hermyboy3000

So, I gave my 3.0 VZE a tune-up because there was a noticeable miss. I figure I'll give it tune since it was overdue.

So, I do a compression test 150 on 5, 90 on 1. I know this is a problem, but this is not THE problem in this case. I tune-up and get it dialed to about 12 degrees, 850 rpm, purrs like a kitten now. So, I go for a drive....it feels like I'm driving through mud. It almost feels like the tranny isn't shifting right. I floor it and it just doesn't wasn't to move. I don't get it, its timed right, but it's running worse than before, I don't get it.

Checked my fluids and I'm good. Keep in mind, it was running good aside from the miss/tick.........now runs smooth at idle, drives smoothly too just has no acceleration.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

camo31_10.50

is your E-brake on?

hermyboy3000

No e-brake isn't on.

One thing I forgot to mention, when I was checking the compression, I put a bit of oil in the cylinder that was rated at 90, after I did that the motor locked up and wouldn't turn, so I manually turned it. Could this have messed up a sensor or something?

camo31_10.50

shouldn't have? that's odd....

sorry for the E-brake question...you just said it's running fine but feels like it doesn't have much power lol. gotta start somewhere.

defyant

How much is a bit???

hermyboy3000

I'd say about 2 to 3 ounces, it smoked like crazy after I fired it up.

hermyboy3000

OK, here's some more info. I went into the garage and it wreaks of gas...weird. I've driven through and 1/8 of a tank in about 14 miles. The shifting strategy is all wrong. When I gun the motor from a dead stop it'll blow past 1st before I hit 2500rpm and then it will go to just about 4000 but it feels like it jumped straight to fourth. I replaced the starter yesterday also, but I didn't mention it because I didn't think anything of it, but could the starter be dragging on the flywheel or something? I'm poking in the dark here. This is really weird. HELLLLLLLLLLLLP!

hermyboy3000

Here are some of the codes being thrown out

14 - Open or short in IGF or IGT circuit from igniter to ECM - IGF signal from igniter is not input to ECM for 6 consecutive ignitions.

43 - Open or short in IG SW or main relay circuit - Starter signal (STA) is not input to ECM even once until engine reaches 800 rpm or more when cranking.

51 - Throttle position sensor IDL circuit - Park/Neutral position switch circuit - Accelerator pedal cable Displayed when A/C is ON, IDL contact OFF or shift position in ”R”, ”D”, ”2”, or ”L” positions with the D LC1 terminals E1 and TE1 connected.

I hope this helps someone, cause It not doing very much for me.

camo31_10.50

obviously you have 2 shorts lmao.

sorry, i'm out of my comfort zone on this...and it's Automatic :/

hermyboy3000

Another weird thing. This morning when I was pulling my codes the OD light was blinking steady. After a drive and the OD started throwing code 63. What's going on? Is my ECU fritzin' out? How can a tune-up create this circus of problems?

Thanks!

hermyboy3000

So here's an update. I've advanced to 15 degrees, its helped but it still bogging. I've gone from getting 17.5 miles per gallon down to 12.2. Yikes!!

I'm gonna pull the plugs and regap them, the guy at the auto parts store said the gap was .35, the fsm says it's .31. I don't think this is the problem, since the engine runs smoothly at 10 degrees, but I figure I'll take the gap out of the troubleshooting equation.

Now that the motor is timed to 15 degrees, this annoying ticking sound has returned. The ticking sound was all but gone at 10 degrees. How can so much go wrong, I just replaced the plugs and starter.......oh woe is me

need some help! Thanks!

thook

Can you list everything....I mean everything.....you touched during the tune up? Hard to imagine you did anything to the ECU (cause that is what it's sounding like) during a simple tune up, but you may have done something to the wiring somewhere that supplies the ECU with the needed feedback signals. Possibly a ground wire got pulled.

Can you pinpoint the location of the ticking?

hermyboy3000

Here's the run down as I remember it.

1) removed the the air intake hoses from the vaf heading to the throttle body
2) pulled each plug one at a time to test compression (this where I discovered the leak in cylinder 6)
3) poured oil in cylinder 6 to retest compression (about 2oz maybe more)
4) motor ceased at this point (feared starter was shot, it was already dying anyway)
5) removed plate in passenger side wheel-well to access old starter.
6) moved little black box with a ton of wires going into it out of the way, moved a loomed bundle of hoses out of the way
7) unbolted the power line to the starter and unclipped the little connector on the bottom of the starter
8) unbolted the starter from the motor
9) removed a heatshield from the exhaust to give me more room to pull the starter
10) unbolted the hangar that holds the accelerator cable
11) pulled the starter out
12) put new starter in
13) attached the power and the little connector
14) reattached the hangar and heatshield
*****at this point I noticed a rubber hose with a curved metal tube hanging out of the firewall (not sure what this is for)********
15) replaced the metal plate in the wheel well
16) started compression test again
17) motor still seized (here is where I got the thought to rotate motor manually from the crank pulley
18) turned the motor counter clockwise about two revolutions
19) successfully cranked the motor
20) started compression test again 150 on cylinders 1-5, 90 on cylinder 6
21) replaced each spark plug after checking the compression in that cylinder with new NGK V-power spark plugs
22) reattached existing wires
23) reattached air intake hoses to vaf and throttle body
24) started motor (watched huge cloud of black smoke blow out of exhaust)
25) allowed motor to get up to operating temp
26) put the truck in neutral and apply the e-brake
27) adjusted throttle cable to get the idle to 800-850 rpm
28) jumped the terminals in the diagnostic box to start timing
29) initial timing setting fluctuating above 15 degrees
30) i retard to 10 degrees
31) engine idle drops very low
32) I turn idle screw up to bring it back to around 800rpm
33) I hold butterfly open for about 90 seconds at 2500rpm
34) when I release the butterfly the rpms stick at about 1100 rpm
35) i tweak the idle screw back a bit to get it down to 850rpm
36) recheck the time ... holding steady at 10 degrees
37) tweaked the accelerator cable a bit (thinking this actually pulls back on the butterfly, I think my thinking was incorrect)
38) remove the jumper from the diag box
39) go for a drive...purrs like a kitten but feels like I'm dragging the Titanic behind me
40) pull back into the garage, scratch head
41) tweak back the accelerator cable back to its original position
42) go for a drive again, same deal
43) give-up, go to bed
44) a day later, advanced the timing to 15 degrees, this helped but still feels boggy in certain conditions and there is a noticeable dead-spot when accelerating


That's about it, I might have jacked up my accelerator/throttle cables settings, I dunno? Haven't the slightest clue how to adjust them to spec, haven't found that part in the FSM.

The ticking seems to be coming from cylinder 6, this is an old condition that all but went away when the motor was timed to 10 degrees, now that the motor is set to 15 degrees the ticking is back.

Thanks for the help!

bigliltruck

plug wires snap on tight? get your ir intake tube installed correctly? sometimes the bottom of the tubes dont like to go on and sometimes the tubes crack on the bottom side perhaps its sucking air? all the codes do sound like the ecu but nothing you did should have caused ur ecu to fail. did u disconnect your battery before working on the truck?

hermyboy3000

I actually fixed the cracks in the tube going into the throttle body coming from the VAF. Not sure what the IR intake tube is? I didn't disconnect the battery when I did the tune, but I did disconnect it before I installed the new starter.

Another weird thing, I noticed my oil pressure isn't building up like it did before, it much lower even though I have plenty of oil.

I adjusted the accelerator cable and that helped a bit, but not much more.

thook

I think if I'm going to be of any help, I'm going to have to think about this. There's a couple of red flags reading your list, but I don't want to jump to any conclusions. I mean, I could run a gammut of possibilities to you, but I don't like sending folks on wild goose chases, either. Sounds like you're already getting a little ahead of yourself anyway. My best suggestion at this point is not to tinker with anything else until you get some good advice where to proceed.

One point I can make is if your throttle was sticking like that (with the idle sticking at 1100rpm), you've got the cables adjusted too tight. You shouldn't have adjusted the idle bypass valve to remedy that. But, that can be fixed easily enough. It's the other problems you might be digging a deep hole for yourself with.

Lemme find some links on cable adjustments for you to read and I'll be back.

By all means, though, if someone here gives you good advice, go for it. As well, if you felt inclined to take it to a trusted mechanic, don't wait on me or anything. Yours is one of those situations where it would be much easier for someone to actually see what's going on.

thook

BTW, what "little black box with a bundle of wires" did you move?

hermyboy3000

That little black box lives just under the starter and is clearly visible when you pull the metal panel off of the wheel well on the passenger side.

thook

Geez........shows how long it's been since I've been under there. I'm not recalling it, offhand.

Later

hermyboy3000

So I'm throwing a code 63 from the o/d light, bad solenoid. Just wondering if I damaged something in that bundle of wires by the starter. Just wondering how to troubleshoot that without cracking open the tranny pan?

Another weird thing, my oil pressure never hits the middle of my gauge like it did before my "killer" tune up.

What the heck did I do?

I NEED HELP PLEASE! Thanks guys!