ea82 spfi high idle and sputter

[aeox]

when I bought the car a few weeks ago it would start okay but idle very low. was still drivable though. one night I was driving and the crank pulley came loose and the engine overheated slightly. after getting it all back together it ran the same as before, but then a few days later it began idling high and fluctuating. when I give it just a little throttle it sputters and stalls. the idle is high enough that I can actually release the clutch and take off. it still sputters though, and not safe to drive anymore. 

I'm going to check vacuum lines on my next days off. (just have to locate them all) I'm a newbie when it comes to engines but I'm here to learn. 

 

I also ordered a new coolant temp sensor, as I've seen a lot of other people on the forum have the same issue resolved by changing the part. next would be connection contacts? 

at any rate.. it's going to take some time to diagnose the problem since I have no knowledge. 

 

any help I can get is appreciated. is there any info I can share which would help diagnosis? 

thanks in advance. 

 

[Dee2]

Check for any codes first.  Then check basics:

-good spark ?  all plugs clean and sharp ? plug wires good ?

-distributor in good condition ?

-good fuel pressure?

-good condition of filters air/fuel ?

-check engine with vacuum gauge, I use point on engine where brake booster line connects

-good compression ?

If no codes and no problem with basics then start checking sensors.

 

 

Edited August 29, 2021 by Dee2

[aeox]

12 hours ago, Dee2 said:

Check for any codes first.  Then check basics:

-good spark ?  all plugs clean and sharp ? plug wires good ?

-distributor in good condition ?

-good fuel pressure?

-good condition of filters air/fuel ?

-check engine with vacuum gauge, I use point on engine where brake booster line connects

-good compression ?

If no codes and no problem with basics then start checking sensors.

 

 

Thanks for the reply. I don't have an obd1 scan tool, but is there a way to check codes without one? 

[Dee2]

2 hours ago, aeox said:

Thanks for the reply. I don't have an obd1 scan tool, but is there a way to check codes without one? 

 

[Ionstorm66]

It may of skipped a tooth on the timing belt. You can pull the timing covers and just check both cams if the marks still line up.

 

Try unplugging the CTS, it's the two wire coolant sensor.

[aeox]

4 hours ago, Dee2 said:

 

Thank you!

[aeox]

1 hour ago, Ionstorm66 said:

It may of skipped a tooth on the timing belt. You can pull the timing covers and just check both cams if the marks still line up.

 

Try unplugging the CTS, it's the two wire coolant sensor.

I will take it apart and check. 

 

Had the CTS unplugged for a while at operating temp and I experienced no difference. Appreciate that tip though!

[el_freddo]

Also if the timing was adjusted it may have thrown things out of whack - there’s a set of plugs under the dashboard, above the driver’s feet that need to be connected when timing the dizzy. This stops the ECU from advancing the timing as you set it. And from what I know of the EA82 EFI systems it needs to be 20*btdc. 

Given that you overheated the EA82 it could have popped the HGs, or they were already on their way out. What compression do you have on each cylinder?

Cheers 

Bennie

[ferp420]

is it shifting in to 4wd

i dont know what model you have but the pushbutton 4wd system has a vacume line the likes to pop off usualy on the pasenger side between the strut tower and the fire wall

[aeox]

Firstly, I appreciate all the responses.

It's shifting into 4wd.

On my list:

Check timing

HGs

Compression

 

Since I had already ordered the CTS part, I put that in there and that seemed to have fixed my issues. It's running like it was before and it's driveable again.

It was really strange symptoms and it happened randomly one day and never stopped. Could the overheating have caused the very old CTS to fail somehow?

 

Since it was doing the same thing with the old CTS just unplugged, I figured maybe I wasted money but there was seriously a lot of threads on here with people having failed sensors. Their symptoms sounded exactly like mine. I'm happy at least it will drive now.

 Another problem:

When I bought it, it had a very low idle. You can hear a weird faint popping sound from the tailpipe every few seconds. The car shakes but it doesn't bother me. The tailpipe sound and shake go away with a little more RPM. It's back to it's current state with a low idle, but it doesn't stall or sputter.

Adjusting the idle speed screw seems to have no affect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ionstorm66]

2 hours ago, aeox said:

Firstly, I appreciate all the responses.

It's shifting into 4wd.

On my list:

Check timing

HGs

Compression

 

Since I had already ordered the CTS part, I put that in there and that seemed to have fixed my issues. It's running like it was before and it's driveable again.

It was really strange symptoms and it happened randomly one day and never stopped. Could the overheating have caused the very old CTS to fail somehow?

 

Since it was doing the same thing with the old CTS just unplugged, I figured maybe I wasted money but there was seriously a lot of threads on here with people having failed sensors. Their symptoms sounded exactly like mine. I'm happy at least it will drive now.

 Another problem:

When I bought it, it had a very low idle. You can hear a weird faint popping sound from the tailpipe every few seconds. The car shakes but it doesn't bother me. The tailpipe sound and shake go away with a little more RPM. It's back to it's current state with a low idle, but it doesn't stall or sputter.

Adjusting the idle speed screw seems to have no affect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dose the RPM perk up with the AC on? Sounds like a vacuum leak. Also that is odd, I just went and tested, my SPFI Loyale idles fine without the CTS.

Edited September 2, 2021 by Ionstorm66

[el_freddo]

Don’t adjust your idle screw! You’ll need to adjust your TPS to be back in spec - you’ll need a manual to tell you these details as it’s been ages since I adjusted one myself. 

Glad to hear it was the CTS, the over heat event could kill an old one easily I reckon. 

Cheers 

Bennie

[Ionstorm66]

9 hours ago, el_freddo said:

Don’t adjust your idle screw! You’ll need to adjust your TPS to be back in spec - you’ll need a manual to tell you these details as it’s been ages since I adjusted one myself. 

Glad to hear it was the CTS, the over heat event could kill an old one easily I reckon. 

Cheers 

Bennie

Yep you only adjust the idle screw with the engine warmed up and the IAC unhooked.

[Step-a-toe]

On 9/2/2021 at 9:10 AM, aeox said:

Firstly, I appreciate all the responses.

It's shifting into 4wd.

On my list:

Check timing

HGs

Compression

 

Since I had already ordered the CTS part, I put that in there and that seemed to have fixed my issues. It's running like it was before and it's driveable again.

It was really strange symptoms and it happened randomly one day and never stopped. Could the overheating have caused the very old CTS to fail somehow?

 

Since it was doing the same thing with the old CTS just unplugged, I figured maybe I wasted money but there was seriously a lot of threads on here with people having failed sensors. Their symptoms sounded exactly like mine. I'm happy at least it will drive now.

 Another problem:

When I bought it, it had a very low idle. You can hear a weird faint popping sound from the tailpipe every few seconds. The car shakes but it doesn't bother me. The tailpipe sound and shake go away with a little more RPM. It's back to it's current state with a low idle, but it doesn't stall or sputter.

Adjusting the idle speed screw seems to have no affect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My thoughts on seeing no change, no improvement on running with CTS disconnected said to me this could be suspect. Funny how we all see things differently. Good move in ordering new, reasonably priced part before diving in elsewhere - causing more issues

[DaveT]

I figure a +/- 30 year old CTS doesn't owe anyone much....  It's an electronic sensor that gets a thermal cycle every time you run the car.  The one I had fail since 1988 made for random crummy running & drive ability.  It wasn't out of the range limits so I had no ECU code.

[aeox]

On 9/3/2021 at 7:25 PM, Step-a-toe said:

My thoughts on seeing no change, no improvement on running with CTS disconnected said to me this could be suspect. Funny how we all see things differently. Good move in ordering new, reasonably priced part before diving in elsewhere - causing more issues

Yea it's strange. I'm thinking that maybe the sensor reading is integral to how fuel or fuel/air is mixed in the system. With no reading at all, it just keeps cycling this horrible ratio as if it's dead cold or something. Once I replaced that sensor, every thing has been solid.

[aeox]

On 9/1/2021 at 6:36 PM, Ionstorm66 said:

Dose the RPM perk up with the AC on? Sounds like a vacuum leak. Also that is odd, I just went and tested, my SPFI Loyale idles fine without the CTS.

I'm pretty sure the AC/Heat does not work

Edited September 17, 2021 by aeox

[aeox]

On 9/1/2021 at 11:41 PM, el_freddo said:

Don’t adjust your idle screw! You’ll need to adjust your TPS to be back in spec - you’ll need a manual to tell you these details as it’s been ages since I adjusted one myself. 

Glad to hear it was the CTS, the over heat event could kill an old one easily I reckon. 

Cheers 

Bennie

I adjusted it and turned it back to where it was. Everything seems okay. I'm still needing to check for vacuum leaks. Could be any where with all these bone dry hoses!