Help With The Sprint, Please.

[Lumpen]

Hi All,

As most people here know, Dad has an ED XR8 Sprint, which we are both pretty proud of and it has done near 15,000Km hassle free including a recent 8,000Km round trip to South Australia.

However, since he got back, the thing has been playing silly beggars on a few occasions, culminating today, with the Sprint actually stalling/cutting out on him WHILE driving.

The Sprint is an Auto with about 145,000K and is running: Electro Fans, K&N, Full Exhaust and a Chiptorque chip. It has new (well, 8000km old) Iridium spark plugs, is ALWAYS run on 98 Octane fuel (generally Ultimate) and is serviced every 5000k. Also, it gets the cobwebs 'blown out' regularily.

Strange things lately include:

*Engine hunting at idle for a few seconds, generally at startup, between about 400 and 800 revs. (This happened before the chip)

*Once the hunting was so bad (and this was as Dad was getting home) that it sounded like a huge cammed drag car, the car would almost stall (could kinda hear it 'choking') then all of a sudden it would fire up and blow out a big puff of BLACK smoke (Unburnt fuel? A clue?), then almost stall again. Turn the car off and back on again, perfect.

*Sometimes the car doesn't 'seem' to have as much go (however, quite subjective) and also sometimes sounds a bit tamer than usual. You could really hear the thing when we got it chipped.

*Plus, of course today, the car actually stalled while he was driving along at about 60Km/h. Definately not cool.

I checked a few things this evening quickly (I'm DEFINATELY no mechanic) but:

*One plug lead may be a bit lose (was dark out), also, only plugs are new.

*Took lead off coil and metal contacty bit on coil seemed almost corroded?

*Nothing falling off or dragging on ground. LOL! that's about as technical as I get.

Basically, I am wondering if anybody who has experienced this kind of thing before, or would be able to point me in the right dorection, it would be much appreciated.

Cheers,

Brendan

PS:If you see this post on a few forums, I am just trying to get as wide a knowledge base as possible.

[Chris xr6]

Look to the leads possibly replace them My parents had an EB v8 fairmont which had the same problem once and that was the remedy

[Chooka]

  Lumpen Proletariat said:

Hi All,

As most people here know, Dad has an ED XR8 Sprint, which we are both pretty proud of and it has done near 15,000Km hassle free including a recent 8,000Km round trip to South Australia.

However, since he got back, the thing has been playing silly beggars on a few occasions, culminating today, with the Sprint actually stalling/cutting out on him WHILE driving.

The Sprint is an Auto with about 145,000K and is running: Electro Fans, K&N, Full Exhaust and a Chiptorque chip. It has new (well, 8000km old) Iridium spark plugs, is ALWAYS run on 98 Octane fuel (generally Ultimate) and is serviced every 5000k. Also, it gets the cobwebs 'blown out' regularily.

Strange things lately include:

*Engine hunting at idle for a few seconds, generally at startup, between about 400 and 800 revs. (This happened before the chip)

*Once the hunting was so bad (and this was as Dad was getting home) that it sounded like a huge cammed drag car, the car would almost stall (could kinda hear it 'choking') then all of a sudden it would fire up and blow out a big puff of BLACK smoke (Unburnt fuel? A clue?), then almost stall again. Turn the car off and back on again, perfect.

*Sometimes the car doesn't 'seem' to have as much go (however, quite subjective) and also sometimes sounds a bit tamer than usual. You could really hear the thing when we got it chipped.

*Plus, of course today, the car actually stalled while he was driving along at about 60Km/h. Definately not cool.

I checked a few things this evening quickly (I'm DEFINATELY no mechanic) but:

*One plug lead may be a bit lose (was dark out), also, only plugs are new.

*Took lead off coil and metal contacty bit on coil seemed almost corroded?

*Nothing falling off or dragging on ground. LOL! that's about as technical as I get.

Basically, I am wondering if anybody who has experienced this kind of thing before, or would be able to point me in the right dorection, it would be much appreciated.

Cheers,

Brendan

PS:If you see this post on a few forums, I am just trying to get as wide a knowledge base as possible.

Hey Brendan,

I had a problem quite like this on my EF Fairmont ghia 5L, it turned out to be the air flow meter (Expensive peice of equipment!) fortunatley it can be repaired if you have the right equipment. first the airflow meter is located just after the filter box and has some tamper proof torx bolts (special tool) remove the wire then the two bolts and remove cover, this will give you acess to a diode that controls the mixtures. be very carful not to damage and have a close look for any dirt or contaminants on it.

I could not see any on mine but cleaned it up with some carby cleaner and a cotton bud and have not had an issue since, more power and better fuel economy!

Hope this helps mate.

Brett

[Turbo6man]

Brendan, there's so many things it could be it isn't possible to diagnose over the net.

Your Ford dealer can hook up and diagnose it in a few minutes if it's an electrical/ignition or ECU/sensor related problem.

However I'd also suspect a faulty injector - maybe one or two weak ones allowing excess fuel to dribble into the cylinders - an injector service is only a couple hundred beer tokens usually.

Let's know how you get on.

[cobrav8]

I had similar issues with an XR8 EB2 - and it turned out to be the fuel pump. Loss of power, occassional splutter, or bigger loss in power, and harder to start, sometimes even wouldnt start.

Make sure if it is that - replace the pump and the filter - as apparently the clogged filter often causes the pump to fail due to the extra strain.

[ZAP]

I vote for the AFM

[Lumpen]

sh*t, on another forum a guy said it may by the AFM too, not good news as the buggers are Sprint specific and Ford want some RI DICULOUS amount of money for one around $2000 from what I hear.

Thanks for your suggestions guys any more Ideas keep em coming.

Lumpy

[Chooka]

  Lumpen Proletariat said:

sh*t, on another forum a guy said it may by the AFM too, not good news as the buggers are Sprint specific and Ford want some RI DICULOUS amount of money for one around $2000 from what I hear.

Thanks for your suggestions guys any more Ideas keep em coming.

Lumpy

Try the clean first like I suggested as you won't be out of pocket anything, ive found 90% of the AFM problems can be fixed this way

[Lumpen]

  choookr21 said:

Try the clean first like I suggested as you won't be out of pocket anything, ive found 90% of the AFM problems can be fixed this way

No worries brett, believe me, that will be up there on the list.

Just a question, is this really a good idea for someone who believe that if a shifting spanner cant fix it, a ball peen hammer will???

Lumpy

[Chooka]

  Lumpen Proletariat said:

  choookr21 said:

Try the clean first like I suggested as you won't be out of pocket anything, ive found 90% of the AFM problems can be fixed this way

No worries brett, believe me, that will be up there on the list.

Just a question, is this really a good idea for someone who believe that if a shifting spanner cant fix it, a ball peen hammer will???

Lumpy

and if that dosn't work a bigger hammer will!

it is worth a try, even if you know a mechanic or someone who has some torx sockets you cant do any damage as long as you dont drop it!