Okay guys, help me out, I'm stumpped.

While coming home last night, the engine began to studder and then it stalled. I've had this happen before and the guy at the shop told me I clogged my MAF with mud/greese from my Amsoil. I think he was full of it, but whatever it ran fine when I picked it up. I just didn't have the time to trouble shoot myself. Well here it is again and I pulled the MAF and that sucker is clean. It'll try to turn over when I re-start, but it just dies right off the bat of getting started. The spark is there but the fuel and air just don't seem to be making it in right. HELP ME PLEASE, any idea of what I should look at.

One concern, there seems to be oil or gunk in my PCV valve, I don't remember that being right, could this be my problem, and how the heck did that mess get in there?

Thank in advance,

-Scott

 

Any idea how old the fuel filter is? Mine was all full of crap when I changed it. He might be right, did you recently oil up the Amsoil?

 

Yeah, I think you oiled up your Amsoil a bit too much too. All that excess oil can easy to into the vacuum lines and stuff and cause a bunch of trouble.

You should try and replace your vacuum lines and pcv valve and use a peper filter to see if your engine will start up. Might be the fuel filter too though.

Good Luck, keep us posted.

 

will it run if you floor it? even if it is just at 1k or so... try flooring, letting off a little, flooring, letting off.

almost ANY fuel/air mixture will try to run with enough fuel lol

also, mark, i'm pretty sure he is running an amsoil =)
err, i guess i'm slower than an edit hah

 

Scott... Did you do the "ISR Mod"? If so, any chance that one of the plumbing pieces fell out and is plugging your intake? This happened to me once, it took me a couple of hours to finally figure out what happened. Same _exact_ symptoms.

Check the vacuum lines and be sure the MAF connection is solid. The engine won't run without knowing about the airflow... Also, it wouldn't hurt to clean the MAF - just 'cause it looks clean doesn't mean it is. I know on mine I can't see the sensor wires well enough to know.

Oh.. try pulling the EFI fuse and resettign the ECU - it couldn't hurt.

 

cracked/loose/off vacuum line is my guess.

just go thru them and check every one.

the PCV is supposed to be crappy looking. that just means that it's doing it's job.

 

Start with the fuel pump test on 4crawlers site.

 

Thanks guys, I'll ran through most of those last night while waiting for my tow home, but I'll do it now in the day light.
How do I clean the MAF without damaging it? I have some choke/TB cleaner that I was told was safe to use on the sensor, but it scares me to try something on an expensive part like that. I

have done the ISR mod so I will check that, it might just end up going to the shop again, I have to work at both my jobs today, so I can't afford to be engine diving all day. Missing all my classes is enough:pat:

 

There is an electronics safe spray that you can pick up at most auto parts stores. Use that to clean the MAF.

I would think that if it was your MAF that you'd see your check engine light come on, every time I've seen someone have problems due to the MAF there's been a CEL involved.

Good luck!

 

If a MAF get's gunked to the point of killing the engine, then you should have a CEL. a bad vacuum line/leak won't trigger a CEL.

you can use throttlebody cleaner on it to see if the MAF is the culprit, but i really don't think it is w/o a CEL

 

Okay guys no laughing, but after 10mins of looking at it with a clear mind(the problem occured after a 16hr work day) and day light on my side I figured it out. A little bit of luck is what saved me as well, one of the pVC caps from the ISR mod fell out and managed to lodge itself between a vaccume line and the fender well, just about to fall out, I saw that, capped the hole back and she fired like a champ. Horay, I R SMRT .

Thanks for everything guys,
-Scott

 

Yeup, that'll do it!

 

glad you figured it out...

 

Glad it wasn't anything serious!

 

Your tell'n me I can't afford these little things that always creep up at the wrong times, guess it's just life.

Maybe this will help someone else out sometime

Thanks again guys,

 

Haha way to go Scotty!! Glad to know it's all better.