My car has not run right since I changed the termostat. I can't figure out what happened. There is a gas smell in the oil now and it over loading on gas and wont run. I can't believe changing the thermostat blew the car up.
You're right.. it probably didnt.
But I always noted that anytime you fix something under the hood, there is a ten percent chance somethnng else will immediately go wrong.... even if you're sure you didnt touch it. Sounds like engine is flooding, barely running. Raw gas WILL get in oil.
Black smoke out exhause too? FuelPressRegulator leaking? Maybe Stuck injectors?
And WHY did you change the thermostat in the first place..overheat?
It was only running about 195 but with this old of a car I like to keep it running at about 180
Heh!
Take that back...MAYBE you did cause that.
If the problem seems to be cumulative, meaning it didnt show at first, - AND it starts well enough when cold- your engine is maybe not getting up to heat enough, assuming this is the 1st gen EFI system. Combination of engine coolant temp sensor marginal. MAYBE Your ECU never goes into closed loop and always runs rich... the EGO sensor never looked at because it's always warming up. Just a wild guess, like I say and would require some other marginal components, too.
BUT! There is NO reason to lower the engine temp!
Causes increased oil sludging, and MAYBE what you see there.
anyway back to autozone and see if they know what I'm asking for now see ya'll later
my husband is suggesting that I change the whole car over to a carb but I can't even think of all the work that is in changing the intake and throttle body right now since I don't have ant other wheels.
Don't think a 180 deg thermostat will let the computer go 'closed loop'. I'd put back a new 192 (or 195?) thermostat asap... if you lucky, you won't have to do a catalytic converter as well.
Good Luck!
Erik
We once changed wiper blades for a lady. When she got home she called and asked what we did to her car that the RR window would not go up? She insisted it was our fault since we had the car in the shop. We fixed the window at not cost. I don't know how many times we gave away free batteries to customers who complained that it went bad right after we worked on their car even though the work was not related to the battery. Is is all a cost of doing business in the modern, it's not my fault world, I guess. LOL
mike hunt
Backyard Mechanic wrote:
I planned on changing the thermostat back and changin the car over to a carb if it can be done easily.
That is a terrible idea with an efi car. The car never gets up to temperature, never goes into closed loop mode, and the computer keep injecting too much gas becasue it thinks the car is cold. Change the thermostat back to what it is supposed to be. A 180 degree thermostat wasn't a good idea with later carbed cars either. Why do you think it is a good thing?
Ed
Converting it to a carb will open a Pandora's box the likes you can't imagine. Not only that, if you live in a state like California, getting it smog checked in the future will require multiple acts of Congress...
Put in the right thermostat, and enjoy...
Erik
I disagree, once you start giving things away there is no end in sight. I'll bend over backwards to help a customer with a legitimate complaint, but anyone who complains to me that a window quit working because I changed the wiper blades will get nowhere real fast. I could care less if such a person ever comes back and in fact would prefer not to have to deal with them again. Life is too short to waste much of it trying to satisfy the .1% of the public which can best be described as either total idiots or scam artists looking for something for nothing. Bob
The same reason she thinks a putting a carb on is better than repairing the EFI system. Lack of knowledge about fuel injection. IIRC that particular system had problems with the IAT sensor getting full of gunk and causing rich running. If I were her Id put the right stat back in and clean the air temp sensor. A better option would be to find a mechanic familiar with older fords and just let him diagnose and repair it. Bob
Yep, the old " you filled up my radiator, now my radio doesn't work. What did you do to my car" syndrome. Last summer I had a lady friend drop off her ~96 Escort for a brake job. She had bought all the parts. I pulled the wheels and found that all of the parts were wrong. I put the wheels back on and went to move the car out of the way. It barely started and ran on ~2 cylinders! I was standing in the diveway when she pulled up, the car was running fine then. I had no explanation. It turns out the motor dropped a valve seat on #1 cyl and sent chunks into the intake that got into the valves in #3. To this day, she thinks I did something to her engine. All I did was turn the key. We're obviously not dating anymore. :)
I respect your opinion but after more than fifty years in the business I believe it is better to oil the squeaking wheel. A one time investment of less than $50 in good will is money well spent, IMO. One dissatisfied customer, legitimate or not, will do one more harm than fifty happy customers will do one good. ;)
mike hunt
Bob wrote:
I got the car fix with a new fuel sensor and the right thermostat and keeping my husband away from it Thanks for all the suggestions I just can't find anyone here in Michigan who knows anything about these old cars. I think eveyone is just trying to get me to get ride of it beceause it isn't a popular car.
"natalie5" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@localhost.talkaboutautos.com:
Yeah... that's the same as my wife... 'cept when her car breaks, then it's my fault for not keeping it up!
By "fuel sensor" you mean pressure regulator?
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.