EL I6 auto hunting/stalling at idle & Good Ford mechanic in S/E suburbs of Sydney? - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

3Toed · 10-22-2003, 06:53

OK, here's my dilemma. Recently my car has started hunting at idle (and blowing lots of black smoke from the exhaust) and the pinnacle was that it would stall when slowing down to a stop, or after coming to a stop. The symptoms are pretty much the same as PHoeNiX_EB is having in this thread:
New battery, now car runnin like crap!
...except mine's an EL auto 6 cylinder.

Here's the history:

A few months ago the car was missing badly above 2000 RPM so I took it to my mechanic and he replaced my spark plugs, ingition leads, dizzy cap and rotor button. He also sent my injectors off to be cleaned. I then went overseas for work for a week and a half and when I got back the car wouldn't start. Got the NRMA out and they replaced the battery. After that the car started and ran fine. Until...

We went to do the shopping that same day (literally after the battery swap) and on the way back the car just stalled. Not idling, not hunting, just normal driving. I pulled over and restarted the car and it ran fine.

Then about a month or so ago it started hunting at idle but it wasn't that bad. It would only do it occasionally - so not everytime it idled.

Then the week before last it started dropping revs as I slowed down and once I came to a stop it would hunt between about 300 and 1000 RPM. Then last week on the way home from work it got real bad and stalled as I was reversing into my spot at home.

I dropped it off at my mechanic the next morning (last Tuesday) and he could not work out what it is so he sent it to his auto electrician. The electrician eventually decided a replacement ECU was the go so they replaced it at a cost of $670. I was without the car for 3 days then and on Friday it drove fine. Saturday it drove fine but occaisionally had a slightly rough idle. No big deal. Sunday morning slightly rougher idle but drove OK. Sunday arvo the hunting came back and it stalled as I got home. Not happy Jan.

Monday took it back to my mechanic and haven't seen it since. Neither the mechanic nor the electrician know what the problem is. So, it's almost Thursday now and it'll be the 4th day this week I've been without my car. Seven days if you include last week.

It's getting beyond a joke and I am hitching rides with workmates to work and I know they are getting irritated by it as I am out of their way. Not to mention taxi fares when I can't get a lift.

So, does anyone know of a mechanic or anyone who can fix this and who works in the Eastern suburbs of Sydney, preferably in the Botany/Pagewood area?

I'm going to give them until Friday arvo this week and after that time I want the car back, fixed or not. I'm also going to ask for a refund on the $670 ECU that did squat after the first day of use.

Any advice? Please bear in mind that I know nothing about engines so asking me to check this or that won't really help me.

But I can pass on suggetions to the mechanic.

Cheers,

Andrew

PS: Apologies for such a long post!

Cancerman · 10-22-2003, 07:37

I had a problem kinda like that a while back and it turned out to be the MAP sensor. Did they get that checked?

Unfortunately, the shop manual says the output is a frequency signal and I'm not too sure how to test it.

TopGhia · 10-22-2003, 11:10

If anyone suggests replacing the ECU as a fix for a problem - run away. The ECU is one of the most reliable components on the car.

With the car running as bad as this, it should also be setting a fault code or two - did the mechanic find any codes? Did he look?.

I really hate this "replace components till it's fixed" mentality, you need a good mechanic that can diagnose a fault, not replace components till the fault goes away.

3Toed · 10-29-2003, 03:20

I deliberately didn't reply sooner so as not to jinx my car after getting it back!

Got it back the same arvo I posted this thread (Coincidence eh? I post about not having my car and then it comes back that day!). It's run fine ever since and I haven't had any problems.

The explanation I was given was the ECU had played up and was replaced. It ran fine for a couple of days (see first post) then failed again. After trying 2 more ECU's it fouled the oxygen sensor so they replaced that and the ECU again and it now runs fine. Apparently the oxygen sensor was fine before when they first checked it. It sounds fishy (I'm guessing it was the oxygen sensor all along - maybe not completely bad but tripping up the ECU to make it look like the ECU's fault) to me but what can I do? I know nothing about these things so have to take their word. They've been great with my other hassles so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

After getting it back I think the car has been running rich for ages because the exhaust would stink when i first started the car and until it warmed up. Now it doesn't stink anymore. It also goes a bit better now than it did before my problems started.

TopGhia, other people have said the ECU is one of the last things to fail as well. Oh well...

Thanks for the replies, guys.

Blurter · 10-29-2003, 13:17

Great news 3Toed, if not an expensive fix. Sounds like a good excuse for a 3FB run. Can you hang out until the 24 hour or are you going up with JR?

3Toed · 10-29-2003, 14:59

Yeah, it's great to have the car back!

I'd love a cruise. Not sure about my brakes though...

I'm getting them checked and hopefully sorted next Thursday (gotta do it before the Wakefield day on the 15th) but a normal cruise sounds like a plan.

By "going up with JR" do you mean ride shotgun in his car? The plan is for him and I drive up in our own cars on the Friday morning and secure the campsites (presumably with DK and whoever else will turn up early).

honer · 10-29-2003, 22:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by TopGhia

If anyone suggests replacing the ECU as a fix for a problem - run away. The ECU is one of the most reliable components on the car.

With the car running as bad as this, it should also be setting a fault code or two - did the mechanic find any codes? Did he look?.

I really hate this "replace components till it's fixed" mentality, you need a good mechanic that can diagnose a fault, not replace components till the fault goes away.

I totally agree here.

They probably didn't even check to see if the ECU was throwing codes.