I seem to be running low on luck this week. I will start from the top and go into explicit detail.

Issue: Car will not start and idle without holding the gas pedal down slightly. (Car will not idle on its own)

Alright, to start the car was up to temperature, did a full 1st gear pulls no big deal. (The car has stock HP, the mods are 3" buscher exhaust) It is funny for guy that shifts his car normally at 2000 RPMS everyday and barley has any fun the minute I want to, I get myself into a mess. I pulled up to a stop sign and took off, I did not dump the clutch just a normal roll take off. I was a block away from where I was parking and I put the clutch in pulling into the drive way and the car stalled. I kept trying to start it, nothing.. cranked, but would not start. Figured out if I give it some gas it starts but could not idle.

1.) 1st gear pull
2.) car will not idle without some gas
3.) bad fuel economy
4.) EVOscan says -4.2912 for fuel trim which I would guess the o2 sensor is trying to subtract fuel since the timing may have jumped and retarded the timing on the belt.
5.) I smell unburnt fuel
6.) I have a misfire (gargle sort of back fire) at lower rpms
7.) The car has slight hesitation when just normally taking off

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I will have time Friday to start tearing into the car, but I still have no luck this week, the EVO has been treated very well, with service, and oil changes.

Alright, had a little time yesterday to look into the car a little more. Tonight and tomorrow I will be home for break so ill get to investigate more.

1.) I took off the upper timing cover. The belt tension is great, and I lined up the timing marks and they look great. This does not mean much until I can get to the crank and check the mark down there.

2.) I had the Snap-on solace, and I did a few test just because I was curious. Currently I have 1/4 of gas left and I have 120 miles on this tank of gas, that is pretty terrible. The car runs way to rich still, and cannot run at idle without giving it a little gas from the pedal.

3.) I disabled each injectors for 6 seconds at a time idle dropped, so I know all injectors are working, I did a EVAP Seal/Purge test, this passed. My teacher suggested checked the EGR, So i hooked up the vacuum pump to it, and the valve did not hold vacuum.

If the EGR is stuck open it could be pouring at idle and all times exhaust gas into the intake manifold, since vacuum is low, it will try to make up for that and dump more fuel into the engine.

4.) another thought would be a defective fuel pressure regulator. I am trying to look into everything. I am going to do a cold start Compression test tonight, and warm start compression test. I am just trying to look into my options. I do not think my IAC went bad at this time, but I will look into that as well.

I hope I can figure out a little more but the timing belt is a gates belt and was replaced at 89,000 miles, I currently have 120,xxx.

Thanks everyone.
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I took all the spark plugs out and checked them, they look brand new, not hard carbon built up on them, the car actually get the same gas mileage I did forget I didn't fill the tank up all the way one day, which most the time I do fill it up all the way. The previous owner, (he owned it 5 years) said all maintenance was done at around 88,000 miles.

I put all the plugs back in and started doing compression testing.

[Test results/Done cold, engine was not run for 15 hours/WOT/throttle plate open]

Cylinder #1 -148 PSI

Cylinder #2 - 150 PSI

Cylinder #3 - 146 PSI

Cylinder #4 - 149 PSI

All those look pretty good for 119,427 miles on the motor, so that is good to know. I am currently going to look at the top marks, followed by the crank mark to see if they're aligned correctly. After I am done with that I want to test the MAF for spec, and MAP sensor for spec. I do not have any weird noises when I drive, and boost seems to stay where it should.

Hope this helps anyone with my issue, I am still searching.

I will look at the marks soon, as for the EGR, it can be disabled, but I don't have the download to let me get rid of that yet. But even if it is disabled the EGR can be stuck open, so it doesn't matter what the circuit is telling it to do.

I hope something will get figured out tonight, ill look at testing the MAF too.


EGR checked out good, we even took it off, and plugged both ports in the intake manifold with no change in results.Also, I am trying to line up the lower crank pulley notch with the numbers on the lower timing cover, I cannot read those numbers though.. I think there is a 10 degree and a 0 degree? Any help would be great!


Timing belt is all good checked at the crank and the cams.

 

Sounds like a blown off charge pipe to me. Boost Leak Test to confirm

 

I can confirm it is not that, it still builds boost, and holds. No way it can be that, I wouldn't be able to drive the car, and I can.

 

Wait... you said the car wouldn't start, but then you said you can drive it?

This sounds like an AFR issue more than a timing jump. Have you checked your MAF?

 

If you read, I said it will not start and idle *without giving the pressing the gas pedal down some. I basically have to feather the gas to keep it running.. while driving it will not turn off unless I push the clutch in..

 

If you are sure there is no leak then I would take the cover off and check timing marks.

 

Settle down buddy... I'm just trying to help out.

I think the first things to check would be the timing marks based on your thoughts, but I'm still leaning AMM.

Why are you suggesting that it isn't a boost leak again?

 

: ) ha. Well boost holds, if it was a leak at idle it would have to be a gross leak, not just a small disconnected hose, symptoms, are I think vacuum may be a little lower.

 

That is the next step, Friday when it goes home.

 

The hose that goes from the valve cover to the intake fell off at the intake on my DSM and it ran about the way you describe - hard to start.

 

Pull the front upper and lower cover and confirm that all the marks are lined up, I would also use this time to confirm that the tensioner is working correctly and the belt deflection is within spec....

 

Alright, had a little time yesterday to look into the car a little more. Tonight and tomorrow I will be home for break so ill get to investigate more.

1.) I took off the upper timing cover. The belt tension is great, and I lined up the timing marks and they look great. This does not mean much until I can get to the crank and check the mark down there.

2.) I had the Snap-on solace, and I did a few test just because I was curious. Currently I have 1/4 of gas left and I have 120 miles on this tank of gas, that is pretty terrible. The car runs way to rich still, and cannot run at idle without giving it a little gas from the pedal.

3.) I disabled each injectors for 6 seconds at a time idle dropped, so I know all injectors are working, I did a EVAP Seal/Purge test, this passed. My teacher suggested checked the EGR, So i hooked up the vacuum pump to it, and the valve did not hold vacuum.

If the EGR is stuck open it could be pouring at idle and all times exhaust gas into the intake manifold, since vacuum is low, it will try to make up for that and dump more fuel into the engine.

4.) another thought would be a defective fuel pressure regulator. I am trying to look into everything. I am going to do a cold start Compression test tonight, and warm start compression test. I am just trying to look into my options. I do not think my IAC went bad at this time, but I will look into that as well.

I hope I can figure out a little more but the timing belt is a gates belt and was replaced at 89,000 miles, I currently have 120,xxx.

Thanks everyone.

 

Install a new egr and retest. Fix known problems first. Compression test and leakdown are easy test to knock out. Timing wise, there is a mark on the crank pully and timing cover you can see without taking anything off.

If you still have the problem after the egr, check for a clogged up cat aand worn spark plugs. With the amount of miles you mentioned, you need to look at maintance items as well.

 

Can you disable the egr at the ecu to see if that's the problem?

 

This.

Do this first.

Then I would check the FPR via pressure gauge.

Also, have you checked to see that the MAF is functioning properly?