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View Full Version : Engine bogs/dies intermittently. KA24DE stock


Siberian Husky
01-29-2013, 06:17 PM
I wanted a few opinions about this. My car is completely bone stock 92 s13 with about 250,xxx on the clock. It's seen better days but hasn't given me many problems. It's my daily driver, but it's giving me a new problem.

The other day I fired it up from a cold start, was leaving work. I let it warm for about a minute like always, then I took off. It changed through the gears and after less than a minute of driving, I saw a CEL come on and my RPMS dropped. The car began to bog and I wasnt getting much throttle response. It was limping along and I was able to get it to a parking lot when it died on me. It felt as if I was leaning out. I go to turn the vehicle on again and it just died. I pulled the following cels from the ECU.

12, 14, 32, 34 (MAF sensor error, EGR error, VSS circuit open, and knock sensor activation).

VSS has always been there and I dont think contributed to the issue. The car ran fine forever with that CEL. MAF/EGR errors are new.

Anyways, I pull the plugs in the parking lot and they are fouled-completely black..all 4 (probably from trying to gas it while i was limping and ended up flooding them).

Anyways. I let the car sit for a day in that parking lot. Go to turn it on again. Fires up just fine, go to drive it but the RPMS wont advance past 2k at times regardless of throttle, and sometimes they would jump from 2 to 3-4 quickly.

I tow it to a shop. Dude seems honest. Does some diagnostics and tells me my MAF is fine, but said that my distributor sensor was dirty due to oil leaking into it. Says he cleaned it and the car ran fine through the RPM range/gears without hiccup but suggests I replace the distributor. Wants to charge me 350 for the job or I can just walk away with paying 80 for diagnostic/cleaning of distributor sensor.

I was wondering if this chimes well with anyone here. I'm wondering why a dirty distributor would throw those cels before I commit to changing the distributor.

waxball88
01-29-2013, 06:52 PM
From my experience maf and knock errors go hand in hand. Improper fuel mixture, lean condition..Try cleaning/replacing maf(not going past 2k is a dead give away your maf is bad)with a known good maf, reset codes (leave battery disconntected for a while. While you're doing that check your egr, i'd honestly delete it, one less thing to go wrong. Check wiring to the knock sensor and continuity, the knock sub harness and sensor are known problem areas. Even if a car has not been overheated your knock sensor could have reached the point where the plastic has finally begin to crack as most of the time they are never serviced, because its a bitch to do without the proper tools (1/4 drive ratchet, decent extension and swivel)
If you have decent tools, download the FSM. 350 to replace the distributor is nuts. Although a new dizzy is not cheap ~100 i'd bet. Try a u-pull for one.

If you end up needing to replace the dizzy take the valve cover off (makes it easier to install on the correct tooth) be sure your engine is at top dead center (piston 1 at the top) by pulling #1 plug and putting a long screw driver into the cylinder, crank engine by hand (you'll need a large socket, cant remember what size off the top of my head)

rwtf
01-29-2013, 10:00 PM
I would just change the cap and rotor. and find another dizzy from a mem on here.
and 80 bucks? fuck that...