paul p (chi-town)
11-05-2006, 11:37 AM
So as some of you may know, Helga has had an odd drivability issue (OH, an M60 throwin a check engine light, don't see that much *shakes head*). Normally it was just the occasional stumble, roughness maybe some surging. Most often during warm up. OTOH; during this years meet it was VERY well behaved (guess she knew something bout that event). Of course it was nice and warm then.
Now, if the temps drop below freezing, forget it, the car became undrivable. Stalled constantly, ran like crap and smelled of unburned gas something awful. One of the reasons i ended up buying Thor that winter. New plugs, coils, filters, and hours and hours spent looking for vacuum or fuel leaks resulted in no improvement. The PCV plate and intake gaskets had been supposedly replaced when the engine was replaced, but i was beginning to think that something down there was still not right. Not a job i was looking forward to.
Flash forward to earlier this week. I'd pulled her out of storage, the MR2 is going in and i was going to fix this once and for all. Now it's been cool here but well above freezing last weekend and she was getting problematic already. Ugghhhhh.
Bad gas smell, really bad. There has got to be an external leak. Thursday, hood open; checking the injectors, rail, pressure regulator, etc., my eyes burning from the fumes. WhereTF IS THAT LEAK. Then i see the puddle and then the drips and then........it's streaming out the fuel hose. Not where it connects to the injector rail (where i've looked a million times and even snipped off a little to get a better seal) but at the chassis hard line. OMG, the hose end looked fried. I still can't believe this wasn't replaced during the swap or at least snipped. That's just what i did.
Helga now starts smooth, purrs like a kitten, warms up, then runs like a cheatah; at 38 (ding!) at 32 at 28 and even at 23ºF. Have i mentioned noticably better gas mileage? U betcha!
The lunge to the redline is why i was floored by this car when i first drove it).
I'm in love again.............well at least until i drive the 3er next. =P
KISS always KIFSS.
Think i'll go for another drive.
”Hang up & Drive!” (http://homepage.interaccess.com/~motria/pablosgarage.html)
94 BMW 530iT&A 125K, ‘Helga’ ( for sale *sniff* )
92 BMW 325i 125K, ‘Rolf’ ( he’s baaack *whoohoo* hers *sigh* )
91 Volvo 745T 191K, ‘Thor’ ( 13 psi *smirk* no power steering *grunt* )
93 Datsun NX2000 160K ‘Carla’ ( alive & thumpin *uNfff!* )
85 Toyoda MR2 123K ‘Jerry’ ( so fresh and so clean, clean *grin* )
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Benjamin Franklin.
Kinda makes the ‘Patriot Act’ an oxymoron, eh.......
Now, if the temps drop below freezing, forget it, the car became undrivable. Stalled constantly, ran like crap and smelled of unburned gas something awful. One of the reasons i ended up buying Thor that winter. New plugs, coils, filters, and hours and hours spent looking for vacuum or fuel leaks resulted in no improvement. The PCV plate and intake gaskets had been supposedly replaced when the engine was replaced, but i was beginning to think that something down there was still not right. Not a job i was looking forward to.
Flash forward to earlier this week. I'd pulled her out of storage, the MR2 is going in and i was going to fix this once and for all. Now it's been cool here but well above freezing last weekend and she was getting problematic already. Ugghhhhh.
Bad gas smell, really bad. There has got to be an external leak. Thursday, hood open; checking the injectors, rail, pressure regulator, etc., my eyes burning from the fumes. WhereTF IS THAT LEAK. Then i see the puddle and then the drips and then........it's streaming out the fuel hose. Not where it connects to the injector rail (where i've looked a million times and even snipped off a little to get a better seal) but at the chassis hard line. OMG, the hose end looked fried. I still can't believe this wasn't replaced during the swap or at least snipped. That's just what i did.
Helga now starts smooth, purrs like a kitten, warms up, then runs like a cheatah; at 38 (ding!) at 32 at 28 and even at 23ºF. Have i mentioned noticably better gas mileage? U betcha!
The lunge to the redline is why i was floored by this car when i first drove it).
I'm in love again.............well at least until i drive the 3er next. =P
KISS always KIFSS.
Think i'll go for another drive.
”Hang up & Drive!” (http://homepage.interaccess.com/~motria/pablosgarage.html)
94 BMW 530iT&A 125K, ‘Helga’ ( for sale *sniff* )
92 BMW 325i 125K, ‘Rolf’ ( he’s baaack *whoohoo* hers *sigh* )
91 Volvo 745T 191K, ‘Thor’ ( 13 psi *smirk* no power steering *grunt* )
93 Datsun NX2000 160K ‘Carla’ ( alive & thumpin *uNfff!* )
85 Toyoda MR2 123K ‘Jerry’ ( so fresh and so clean, clean *grin* )
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Benjamin Franklin.
Kinda makes the ‘Patriot Act’ an oxymoron, eh.......