Please help!!

[Bean93]

Ok the other day I bought my first festiva after looking for months.... The only problem is it will idle fine but dies as soon as you give it any gas... Also it only starts when it is cold.... Any idea what it could possibly be?? I'm a newb to these cars lol

[Icedawg]

I could not get mine to run past idle when I had forgotten to reconnect the wiring to the vane air flow (VAF) sensor on the intake just behind the air filter. You should check that wiring and connector. Also, take the air filter out and reach in to determine if the flap on the vane air flow is flapping, and find out what it does to the car at idle.
If it only works when cold it could be that the Bypass air control valve, the BAC valve, is sticking in some way to interfere with air flow. You could disconnect it from the air flow circuit and cap the hose lines so they don't leak vacuum.
Make sure the throttle cable and the butterfly valve in the throttle body are operating properly.
Check the PCV valve and lines it feeds to find out if it is all choked up with gunk.

[william]

Fuel filter, water in gas? Hole in intake tube?

[zoom zoom]

VAF hooked up?

[Bean93]

With the air flow sensor at the air box unhooked it will idle and rev if you rev it slowly... If you plug the sensor back up it dies immediatly...

[moz]

O2 sensor?

[william]

With the air flow sensor at the air box unhooked it will idle and rev if you rev it slowly... If you plug the sensor back up it dies immediatly...

This dose not make since the afm triggers the fuel pump it will Not run with out it.

[moz]

Hence why Im thinking o2 sensor.
The ecu will run the engine on a preset mix until the o2 sensor warms up.
When warm, the o2 sensor takes control of the mix.
If the car won't start when warm, I'd be looking at the o2.

This is my experience with b6's. I'm assuming the b3 would be the same

[Icedawg]

Hence why Im thinking o2 sensor.
The ecu will run the engine on a preset mix until the o2 sensor warms up.
When warm, the o2 sensor takes control of the mix.
If the car won't start when warm, I'd be looking at the o2.

If it is the sensor then just disconnecting it will partially solve the problem. It will run on the preset at all engine temps.

[Bean93]

So try the mass air sensor and the o2 sensor??

[lessersivad]

I think what is being suggested is to keep the VAF plugged in and disconnecting the oxygen sensor.

This will at least put the ECU into a factory preset to at least keep the engine running.

[Bean93]

Ok I will try that this evening.