my 4.0 litre 93 areostar started runng rough and using excessive fuel i tuned it up.Better but still guzzeling gas?Any advice would be much appreciated.
- posted
17 years ago
my 4.0 litre 93 areostar started runng rough and using excessive fuel i tuned it up.Better but still guzzeling gas?Any advice would be much appreciated.
Check the pressure at the fuel rail, running, & then shut it off. I'll bet there is an injector leaking down pretty quickly & just dumping fuel into the head.
Rob
Rob Yes thank you Rob but how will testing fuel rail pressure than shutting it of tell me if i have a leaky injector. Whats a good meathod to determine which one is leaking into head,and what happens to that lost fuel.
Rob Yes thank you Rob but how will testing fuel rail pressure than shutting it of tell me if i have a leaky injector. Whats a good meathod to determine which one is leaking into head,and what happens to that lost fuel.
Watch the gauge as you turn off the car. If it falls off quickly, you have a leaky injector.
Ordinarily, you pull the spark plugs and check to see which one is wet/fouled/black from running rich... this may be a tough chore on the Aerostar though(clearance issues). But it has to be done if you can't/won't do a cylinder balance test with your EEC-IV scan tool.
Rob
Watch the gauge as you turn off the car. If it falls off quickly, you have a leaky injector.
Ordinarily, you pull the spark plugs and check to see which one is wet/fouled/black from running rich... this may be a tough chore on the Aerostar though(clearance issues). But it has to be done if you can't/won't do a cylinder balance test with your EEC-IV scan tool.
Rob
What makes you so sure it's not a bad fuel regulator or pump? Both of those problems are much more common on Fords than leaking injectors.
A leaking regulator or pump check valve won't make the engine run rich and burn excessive fuel. A leaky injector will - and is NOT uncommon on a Ford.(or any other make)
I'm not... but you have to start somewhere, & step 1 is securing a fuel pressure gauge & hooking it up...
A failed pump or regulator also presents somewhat differently - more driveability issues or complaints, esp. lack of power & hard warm starts.
Rob
I never said a leaky pump would make the an engine run rich, only that it would make the pressure bleed down. A leaky regulator on the other hand can dump so much fuel into the intake that it won't even run.
Right, but if an injector were leaking I'd expect to see it missing on a cylinder for sure at start up and maybe all the time depending on how bad it was leaking. A leaky pump or regulator results in hard or slow starts. Bob
Except NORMALLY a bad fuel regulator just bypasses all the fuel back to the tank. A ruptured regulator diaphragm could do as you describe, but I've found that to be a very rare occurrence, particularly compared to simply bleeding down.(which is QUITE common - and often totally asymptomatic. If it has any symptoms it is usually a slightly delayed start.(as long as the pump can maintain pressure)
Here in MN where all the fuel has 10% ethanol ruptured diaphragms are as common as dirt.
His first post says it's running rough(but my spelling is better).
Rob
at start up and maybe all the time depending on how bad it
starting cold or hot, no drivability issues other than i cant afford to keep putting in gas.She gets bout 300km to what i think is a 60litre tank havent yet changed pvc valve could this be my prob bought 1 but dosent look right.what tool do i need to check fuel rail pressure
problem starting cold or hot, no drivability issues other than i cant afford to keep putting in gas.She gets bout 300km to what i think is a 60litre tank havent yet changed pvc valve could this be my prob bought 1 but dosent look right.what tool do i need to check fuel rail pressure In cold weather, city driving, 335KM to the 72 liter tank was not out of the ordinary at all on either my 89 or 90 3.0. I do tend to have a heavy foot (and with a 3.0, you often need it) - but pulling a 17 foot trailer in the summer across the west I got as much as 735Km on the same tank - go figure.
Fuel milage is often higher in summer because the fuel doesn't have oxygenators in it (oxygenators help the fuel burn more completely decreasing smog problems, but also have less energy than gas), warm engines run more efficiently and there can be more resistance on the road (like when going through snow). And, of course, if you warm up the engine (and the van) before you start in the morning or let the van idle to keep it warm, that will lower your fuel milage.
Also milage is usually better on the highway than in the city (unless you get a hybrid).
Suggestions: 1) Check the tire pressure. Air slowly leaks out of tires over time (should I say tyres, with the English spelling with all this metric talk of litres and kilometers?), and air pressure is lower in the winter because the colder temperatures decrease the air pressure directly. And if the tire pressure is low, fill the tires.
2) When you have to run errands, run all the errands in one run. That way the engine is not cooling down and getting warmed up as much. Also, try to time the trips so that you're not in heavy traffic, so that you run your errands early on a Saturday or Sunday morning (avoiding chuches when their services get out or are about to start) or during the workday instead of during rush hour (or rush hours, as the case may be). 3) Don't wait for the engine to get fully warm before taking off. This just wastes fuel. You should only need to let the engine run for a few seconds, at most, before going. Of course, don't push the engine hard until it has warmed up a bit. I figure the engine will warm up faster when you are using it than when it is idling in the driveway, anyway. And decrease the time that the van is idling, like while waiting for kids to get out of school (in fact, making kids walk home gives them more excercise - perhaps you can walk to meet them rather than take the van - the excercise won't hurt you either, most likely), perhaps by having them walk or take the bus.Of course, the part about not pushing the engine hard and driving so that you don't need to brake hard (like taking your foot off the gas a while before a stop light) will save gas all the time.
You can also consider using a block heater, which heats the engine block in the morning (or afternoon) before you take off, so that the engine doesn't have to warm up as much. This should decrease warm up time and increase fuel efficency.
4) Take public transportation. THis is often not practical, however, like if you live where there isn't any. Of course, you can always move to Quebec, Toronto, Boston, New York, Philadelphia or another city with good transportation. I have only taken my car to work about 12 times and they were all on Saturday mornings, when there was little traffic. 5) Run your errands when there is no snow. Of course, this often hard to avoid. Personally, I like driving on snow. Plus, there is often little traffic. So it depends where you live.Jeff
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