Car is stalling on me

[XLRVIII]

have you tested voltage at the alternator lug, then compare that value to the reading you get at the battery terminal...

then compare that value to the post on the bottom backside of the PDB/Fuse Box?


Somewhere something AINT right.

The flickering you had was probably AC current coming out of the old alternator...my 95 did that and it caused all kinds of goofy crap to happen.

 

[NoLimit95]

1. the OEM crappy battery connectors, those band clamps are crap
if you have them on your car, replace them with REAL battery clamps

2. the "power distribution block" has a large guage wire that runs from the battery TO the PDB. if that connection which is very well hidden is corroded it will cause all kinds of goofy crap to occur.

3. just because you dropped a new battery and alternator into the car does not mean you dont have a voltage/charging issue...there are WIRES that connect all these items... all it would take is ONE bad wire to craponyourparade

1. I have $50 invested in two new terminals. They are nickel plated and very well built. Icarus also has the same terminals that I have. Made by Kicker.

2. If I'm not mistaken, it's a 2 gauge wire and I see no corrosion at all anywhere and also on the starter connections.

3. When I put a meter on it, it's reading in the 14.1 range and never below that.

 

[NoLimit95]

have you tested voltage at the alternator lug, then compare that value to the reading you get at the battery terminal...

then compare that value to the post on the bottom backside of the PDB/Fuse Box?


Somewhere something AINT right.

The flickering you had was probably AC current coming out of the old alternator...my 95 did that and it caused all kinds of goofy crap to happen.

Haven't done all of that since now, I don't have anymore cold start flickering anymore. The flicker used to only happen on cold starts and then go away after warming up but now, the new alt has cured that problem. The Ultima reman I had in there was bad.

 

[LaserSVT]

XLR, that was some good advice. I didnt think about the EGR itself having an internal vac leak. Could be his low voltage/charging issues killed a couple sensors and the stumbling issue is something else. TPS could be a little miss adjusted and then there are the crappy O2s.

Then again its prolly just what you said and there is a voltage issue in some junction or the cars computer has a bad ground and/or is on its way out.

 

[unity]

Well I had an issue with stalling and it was worse when cold. When I went to replace the pump I found a that the small 2 inch line between the pump and outlet had ruptured.

But with all those code, I dunno. But I would do a pressure test anyway maybe..

 

[NoLimit95]

Well I had an issue with stalling and it was worse when cold. When I went to replace the pump I found a that the small 2 inch line between the pump and outlet had ruptured.

But with all those code, I dunno. But I would do a pressure test anyway maybe..

Would pressure wait for the car to heat up before acting stupid? Even though the TPS was replaced in 08, I would agree that it could be acting up and I have never done anything with the EGR valve. I drove the car this morning to the dentist, from Madison to downtown Huntsville. It's about a 15 min drive. It done perfect all the way there but right before I made it to the dentist, it started the stalling. I was driving in about 35 degree temps. The stalling was worse on the way home because the car had already been out and kinda warmed up by then.

Anyway, it took it that long to start acting up and it had to get hot enough to do it. I'm about ready to take it to Lincoln and pay the $90 just to find out what it is because it's really annoying me.

 

[unity]

Im sorry, I meant worse when warm. Like yours. I would just do a pressure test to be sure. It like getting a blood pressure reading at the doctor - standard practice.

In my case, when cold, the fuel line section was more ridged and would not balloon up as much. And the the pump and fuel heated up the line became softer and would allow more fuel to pour out of the rupture. At least that is my guess. Week by week it got worse and since the rupture was after the check valve in the pump, the car would drop pressure when off fast and cause long starts.

Again, this is probably not your issue but I am tossing it out there.

 

[NoLimit95]

I found 2 brand new Motorcraft 02 sensors for $113.58 and even if the Bosch I have in now isn't the problem, at least I know they never will be come Monday. Total for two shipped is $120.73 Priority Mail. Sounds a lot better than $100 each from the Ford parts store down the street from me.

I'm also going to take off the newer TPS that's on the 93 and swap it over to mine. I'll probably go ahead and just use the whole damn TB and all.

Tommy, I'm really not trying to suggest what you're saying is wrong but the alternator I had on there was bad or one section of it was bad and it has 3 sections. That was the reason for the cold start flicker. The battery I had in was only a few months old. It just didn't have the power that the car calls for. It only had 850CA and I wanted 1000CA so that was the reason for the new battery. Cold start flicker is gone now, not even an issue anymore. One more thing, the low voltage showing on the "code meaning" also has an "or" added to it. This could have had an effect with the test but when I turned the key on, the air ride started pumping air, "reducing my voltage" but with all seriousness, I highly doubt that I have a charging issue. No corrosion anywhere, southern car, rarely ever is touched by rain. As you said yourself, "TRUSTING EECIV codes is troublesome.
it can be hit or miss with the EEC cars."

I do appreciate your suggestions though because you're one of the smartest ones on the site. I trust your word over many to be honest. If you could only drive it for 30 min, you would understand the gut feeling that I have that it has to be in the 02's or TPS. Low voltage for the TPS could mean just that. It isn't putting out the correct voltage, I have no clue yet. It could be the EGR valve but whatever it is, it took 15 minutes of driving today for it to get started. When it gets started, it's hit and miss but the car has to be warm for it to happen.

Maybe I should get it up to temp and let the stall get started and then clear the codes. Connect the battery again after 5 minutes and then start it until the stall hits again. Turn it off and then pull codes. I just don't trust a $20 code reader and some flashing lights. I do trust my common sense and what I'm feeling when it starts this. My dad is claiming it has a fowled plug or sounds like it. Wouldn't it be fowled cold too?

My common sense tells me that it is a sensor of some sort. It detects heat of a certain temp and this "sensor" controls the ability of keeping the engine running smoothly.

 

[NoLimit95]

Just replaced the TPS and the bogging issue is now gone. I drove it for 35 minutes around the subdivision and then got it out on one of the main roads. I went up and down that one 3 times and then came back to my house. It got up to temp enough to kick the fan on several times and I never once heard or felt it stalling on me. Came back home and let it idle for another 10 min and no stall.

Faulty TPS was the problem but..... I'm still replacing the Bosch 02's with Motorcraft before a problem does occur with them.

Thank you for everyone's suggestions and I learned a lot from this experience.

 

[XLRVIII]

No worries, when I'm wrong I'm wrong.
I'd thought I read in your post that you'd done the TPS..re-reading it, I must have been mistaken.

with that said, glad to hear you got it sorted out, even though I was leading you astray..lol.. my bad.

 

[XLRVIII]

Faulty TPS was the problem but..... I'm still replacing the Bosch 02's with Motorcraft before a problem does occur with them.

Thank you for everyone's suggestions and I learned a lot from this experience.

Now that you've got it all sorted out..
Disconnect the battery to clear the stored codes..and then go drive the car for about 100 miles and pull the codes again.

See if you still have that "lazy, no switching o2 sensor"...if not.. run it til it dies and replace them with motorcraft 02's.
If the boschs are/will work now.. you'll be ok for awhile.

I'd found when I put boschs in my car the bad motorcraft 02 I removed was better/switching faster than the brand new boschs..
My original motorcraft 02's had 250K on them and the good one was better than the new boschs.

 

[NoLimit95]

Now that you've got it all sorted out..
Disconnect the battery to clear the stored codes..and then go drive the car for about 100 miles and pull the codes again.

Really I would like to clear them and just go ahead and get the codes after one drive somewhere. I should have done that after getting through last night/this morning and then going out and test driving it. It could be a while before I go 100 miles lol. I bought that car in Apr 2005 with 164,000 and it just now has 183,000...

See if you still have that "lazy, no switching o2 sensor"...if not.. run it til it dies and replace them with motorcraft 02's.
If the boschs are/will work now.. you'll be ok for awhile.

As for the 02's, I thought I had a problem with my originals because every so often, I would get a CE light momentarily (2 to 5 seconds) and then it would go back off. I just assumed the 02's weren't reading right or were just old. I don't know anything about "switching" or what the "no switch" means but, since the Bosch 02's have been in, I still get that occasional CE light from time to time. I never done any codes until now but if one of the 02's was picked up after the battery swap, I would say that I put at least one bad 02 in the car, right out of the box.

I'd found when I put boschs in my car the bad motorcraft 02 I removed was better/switching faster than the brand new boschs..
My original motorcraft 02's had 250K on them and the good one was better than the new boschs.

I truly do believe this. The way I see it, my car has 183,000 on it now and if it's in any way a struggle on my engine to have messed up 02's, I would prefer to go ahead and get the Motorcraft now and make life easier for the engine and for myself. I have parts coming in today from Max to get this 98 trans J-Modded and new seals, front and rear and then it's going in. When the shudder is gone, I also want to know that my 02 problem is also gone. I found them on rockauto.com with the 10" wire for $120 (for 2 of them) to the door. I don't think Max can cut me that kind of deal. If rockauto is a bad experience for anyone, please let me know before I order.

 

[XLRVIII]

If you cant drive it alot or far, then just check for the codes every time or every other time you drive it....
At some point if there's an issue they should return.

02's switching is what they do, they switch from high to low voltage and that is how they work
when they get lazy, or stop switching is when problems start to occur

 

[NoLimit95]

If you cant drive it alot or far, then just check for the codes every time or every other time you drive it....
At some point if there's an issue they should return.

02's switching is what they do, they switch from high to low voltage and that is how they work
when they get lazy, or stop switching is when problems start to occur

It's really not that I can't drive it a lot, I just really don't have anywhere that I need to go and if I do, it's not far. I do plan on clearing the codes today and going to a few places hear and there (Christmas shopping) and then getting a reading and I will post back a video of the lights flashing. Hopefully there aren't many, if any. Maybe I could have read a few of the other codes wrong. I have the video of it but it's like 56MB in size lol. Only a little over 2 min long. Quality was set too high for something like that. My slow DSL was taking forever to upload something that size so I canceled it. Quality change on the next reading!

 

[NoLimit95]

Just placed the order for two new Motorcraft DY721 oxygen sensors from Rockauto.com for $113.58 + $7.15 shipping Priority Mail. Bosch will be in the trash by Tuesday night. That was a $100 waste. Live and learn. Pictured below is what I have coming with a 10" wire. They had a 6" wire avail but I went with the 10" because I think I used that length when I bought the Bosch. Local Ford Parts wanted $100 each for these same ones. I was even able to use PayPal to pay with. Made things even easier.

 

[XLRVIII]

hell 113 is about what to POS bosch sensors cost over the counter.

good tip