Resolved 2G Help with diagnostics on stalling

[jlgeclipsegsx]

Ok here is the story,
I had my car sitting out in the driveway for three days without starting it and in those three days it blizzard and plus the cold weather. My hood does not close all the way and there was a lot of snow in the engine bay but i had to hurry to move it so I started it and it didn't run very good at all. I had to keep my foot on the gas to keep it from dying.

I had it running for about 15 min then I turned it off to run in the house. When came out and tried to start it again it ran for like 2 seconds and completely died, it didn't matter how high the RPM's or what else I was doing.

I live in a small town and its hard to get a scanner and I have to be back to school by next week, so I need a car to get there. I took off the neg. wire off the battery and turned the ignition to reboot the computer. Then I would start it and it would run with low idle almost dying but still not running good. I would have to put the foot on the gas a bit. I would try driving it and it would jolt here and there.

I replaced the spark plugs and checked the coil and they are fine. I have a new coolant temp sensor also. When it was started the first time I rebooted the computer I shut the car off with no engine light. The second time I started it, it ran for 2 seconds and then stalled.

Please help. and also the snow in the engine bay melted and it could have possibly soaked any of the sensors but I am not to sure because right when I started it, it ran like shit. I also had it sitting in the shop so it was warm. Once it had warmed up while started and still ran like shit. thanks

 

[gofer]

Can you explain how the hood doesn't close all the way or where it doesn't close all the way in relation to the engine?
I completely understand you need a car to drive to school next week but its almost like shooting in the dark unless you update your profile so I know whats been done to the car. A word of advice before you keep reading, STOP GUESSING! Your shotgun troubleshooting the issue when there are things you can test with a multimeter or physically check and know whether its good or bad.

Make a list, similar to a grocery list, of the below things to check and mark it off as you go that way you don't forget and it will be less overwhelming. So we know what to check next or possibly find out why its idling like crap do a few things...

1. CHECK CONNECTIONS: With a fine tooth comb go through your ENTIRE engine bay and make sure your vacuum lines are in all the right places, every connector is plugged in, and all your IC piping is leak free.
2. CHECK SPARK: Checking spark requires two people, one under the hood watching the spark plug and someone else in the car cranking it. There are many ways to check, personally I like to pull each spark plug one at a time and then press it back into the plug wire. Lay the plug across a grounding point (the valve cover) and while someone else cranks the car, watch for spark jumping across the electrodes. Check ALL four cylinders one at a time and take good notes if any of them are missing spark on the cylinder.
3. CHECK FUEL: With no means of checking for fuel pressure using a gauge you'll have to physically check it, this test requires someone helping as well. Pull the fuel line coming into the passenger side of the fuel rail and shove it into a gasoline container or a cup you don't mind ruining (make sure its big). While your holding the line securely in the cup have someone crank the engine over and make sure fuels coming out the line and into the cup. If the fuel pump is working correctly there will be a lot of fuel coming the line fast so be careful!
   
   Post back up here with the results and we'll see what you come up with. If something doesn't look right, like exposed wiring or something not plugged in/connected and your not sure where it goes take a GOOD picture of it. Not only the shape of the connector will help determine where it goes but also the color of the wires going into the back of it too.
   
   
   
   
   

 

[jlgeclipsegsx]

Ya ya don't need to be so harsh about it.

And in relation engine and the hood, I bought the car with damage to the front end consisting of the hood does not shut all the way. Yes easy fix but no time and place to bring it to a nice warm garage or shop to work on, waiting for winter to be over. So the between the hood and bumper is a gap and during the blizzard snow got in the engine bay. I did not have time to clean it out, which is bad because that probably cost me. I don't know if you know what Minnesota weather is like but it sucks, very cold.

That could have did something and I don't have any type a meter to help me. Tomorrow I am sending it to a shop so they can scan it and there I will know. I was just looking for quick input to my I guess not understandable question, my bad. You would understand it if you lived in this weather. And I guess I will waste more time making a cute little profile about my car. It's all stock, for now. thanks

 

[gofer]

I'm not sure how I was being harsh, just trying to help. I wasn't knocking the fact your hood didn't close all the way I just wanted to know where, in relation to the engine bay i.e. front driver side, rear passenger side etc, where it didn't close so I had an idea of maybe what sensors got ruined.

Just because my location is SoCal doesn't mean I don't know what winter is like, look at my plates in the avatar to the left. Colorado winters don't play around and thats where I grew up for the majority of my life, San Diego's just been a 5 year vacation for me. I'm just trying to help you and I basically handed you the tools to troubleshoot and possibly fix the problem yourself so you being so standoffish and rude is a bit disappointing after the time I took typing up the above info.

Once the shop scans it hopefully the CEL code the ECU threw can tell you more than what the checks I posted above could. Some CEL codes are as vague as Cylinder "X" Misfire which means you'd still have to check spark and fuel anyway not saving you any time and just costing you money to get the shop to scan it. If not doing steps 2 & 3 at least do the 1st step and check everything with a fine tooth comb before you spend money to have it scanned, who knows what you might find and even fix?

If you'd like help try to be a little bit nicer with your comments, being polite can go along way when your asking for help ya know? Clean car btw. If you end up needing more help after the shop looks at it just post up what the shop found and I'll still try to help since you've got to get the car to school next week.

 

[jlgeclipsegsx]

Alright my bad and alright well i did steps 1 and its fine. thanks by the way, your car is very clean. I like the mudflaps. Why did you switch your bumper?

 

[gofer]

The ONLY reason I even bought a DSM in the first place was because of the looks of the '97-'99 Eclipse body style. The 2GB Eclipse conversion is relatively cheap and easy to do though so its becoming one of the more popular body modifications in the DSM community. I wanted to be different so I picked my favorite exterior body parts and pieced them together and came up with the 2G I wanted, which has a 2GB Talon front bumper, 2GA Talon side skirts, and the 2GB Eclipse rear bumper and spoiler. The things I picked were also the hardest to find so the odds of me passing another 2G on the street that looks the same are damn near impossible and I want to keep it that way.

 

[magik95]

Just taking a wild swing. Did you check the ECT wires? I just went through
the same thing and the ECT wire was broke at the connecter.

 

[jlgeclipsegsx]

Alright alright, ya same went for me but I like the stock bumper with a few modifications to it like opening it up more for the intercooler that i will soon have btw. You buy the wing with the carbon fiber or did you do it yourself?

and I replaced the ECT already. done fixed!