STUMPED.. little help please?

[jus_boostin_218]

Ok, the car ran fine one day and the next morning i went to start it and it ran like total crap. It sounds like its missing and is being REALLY sluggish. The car sounds like it wants to die but it doesnt. It wont build and boost and its vacuuming at 12 when it should be at 19-20? I did a compression test and it was 180 175 180 175. I also tested to see if it was getting any spark and it looked pretty weak. The spark plug are good but i dont know about the wires. Also when i rev it to about 3500 or 4000 RPM's there is a funny ticking sound that people are saying sounds like a machine gun on the forums? Could my coil be going bad possibly? If you could let me know what ya think that would be great. THNX.

 

[Defiant]

Check for a jumped timing belt.

 

[jus_boostin_218]

my friend checked the timing on it and he said it looked fine... maybe ill try again? thnx any other ideas?

 

[oldman]

my friend checked the timing on it and he said it looked fine... maybe ill try again? thnx any other ideas?

After you double check the timing, check for boost/vacumm leak. Also check the coupler around the intake/mas/turbo area and the mas is pluged in.

 

[jus_boostin_218]

k ill go give it a look.

 

[jus_boostin_218]

everything looked fine to me? how would i run a boost leak test?

 

[oldman]

everything looked fine to me? how would i run a boost leak test?

Does that include the timing belt? You may have vacumm leak so pressurize the system to check. Also were those comprssion numbers wet or dry?

 

[jus_boostin_218]

umm.. im thinking it was dry?

 

[oldman]

umm.. im thinking it was dry?

If it was dry than it's fine. Make sure you don't have any vacumm leak and move on to the ignition. Inspect the plugs and wires, you did mention the spark was weak. Start to narrow things down.

 

[Defiant]

my friend checked the timing on it and he said it looked fine...

I'm a bit worried by that. Did he remove the covers and confirm that all marks line up?

 

[jus_boostin_218]

ok, i checked the plugs and they were fine not sure about the wires though. Ill try moving toward the ignition and then maybe toward fuel problems?

 

[oldman]

ok, i checked the plugs and they were fine not sure about the wires though. Ill try moving toward the ignition and then maybe toward fuel problems?

Process of elimination is what most of us "mechanics wanna bes" do most of the time anyway. Here's a link that might help. http://www.taboospeedshop.com/diagnostics.htm One thing though, you have avoided the timing belt question twice now. It's important that you remove the timing belt cover and check the marks.

 

[jus_boostin_218]

im sorry, no i havn't checked the timing belt yet but i will do that first thing tomarrow because the cars at school right now in our shop.

 

[94Jettameowpsst]

Idk if this will help, but the plug from my transistor pack comes off all the time cause the clip is missing but the car does the exact same thing. Check that, its on the back of the intake manifold to the right of the coilpack if your lookin at it from the front

 

[jus_boostin_218]

ok i checked the timing belt today and it did indeed skip or jump. The marks dont line up when i did the test and they are about an inch 1/2 to 2 inches apart. Any ideas on what to do next would be very helpfull. Thanks

 

[Defiant]

Yeh.

Now, compression test or leakdown. Test your luck.

Don't let the guy from Post #3 near your car again.

 

[jus_boostin_218]

well i already did a compression test and it read 180 175 180 175. and as for the guy in post #3 he checked the timing with a light but i dont think he got a good read on it because it was really cold outside and we were both freezing. But if eveything is fine then internally would i just take the belt off and just align all the marks when the #1 cylinder reaches its highest point or dead " _____ "? i forgot the word for it. Ill also do another compression test just to be sure. thnx

 

[Stock92Talon]

just align all the marks when the #1 cylinder reaches its highest point or dead " _____ "?

TDC - Top Dead Center

 

[Defiant]

Those compression numbers are good.

 

[GTM]

Those compression numbers are good.

I'm concerned about those timing marks at 1/2" and 2" which is more than enough for valves to collide. Are they to be trusted? I don't know if that's 2" on the crank or cams.

I'm not comfortable with the skill level and would suggest that he should set the crank so all pistons are level and pop all the cam followers out he can and then to TDC of #1 or #4 for the remaining before he gets to playing with the belt.

Cheers,
GTM