Question: Faulty EGR valve.

Would a faulty EGR valve affect fuel economy?

My stang currently gives me 250 miles/tank, isn't this poor mileage for a 4 cylinder?

Thank you very much.

--

88' Mustang LX Convertible 2.3L
Reply to
Pepito
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Yes.

Reply to
Jim Warman

Don't assume.. check it out. Lots of things can cause poor mileage.. not just EGR. The EGR has a lot of myths associated with it and it's blamed for all kinds of woes. All myths have one thing in common.. they are all untrue.

How is it running? How are you driving it? Are you running the AC all the time? Did you check the mileage just once?

LJH

95GT

Reply to
Larry Hepinstall

Thanks for your reply guys, LHJ the car is running "OK", we all know this 4 cylinders are dogs, the idle is kind of crappie compared to an

84' Tempo I had years ago with the same engine size (carburetor). I am not using the a/c all the time and the car is driven I would say 70% city/30% highway. I have checked the mileage a few times and keep getting around 250 miles/tank. I think thats pathetic for a stick shift/ 4 cylinder car.

I had a 93' t-bird, auto v6 and I got around 300 miles/tank that is why i was worried something might be wrong in the engine. I have checked the computer codes with a scanner and it points to the EGR valve. Do you think the best thing to do is take it for a computer test?

Reply to
Pepito

Your gas mileage will depend greatly on your driving habits. Even a 4 banger can yield crappy mileage if you shift really high & stay at high RPMs.. downshift to slow down... take off from stop light to stop light.. etc. I'd give the car a basic tuneup.. change fuel filter, PCV valve, clean EGR, recharge/replace air filter, switch to full synethic oils in engine, tranny, and rear end, clean ACT/IAT sensor, clean MAF sensor, etc. But equally important... watch your driving. Coast when you can if you're trying to squeeze every drop of mileage that you can... also fill it up & shift at 2k RPM each time for a full tank & see how your mileage is afterwards... HTH.

-Mike

-- A happy kid behind the wheel of a 98 Mustang GT Cold air intake FRPP 3.73 gears Steeda Tri-Ax Shifter Full Boar turbo mufflers Hi-speed fan switch

255/60R-15 rear tires

Reply to
<memset

I have checked the mileage a few times and keep

So you're saying they both had the same size tank?

John

Reply to
John Del

I think the t-bird had a bigger tank, not that much... maybe a couple of gallons bigger if I remeber correctly. But it was an auto v6, the stang is a stick/2.3

Reply to
Pepito

Mike, I'm glad you told me. I am a new stick shift driver and in top of that my hearing is pretty bad so I depend on feeling or sometimes looking at the tachometer to check on the engine's rpms. I used to shift at 2,500 rpms so that could be a reason, even if I never downshift to slow down, must of the times the stick is in the neutral position.

Where is the EGR valve located on this cars?

Reply to
Pepito

I once wrang out almost 400 miles on a '92 2.3 5-speed car, but that was a

*lot* of highway and a *lot* of coasting whenever possible, even on the highway. I don't recommend this though... I don't think it's healthy for the transmission (fluid pump is on the input side, which is spinning slowly, while the tailshaft is spinning quickly and needing more juice) to coast at freeway speeds for extended periods of time. Coasting to stop signs is ok though... and better on the gas mileage... so I encourage you continue that practice.

All that said, I know the T-bird has a bigger tank than a 4-pot Mustang. Have to compare apples to apples.

300 miles / 18 gallons = 16.7mpg 250 miles / 15 gallons = 16.7mpg

You *should* be getting better than 16.7mpg. I'd fill up until the pump stops automatically. Do not top off. Drive the car around until it needs gas. Go back to the *same* pump, and fill up the same way. This will give you a much better mpg number. Miles/tank doesn't mean anything if your fuel gauge is weird and you're putting 10 gallons in a 15 gallon tank (which would put your number at a more respectable 25mpg).

The computer throwing an EGR code doesn't mean that the EGR is bad. The sensors usually go bad way before the valves do. Don't assume the EGR is faulty and that's causing your problems. It could be a whole other issue and you'll just be throwing money away. Someone suggested a full tune-up... do that, and then do whatever it takes to clear the computer's codes, and you should be fine. Driving habits will also play a big role.

Good luck,

JS

Reply to
JS

Thanks JS, this morning I took the EGR valve out for a visual inspection, it was rusted and I couldn't push in that little thing that moves the spring inside so that means it was at a same position all the time.

Knowing the yunk-material condition this car had when I got it, I went to a local auto zone and asked the guy to let me check a new valve, I bought it as soon as I saw I could open and close it fine without effort. Tomorrow I plan to change the gas filter.

I can't believe previous owners didn't care crap about this car. I've had to give it a lot of TLC to make it run and look decent.

Reply to
Pepito

No problem. Glad you're finding the solution to your problems. Clear the computer after changing the EGR and see if the problem goes away. If not, check/change the sensor.

Good call on the fuel filter. That's usually the most neglected filter, right up there with the tranny filter on automatics. It may help you as well, and your fuel pump will probably thank you.

Glad the EGR thing worked out. Good luck with your gas mileage issues.

JS

Reply to
JS

Pepito opined

glad you solved THAT problem... but you really need to know what mileage you're getting and miles/tank doesnt get it.

refill at same pump point same direction all the time, divide miles since last fill-up by gallons at shut-off

my wife's 88 2.3 stick conv got a steady 27 mpg... until I converted it to a turbo.

And 2500 rpm is not too high a shift point for a 2.3. mileage is worse if you shift too low, as well.

I shifted my SVO at optimum 3500, for best mileage and fun; i got 23 or about

300 per tank
Reply to
Backyard Mechanic

I shift at 2500, if I try shifting at less rpms, the car start to fall apart.

27 mpg is great, I am sure I get more less than that. This morning I changed the gas filter, the gas coming out of the old filter was dark, almost black. I also changed the oil and oil filter, tomorrow I will fill up the tank and wait till it is almost empty to do the math.

One thing that bothers me is that this car doesn' t have a warning light when it runs out of gas.

Reply to
Pepito

Bad News! I filled up the tank this morning and driving back home the engine stopped running, I tried to restart it a few times but no luck. Any ideas what could it be? I made sure a few times the gas filter was in the right position, maybe the gas pump?

Reply to
Pepito

Give us more to work with. Check engine light? If so, codes? Turn the key to the ACC position (right before the car tries to start) & put your ear near the fuel tank... do you hear a hissing or whining noise? If so, the pump is working. You need air, fuel, and spark to start a car. Check related components.

-Mike

Reply to
<memset

No Check Engine light

Codes 67 and 18

The pump is working

There's nothing happening in the ignition coil, no spark. Replaced the ignition coil and the same thing. Has to be something in the ignition system before the coil but I have no clue.

Reply to
Pepito

I forgot to add something...

Any help solving this puzzle will be greatly appreciated. Thanks a bunch in advance.

Reply to
Pepito

Today looking at a Chilton manual I found out this specific car has a DuraSpark III ignition system, the ignition coil has to connections, one to the ignition switch and the other to the ignition module that is connected to the eec microprocessor and this one is connected to the crankshaft position sensor and to the ignition switch. What a mess, the question is... what could be faulty that made the car stop at a red light and never start again???

Reply to
Pepito

Ignition module can die. EEC could have possibly died, but I highly doubt that'd be the cause. Crank position sensor can give up.

If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say ignition module, followed by the crank position sensor. But remember, it's your money that you're throwing at it, not mine.

If the EEC responds and gives you codes, it's probably ok. The self-check is designed to determine if there are any internal flaws.

Is your car DIS? One coil pack or two? (yes, some 2.3L Mustangs came equipped from the factory with 8 spark plugs and 2 coil packs)

JS

Reply to
JS

I was thinking by looking at the symptoms, the TFI (Thick Film Ignition) module. This things are known to stop working without any warning and cars have died even in the middle of highways. Ford has a class act sort of a law suit against them because of this part.

What lead me there was one of the computer error codes (18) This part is located under the distributor in a place where temperatures get real high. It reminded me of my 87 dodge daytona turbo that had the same problem with a similar part with the same symptoms.

I will keep you posted, thanks for your help!

Reply to
Pepito

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