97 eclipse n/t serious problem

[MO_DSM]

I should have been on here a long time ago. I have a very unusual problem with my car. I have not personally done the work on my car just so you know.

A few weeks back I spun a bearing and got a bad knocking. The engine was replaced in my stock 97 eclipse n/t (420a). It is a very reliable engine. It was rebuilt with all new gaskets and seals. It compression tested at 180 in all 4 cylinders and was just recently vacuum test for leaks. Everything checks out with the motor.

So my problem is a very bad idling issue. It does not want to stay idling. It will fire up and I can gas it and warm the car up. Once the car is warm and running for a bit, it will idle but it idles at around 1200. On top of this my car acts like its got a rev limiter at 4000 rpms and will get there fine and just shut down/bounce at 4000.

The shop that had it to begin with actually swapped the engines and when these problems began I ended up replacing my oxygen sensor and MAP sensor as well. Now whether I actually needed these sensors to begin with or not is a different story i don't know because replacing them didn't fix the problem but now it doesn't throw the codes for those sensors. We had some professional problems with the shop because they were a bit incompetent so I took my car and now another shop has it. This shop has tested all sensors (they're fine), checked cam timing (it's perfect), and then adjusted some adapter thing? I'm not quite sure what this was. I had a spare ECM from a 97 automatic that they tried putting in to fix it and it didn't fix it either. They suggested reflashing the ECM. They said it's been about a process of elimination and it's all been done. They're stumped. Has anyone seen anything like this before? My next step would be to reflash the ECM then I guess.

I'm really sorry this was so long but a history is kind of needed. Thanks for all help in advance guys

 

[TotalEclipse21]

Idle air control motor??? Hmmmm but I don't know about the early rev limit problem...

 

[MO_DSM]

Idle air control motor??? Hmmmm but I don't know about the early rev limit problem...

But isn't that a sensor? They told me all my sensors were fine. Someone else suggested that too but I can't get ahold of them until Monday now

 

[shredwin]

I was gonna say O2 sensor but you meantioned you changed it... It could be the ECU, I never had that problem when I had my 420a... if the shop thinks its your Computer I have 2 of them out of manual 420a's. PM if you need one

 

[MO_DSM]

I was gonna say O2 sensor but you meantioned you changed it... It could be the ECU, I never had that problem when I had my 420a... if the shop thinks its your Computer I have 2 of them out of manual 420a's. PM if you need one

Well i had a spare ECU and it didn't do the trick. That's why they think it just needs reflashed. But at this point nothing has been working so I don't wanna completely hope that'll fix the problem. Thanks though, any other ideas?

 

[bagged420a]

Good luck getting it "reflashed"

 

[MO_DSM]

Good luck getting it "reflashed"

Why do you say that?

 

[KingSobieski]

"reflashing" sounds like a shot in the dark. Yesterday I performed an ECU update on a car per another shop's diagnosis. The software was already updated and current. $85 to fix nothing. Your problem could be ECU related but "reflashing" an ECU probably won't correct your idle concern.
You need to have all the basic issues checked.
There is a vacuum box on the rear of the engine which often gets cracked or is forgotten during an engine swap. Might be worth checking to see if it's still there or even hooked up. Also scanning for DTC codes will aid in the search for the problem.

 

[cano86]

I had a 96 RS with a similar problem the lady that sold it to me said that it would start fine,then when it was warm it use to start with those symptoms and then get to the point that it shuts off.
I bought it took it home and started working on it, after a week of replacing sensors and stuff it ended up being the camshaft sensor. I didn't think it was that at first because I thought if it was that it wouldn't turn on, but yeah that solved my problem,

Note: the symptoms were very similar I also tried on my brothers car ECU and still nothing, you should give it a shot and also try another coil pack thats also known for causing that problem. good luck

 

[MO_DSM]

"reflashing" sounds like a shot in the dark. Yesterday I performed an ECU update on a car per another shop's diagnosis. The software was already updated and current. $85 to fix nothing. Your problem could be ECU related but "reflashing" an ECU probably won't correct your idle concern.
You need to have all the basic issues checked.
There is a vacuum box on the rear of the engine which often gets cracked or is forgotten during an engine swap. Might be worth checking to see if it's still there or even hooked up. Also scanning for DTC codes will aid in the search for the problem.

It was completely vacuum tested and checked out perfectly. It has also been scanned for codes and taken care of. He even put this problem on that tech forum/internet thing for other techs to help with if they can. They all said sensors and is it the correct engine. Yes thats all right. They're next suggestion was flashing the ECU as well. The tech is very smart and went through a long line of details of whats been checked and tested out. He said the computer isn't picking up the right messages from sensors and needs to be told what to do, i.e. Flashing

Oh and the camshaft sensor is fine as well.

Well after taking my car from the shop it was at and taking it to the Mitsu dealership to get it flashed tomorrow I noticed a few good things. It actually idles a little lower than 1200 rpms (about 700-800). I did have to warm up the car but not as much. The car was running incredibly smooth with switching gears, not as much vibration, no funny squeal belt sounds. The shop said that there was a vacuum hose put on backwards and other than that they did a lot of disconnecting and reconnecting and made a list of stuff it shouldn't be This problem is pretty much causing me to make a giant list of stuff I know it's not. At this point the only problems left are that still does need some warming up to idle and it acts like its got the rev limiter/bounces at 4000 rpms. Acceptable day! If tomorrow's flash doesn't fix it I'll be driving it around like this for a while

 

[MO_DSM]

ok so new news is that 96-98 eclipses can't even be programmed/flashed??? according to dealership here in town. So they're giving their go at it and running diagnostics.

 

[erickk mf]

a friend of mine had the same problem with his 2g at 4000 rpm. he took it to mits dealer after dealer to shop to shop and noone could figure it out. he traded it to a kid, i talked to the kid he traded one day. he said it turned out to be the injectors. anythings possible.

 

[MO_DSM]

a friend of mine had the same problem with his 2g at 4000 rpm. he took it to mits dealer after dealer to shop to shop and noone could figure it out. he traded it to a kid, i talked to the kid he traded one day. he said it turned out to be the injectors. anythings possible.

you know that is very possible. I actually got my car back from the dealership tonight because I couldn't afford to let them dig into it hourly right now. But it threw 2 codes. EGR Solenoid code and High fuel level code. This ring anyones bells?

 

[erickk mf]

well both would make the car run shitty. but i dont see the egr valve being the main problem. also sometimes when you get multiple codes its because one problem is making other sensors think there is another problem. if you have to much fuel its possible its ####ing with your egr valve and making the ecu think the egr valve is haveing a problem.. catch my drift?