Weird Hesitation

[Ryan]

I've been having some problems recently with my CSVT.
It has the 3.0L swap done by Chris and all, just so you know.

What happens is that when I'm lower RPM's (3k or so) and I try to accelerate. It will hesitate and buck, and the CEL will flash. After it starts bucking and such, I just back off. This happens in any gear, though it's not always consistent. Sometimes, if I start out in a low enough gear, I can go through several gears decently close to redline. Though always if I down shift and gun it, it seems to do this bucking thing, regardless of the RPM's.

The only codes the chip is giving me says my cat is bad, and I've checked it quite a few times at Checker and Auto Zone.

I don't know if it necessarily means that my cat is bad, though I don't know what else to check, or where to start.

If it is the cat, can they just be removed and straight-piped? What about the sensor that's in between the two? What is it, and does it matter if it's removed or where it's placed?

I greatly appreciate any input anyone has. Thanks.
-Ryan

[Blackcoog]

Your cat may be clogged causing some major issues with back pressure when you are driving. I would replace the cat ASAP if that is the case. What codes did you get?

Chris

[Ryan]

Off the top of my head, I don't remember the exact number. I can look it up when I get home. All I know is that every time they'd do the scan, it would give the number and then say "CATALYTIC CONVERTER" without any further info. The CEL came on in August or so, but up until now, it's not been a problem, so that's why I'm questioning it.


If I pull the cats off and just straight pipe that part, will that screw anything up, like that sensor between the two cats? Will it make the car much louder?

[Redlineracer12]

If I pull the cats off and just straight pipe that part, will that screw anything up, like that sensor between the two cats? Will it make the car much louder?
Well you can only "pull" one cat off.... the other two are built into your exhaust manifolds unless you have headers that is. If you are still running the exhaust manifolds i would almost bet thats what you're having trouble with. Assuming it is catalytic converter related those "precats" in the manifolds are known to go bad, many were replaced under warranties. You could either hollow them out or get headers without really increasing volume too much. If it was your main cat you could also replace that with a straight pipe though it wouldn't be completely legal ;) Unless you have headers i'd try the precats first.

[Redlineracer12]

On a side note, one thing people report to notice during cat failure is a really strong sulfur like smell from the exhaust. It should almost smell like rotten eggs. Have anything like that?

[No1Ford]

If the cats where bad, you would notices a lack of power from the engine.
( It would be slower)

[HELLFYR]

Sounds like a bad o2 sensor to me

[Blackcoog]

A bad O2 normally gives CEL's for slow switching and then goes completely dead. It normally isn't an O2 issue. If it were an upper one I would say repace the O2 first but the lower ones don't blow very often. The lower O2's monitor the Cats and you would not notice any lose of power if the lower O2 went out and the cat was intact. I had a precat clog up on a Cougar and the exhaust manifold started glowing red after driving it.

I say pick up a set of headers from MSDS and replace the stock exhaust manifolds. They come with the MIL eliminators to fool your lower O2's into thinking the cats are still there in the manifolds. As long as you have a good main cat it would even meet emissions when warmed up (not that it matters here in MN). Besides fixing your problem you will notice a huge improvment. They free up a good amount of hp. :)

[blackstang5.4]

hmm, during the winter time my car in the morning smells like rotten eggs. Havent noticed any performance problems but have noticed the smell when the car is cold after sitting all night. Sometimes its very noticeable and sometimes its not.

[Ryan]

Rotten eggs is a sign that you've probably got a leak in your coolant system somewhere, usually something's up with your heater core. As long as you get warm air, and the smell doesn't last, that's nothing to worry about.

As far as my car goes, my exhaust doesn't smell like sulfur. Neither warm nor cold. I tried it when it first started up and it smelled like normal exhaust, and it was the same after I drove it to work. So I'm confused.

I'm even more confused because yesterday, on my way to work, at a stop light the car was doing the hesitating thing, and I really needed to get in front of someone. That was after driving it for maybe 10 minutes tops. On the way back, after driving it for more than 20 minutes, stopped at the same stop light, I gunned it to see if anything would happen, and it ran just fine through all the RPM's to 70 MPH in 3rd. I let off there, because normally by then it would have been bucking and so forth, and I hit the speed limit.

I would imagine that it would be more hesitant the warmer the exhaust got. Both times when I tried the engine was warmed up and at normal temperature.

This weekend, when I get a chance, I'm going to run the CEL codes again and write them down.

I'm still not convinced that it's the cats though, but if it's an excuse to get headers... :devil:

If the pre-cats are removed, does that add more wear to the main cat? Will that cause the main cat to go out sooner, due to having more un-catalyzed exhaust gases coming at, making it warmer and causing it to do more?

[ClOckwOrk]

LOL guys a FLASHING cel is a misfire. check your plug wires, make sure they are not burned, make sure they are connected, and there is no water. after all that, check the wiring harness from teh ecu to the coil packs. after all this is checked, make sure you put dialectic grease in the boots etc so it makes a good connection. also check your fuel pressure test port make sure your getting fuel pressure.

[HELLFYR]

LOL guys a FLASHING cel is a misfire. check your plug wires, make sure they are not burned, make sure they are connected, and there is no water. after all that, check the wiring harness from teh ecu to the coil packs. after all this is checked, make sure you put dialectic grease in the boots etc so it makes a good connection. also check your fuel pressure test port make sure your getting fuel pressure.


Didn't know that. -(Storing in mind for future access)-

[OrangeFox]

Yes, a flashing cel light usually indicates a misfire. If you have let it go long enough running with the misfire you will take out your cats because of the excessive fuel. I would start with a tune up and go from there.

[ClOckwOrk]

it really sounds like dried/cracked plug wires to me. lots of CSVT's get mistreated like this@!

[Ryan]

Thanks guys, I'll start with the wires and let you know.

[Ryan]

Ok, just replaced the wires at Joe's place. We pulled the intake off last night, and in about a half hour we had the whole thing back together. Unfortunately, we didn't know there was this stupid metal tube in the back that we disconnected. We spent most last night and a good portion of today trying to find the leak. Thankfully we got it eventually. While we did that, we disconnected the battery and cleared the codes.

After extensive testing when we got it back together and working properly (read: beat the ever loving p1ss outta it) the CEL never came back on, and it runs perfectly. Actually, since I put some Ford racing wires in there, I think it runs even better.

Thanks for the advice on it, guys.

[Video_Master]

Metal tube must have been the EGR?

[KyleQ]

I'm thinking vaccume, there is a large lead back there that came off mine and the car wouldn't idle for ****...
________
Buy silver surfer (http://vaporizerinfo.com)

[Ryan]

No idea what it was. The car ran fine, but sounded funny. More throaty, yet nothing was really coming out of it because we couldn't smell any exhaust, and when we sprayed the area with carb cleaner, it didn't do a thing. All I know is that it came from the side of the head and went into the intake. When we pulled the thing off, it didn't really do anything. Whatever though. Now both of us know next time we have to change the wires on the car.

[VNMUS]

I'm glad everything worked out in the end for you. :)

[Blackcoog]

The only metal tube that goes to the intake is the tube that bolts to the EGR. It should have a heat sheild cover over it (fabric) to keep things from melting as it is coming from the exhaust manifold. If that isn't hooked up you will have a very loud exhaust leak. I'm guessing that isn't the issue because you would probably notice that noise. Snap a picture if you have questions still and I'll point out anything that is hooked up incorrectly.

As far as the vacuum ports on the bottom and side here is what should be hooked up:
There should be a plug in the main port on the bottom that isn't used on the Contours (I changed the connections around on the newer ones I sold but yours didn't use that port), the other port on the bottom should go to the PCV valve, one of the side ports goes to the brack booster tube, and the last port goes to the vacuum line coming from the mess of vacuum tubes bundled up with the manifold pressure sensor.

If you did have a vacuum leak the car would pop a check engine light right away so you must have gotten it all back together correctly. The intakes on these cars do make quite a bit of noise. The idle air control sensor can also stick some times causing a moosing sound. That is a fairly common issue but it shouldn't cause any drivability problems.

[KyleQ]

Hehe, that makes me feel better. When I got my car back together it ran like crap and sounded worse. After the computer figured out what was going on and re-adjusted everything its back to running great, but that was a bit scarey when the car wouldn't even idle...
________
List Of Best Vaporizers (http://vaporizerinfo.com)

[Blackcoog]

You need to give it some gas to keep it going after a reset so the car can relearn the idle. It picks it up in a minute or two so it isn't a huge deal. Along with the extra hp a tune would stop that from ever being an issue.

[KyleQ]

I know, thats what I did, lol, it reminded me of warming up a 2 stroke :P I can't wait for the tune. Next week I'll be ordering front sway links, intake, and other misc things from BAT to make my car more happy. I'm really thinking of doing somthing with motor mounts also, I get a little surging in 1st - 3rd. I'm thinking it could have somthing to do with the car running rich, but I think there is too much motor slack up there...
________
SUZUKI BURGMAN (http://www.suzuki-tech.com/wiki/Suzuki_Burgman)