Intermittent no start, no boost and bad vacuum = I'm stumped
Posted: Sat May 08, 2010 8:02 pm
Here's the deal my car has been choosing not to start from time to time, it comes and goes like the wind so nailing down if it is no spark or no fuel has been challenging. I do know it has very good pressure at the fuel rail when it wont start (40psi). by the time I go to check for spark it always starts so it is very nerve racking. I scan it all the time and it has no codes pending or otherwise. I have made sure any fuses related to fuel injection or ignition are making good contact in both fuse panels. I have yet to test the relays but swapping them around hasn't exposed a bad one yet.
Today I had the same no start situation but this time after I got it started it ran like crap not a steady miss just really ruff until it would just die out, at the same time if I put it in gear or blip the throttle just a little bit it would die immediately. After about ten minutes of it doing this I finally got it to go into gear without stalling and drove it home. I had to push it fairly hard to keep it from stalling, thus I noticed no boost, the gauge would only go to zero. I verified what the gauge was saying via the aeroforce and indeed the MAP wouldn't go to a positive reading at WOT( I can definitely hear the supercharger and the belt is for sure on, but I don't feel the boost) On the other side vacuum isn't anywhere near what it should be either, it only reads -4psi on the gauge at idle. I removed and visually inspected all the vacuum fittings and tubes which all are fine.
I'm very aware that I may have two separate issues but I'd like to keep this all in one topic until it is verified one way or the other. I'm afraid until I get this figured out it will remain parked to avoid the possibility of causing some type of major damage or further damage. I have my thoughts of what to test and what might really be the problem but I will keep most of them to myself until I get some input here. I will have access to a DVOM and a vacuum pump on Monday to test the MAP and the BCS but that is then, and hopefully I can get some better ideas from all of you in the meantime.
THANKS
Today I had the same no start situation but this time after I got it started it ran like crap not a steady miss just really ruff until it would just die out, at the same time if I put it in gear or blip the throttle just a little bit it would die immediately. After about ten minutes of it doing this I finally got it to go into gear without stalling and drove it home. I had to push it fairly hard to keep it from stalling, thus I noticed no boost, the gauge would only go to zero. I verified what the gauge was saying via the aeroforce and indeed the MAP wouldn't go to a positive reading at WOT( I can definitely hear the supercharger and the belt is for sure on, but I don't feel the boost) On the other side vacuum isn't anywhere near what it should be either, it only reads -4psi on the gauge at idle. I removed and visually inspected all the vacuum fittings and tubes which all are fine.
I'm very aware that I may have two separate issues but I'd like to keep this all in one topic until it is verified one way or the other. I'm afraid until I get this figured out it will remain parked to avoid the possibility of causing some type of major damage or further damage. I have my thoughts of what to test and what might really be the problem but I will keep most of them to myself until I get some input here. I will have access to a DVOM and a vacuum pump on Monday to test the MAP and the BCS but that is then, and hopefully I can get some better ideas from all of you in the meantime.
THANKS