Getting pretty frustrated here

hexapus · 04-13-2009, 07:24 AM

Ok, I've literally waited years for the chance to own another MR2, and now that I have it, it's been nothing but problems. After my blown head gasket the first day I owned it, 3 weeks+ in the garage sorting that out, and pulling the valve covers off again to troubleshoot a rather large oil leak, I am still left with some mysterious smoking, and a car that dies at idle and leaves me stranded in the most inconvenient places (as if there are very many convenient places to get stranded).

Just to cover the bases, I've replaced plugs, dist cap and rotor, ignition coil, air filter, and a good deal of vacuum hose. The only thing that had changed when this problem started was that new HG, but heaven knows what 22yr old part was knocked loose or cracked or otherwise disturbed during that process.

The car starts (but I do have to give it a little gas), and once it's warmed up, idles ok from what I can tell...get it out on the freeway, or run around town for a bit, and it starts dying on me randomly at stop signs or if I push the clutch in to coast on the freeway. Sometimes it'll drop down from 3-4K and "catch", and it'll be ok...other times I can save it by tapping the gas a bit. And much less frequently, when it is idling OK, it'll slowly creep it's way down to 0 and die on me.

Here's the real mystery (and what has me pulling my hair out): If I drive to work, for instance, a good 30mi away, it'll get me there, but getting off the freeway, it'll die on the offramp...then it won't start again! Tonight I was stranded for a good 20min, a block from work, middle of the night, until a nice police officer came along and push-started me with his cruiser...because it'll start if I let out the clutch while rolling fast enough, but it won't start normally when it's all warmed up

Usually takes a good 30 min to "cool down" (if that's what's really going on) before it'll start back up (without issue, mind you). This is more than a little frustrating, because this is my DD...and my only alternative is leaving the wife without a car. I've swapped out the coil and put some new plugs in it, and while this solved the issue of the car missing, and makes it idle more smoothly (when it doesn't die)...so it's improved, but now I'm out of ideas. I've been throughout most of the engine bay, replacing vacuum hoses, but maybe I missed one buried somewhere? I'm really lost here, guys! Help!

328FTW · 04-13-2009, 08:14 AM

Is it an AFM engine? If it is check the afm is plugged in all the way, that has caught me out on my 4agze. Also check the afm if you have an afm not a map engine, I'm sure there is a thread here somewhere about it, it is in the BGB.

ebouwman · 04-13-2009, 12:25 PM

Sounds like you need to set your idle a little higher.

What does it idle at? When you start, and once warm?

Also i would replace the fuel filter, in high school i drove an integra and if i stalled it once the engine was warm then it wouldn't want to start, really embarrassing, especially when it was my fault for the stall

Did you fix the oil leak from the valve covers? One trick you have to remember to do is to put that silicone stuff around where the cams exit, as in that really sharp bend, otherwise the valve cover gasket won't seal.

hexapus · 04-13-2009, 08:06 PM

I've fixed *most* of the oil leak...did RTV the cam covers, which fixed the oil torrent I was experiencing!...still getting some smoke when revving...and noticing blue smoke when I take off, which is also awesome, since I wasn't burning oil before this damn HG change :-(

Normally, it idles at around 1200 when warm (2000 when cold), because I did set it higher to help keep it from dying...but I should be shooting for 800, no? If I set down to idle at 800, it will die all the time :-/ I will check out the fuel filter...how hard is that to get to/change? 328FTW, now two people have suggested the AFM, so I think that'll be my next place to look.

I found I can keep it alive by kicking on the A/C (though it's not hooked up), which give me (bouncy) idle around 1500...I'm assuming the bounce is because it's idling up the engine, but there's no compressor hooked up or putting more load on it. In any case, that'll get me to work and back...for now. But I still can't pass smog and finish registering my car :-/

ebouwman · 04-14-2009, 12:03 PM

Did you do the valve stem seals when you did the head gasket? Or was it just a gasket swap and nothing else?

Jackstand Queen · 04-16-2009, 01:09 PM

Don't shoot for an 800 RPM idle. That metric was for a car just off the showroom floor, not burning the stuff that passes for gasoline today. Shoot for around 1000 RPM after you try the fix outlined next.

Offhand, I'd say you need to remove your Throttle body, and clean it's insides out with carb cleaner. Maybe a couple of cans. Do this outdoors with the fumes going downwind of you. Every tube and channel should be blown out as best you can.

You will break coolant system integrity doing this. Be sure to follow the weird, unique steps in coolant filling to prevent another blown head gasket. There should be a stickie it somewhere in this website.

ebouwman · 04-16-2009, 02:20 PM

I don't know jackstand, my car'll idle nice at 800, but i have brand new spark plugs and wires, and run the 91 octane gas... and cleaned my egr...

Maybe you need to clean your egr valve? Same idea as cleaning the throttle body, i was having issues with mine and cleaned it now idles better. Just bust it off and start spraying brake cleaner (or carb or tb cleaner or W.H.Y.) and move the valve open and closed by hand while doing it. It's really easy to do as well!

The egr is supposed to close at idle i believe, maybe yours is sticking open as you come down from [relatively] higher rpm.

04-13-2009, 07:24 AM	#1 (permalink)
hexapus No Skills Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 45 Thanks: 5 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Getting pretty frustrated here Ok, I've literally waited years for the chance to own another MR2, and now that I have it, it's been nothing but problems. After my blown head gasket the first day I owned it, 3 weeks+ in the garage sorting that out, and pulling the valve covers off again to troubleshoot a rather large oil leak, I am still left with some mysterious smoking, and a car that dies at idle and leaves me stranded in the most inconvenient places (as if there are very many convenient places to get stranded). Just to cover the bases, I've replaced plugs, dist cap and rotor, ignition coil, air filter, and a good deal of vacuum hose. The only thing that had changed when this problem started was that new HG, but heaven knows what 22yr old part was knocked loose or cracked or otherwise disturbed during that process. The car starts (but I do have to give it a little gas), and once it's warmed up, idles ok from what I can tell...get it out on the freeway, or run around town for a bit, and it starts dying on me randomly at stop signs or if I push the clutch in to coast on the freeway. Sometimes it'll drop down from 3-4K and "catch", and it'll be ok...other times I can save it by tapping the gas a bit. And much less frequently, when it is idling OK, it'll slowly creep it's way down to 0 and die on me. Here's the real mystery (and what has me pulling my hair out): If I drive to work, for instance, a good 30mi away, it'll get me there, but getting off the freeway, it'll die on the offramp...then it won't start again! Tonight I was stranded for a good 20min, a block from work, middle of the night, until a nice police officer came along and push-started me with his cruiser...because it'll start if I let out the clutch while rolling fast enough, but it won't start normally when it's all warmed up Usually takes a good 30 min to "cool down" (if that's what's really going on) before it'll start back up (without issue, mind you). This is more than a little frustrating, because this is my DD...and my only alternative is leaving the wife without a car. I've swapped out the coil and put some new plugs in it, and while this solved the issue of the car missing, and makes it idle more smoothly (when it doesn't die)...so it's improved, but now I'm out of ideas. I've been throughout most of the engine bay, replacing vacuum hoses, but maybe I missed one buried somewhere? I'm really lost here, guys! Help!

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04-13-2009, 08:14 AM	#2 (permalink)
328FTW Crazy Nasty Honey Badger Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: New Zealand Posts: 5,236 Thanks: 24 Thanked 266 Times in 239 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	Is it an AFM engine? If it is check the afm is plugged in all the way, that has caught me out on my 4agze. Also check the afm if you have an afm not a map engine, I'm sure there is a thread here somewhere about it, it is in the BGB.

04-13-2009, 12:25 PM	#3 (permalink)
ebouwman Curve Hugger Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: BC Posts: 1,600 Thanks: 19 Thanked 51 Times in 51 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Sounds like you need to set your idle a little higher. What does it idle at? When you start, and once warm? Also i would replace the fuel filter, in high school i drove an integra and if i stalled it once the engine was warm then it wouldn't want to start, really embarrassing, especially when it was my fault for the stall Did you fix the oil leak from the valve covers? One trick you have to remember to do is to put that silicone stuff around where the cams exit, as in that really sharp bend, otherwise the valve cover gasket won't seal.

04-13-2009, 08:06 PM	#4 (permalink)
hexapus No Skills Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 45 Thanks: 5 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	I've fixed most of the oil leak...did RTV the cam covers, which fixed the oil torrent I was experiencing!...still getting some smoke when revving...and noticing blue smoke when I take off, which is also awesome, since I wasn't burning oil before this damn HG change :-( Normally, it idles at around 1200 when warm (2000 when cold), because I did set it higher to help keep it from dying...but I should be shooting for 800, no? If I set down to idle at 800, it will die all the time :-/ I will check out the fuel filter...how hard is that to get to/change? 328FTW, now two people have suggested the AFM, so I think that'll be my next place to look. I found I can keep it alive by kicking on the A/C (though it's not hooked up), which give me (bouncy) idle around 1500...I'm assuming the bounce is because it's idling up the engine, but there's no compressor hooked up or putting more load on it. In any case, that'll get me to work and back...for now. But I still can't pass smog and finish registering my car :-/

04-14-2009, 12:03 PM	#5 (permalink)
ebouwman Curve Hugger Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: BC Posts: 1,600 Thanks: 19 Thanked 51 Times in 51 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Did you do the valve stem seals when you did the head gasket? Or was it just a gasket swap and nothing else?

04-16-2009, 01:09 PM	#6 (permalink)
Jackstand Queen Cage Fighter Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 840 Thanks: 75 Thanked 64 Times in 60 Posts iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	Don't shoot for an 800 RPM idle. That metric was for a car just off the showroom floor, not burning the stuff that passes for gasoline today. Shoot for around 1000 RPM after you try the fix outlined next. Offhand, I'd say you need to remove your Throttle body, and clean it's insides out with carb cleaner. Maybe a couple of cans. Do this outdoors with the fumes going downwind of you. Every tube and channel should be blown out as best you can. You will break coolant system integrity doing this. Be sure to follow the weird, unique steps in coolant filling to prevent another blown head gasket. There should be a stickie it somewhere in this website.

04-16-2009, 02:20 PM	#7 (permalink)
ebouwman Curve Hugger Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: BC Posts: 1,600 Thanks: 19 Thanked 51 Times in 51 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	I don't know jackstand, my car'll idle nice at 800, but i have brand new spark plugs and wires, and run the 91 octane gas... and cleaned my egr... Maybe you need to clean your egr valve? Same idea as cleaning the throttle body, i was having issues with mine and cleaned it now idles better. Just bust it off and start spraying brake cleaner (or carb or tb cleaner or W.H.Y.) and move the valve open and closed by hand while doing it. It's really easy to do as well! The egr is supposed to close at idle i believe, maybe yours is sticking open as you come down from [relatively] higher rpm.