it died. What I noticed now was a little strange. There was a clicking noise behind the throttle body. I plugged the VAF back in, and I heard the fuel pump along with this clicking noise. This car is possessed lol.

[FestYboy]

that clicking noise is either an EVAP solenoid or the IAT stepper motor... not much else there on or neat the TB that could make that sound.

[jamesmc]

Finally have an update to this. I got a used VAF sensor (thanks sandm849) and it doesn't miss at all anymore. Runs and idles perfectly smooth. Seems like it's still running rich, but I'll wait to calculate my mpg and see if it's gotten any better.

[TaylorDFW]

Finally have an update to this. I got a used VAF sensor (thanks sandm849) and it doesn't miss at all anymore. Runs and idles perfectly smooth. Seems like it's still running rich, but I'll wait to calculate my mpg and see if it's gotten any better.

I know I'm several months behind on this thread, but it's good to hear you resolved your idling/dying issue.

Taylor