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Another idle surge/misfire problem with multiple codes

J

Justinzoso

New member
About a week ago, I decided that it was probably time to change the fuel filter as it probably hasn't been changed in a long time. The funny thing is, on the way home from the parts store, the car started misfiring badly, more like stumbling like it was running out of gas. I changed to fuel filter, and sure enough it was just about completely clogged. Did and oil change as well and took it for a test drive to see if the new filter solved the problem. The problem went away at first then came back.

These are my symptoms: After starting the car, it just about dies and then idle picks back up. Sometimes at idle, the rpm's will surge and sometimes they will stay steady. While driving, sometimes the car will misfire/stumble badly(like running out of gas) and while that happens, if you give it more gas, it gets way worse.
Thinking that seeing as how the fuel filter was clogged, maybe the injectors could be dirty/clogged, I added a can of Seafoam to a full tank of gas. The idle and misfire/stumble seemed to not happen near as much, but the idle still surges. The codes are; p0102, p0300 and p0442.
The car has about 260K on it and the engine has somewhere around 85K I think. Even though the problem seems as though it might be getting better, I have a feeling that it isn't fixed. What am I missing here? Anyone have these problems, and have all three codes, and not just the p0102 code that is usually associated with this problem? Any and all help and ideas are not only welcomed but very much appreciated. This is my daily driver and I count on it, and can't have it let me down.
 


Justinzoso said:
About a week ago, I decided that it was probably time to change the fuel filter as it probably hasn't been changed in a long time. The funny thing is, on the way home from the parts store, the car started misfiring badly, more like stumbling like it was running out of gas. I changed to fuel filter, and sure enough it was just about completely clogged. Did and oil change as well and took it for a test drive to see if the new filter solved the problem. The problem went away at first then came back.

These are my symptoms: After starting the car, it just about dies and then idle picks back up. Sometimes at idle, the rpm's will surge and sometimes they will stay steady. While driving, sometimes the car will misfire/stumble badly(like running out of gas) and while that happens, if you give it more gas, it gets way worse.
Thinking that seeing as how the fuel filter was clogged, maybe the injectors could be dirty/clogged, I added a can of Seafoam to a full tank of gas. The idle and misfire/stumble seemed to not happen near as much, but the idle still surges. The codes are; p0102, p0300 and p0442.
The car has about 260K on it and the engine has somewhere around 85K I think. Even though the problem seems as though it might be getting better, I have a feeling that it isn't fixed. What am I missing here? Anyone have these problems, and have all three codes, and not just the p0102 code that is usually associated with this problem? Any and all help and ideas are not only welcomed but very much appreciated. This is my daily driver and I count on it, and can't have it let me down.
Click to expand...

Well...there are few things to consider.

1) Clean your MAF - use any Electronics parts cleaner - and do not touch the sensor wire. If you're running an oiled (K&N) air filter, this could cause your problem.
2) Make sure your plug wires are solidly connected, and are not cracked or separating. It might also be worthwhile to remove the coil packs and clean under them. Do a search on this issue. ;)
3) This might sound really dumb - but trust me. Check to make sure that your gas cap is tight. Inspect the inside of the filler neck and make sure it isn't dirty/corroded and preventing the cap from creating a tight seal.

-Swash
 
I just noticed also that both coolant hoses going from radiator to engine, are collapsed. Not sure if has to do with my problem or they just happen to need replacing at the same time. The car hasn't over heated.
 
Thanks Swash,
going to the parts store to pick up some MAF sensor safe cleaner and clean it. I've heard the coils go bad but never anything about cleaning under them. I am replacing the plugs right now with Bosch Fusion 4 right now. I have heard the wires are notorious for failing on these engines too, so I am going to replace those as well as the gas cap today.
 
I think my LIM gasket may be bad. I got oil pooling between the UIM and the LIM around cyl 4. I kind of wanna go get the gaskets to get this thing done today, does anyone know where I can get the parts to do the "UIM/EGR fix" while I have things apart?
 
Okay, I put the car off for a bit while I finished my Jeep and went up north for the holiday weekend. The car left me stranded yesterday. I drove it to town to get parts, and when I tried to start it back up, it would just shut off on me. Would not keep running at all. Went back this morning, she fired up and stayed running all the way home. Starts every time I try too. I don't get this thing. Plus, when it cools down and not running, both coolent hoses are collapsed. When it gets to operating temp, they are fine, maybe even pressurized a bit too much. Any ideas?
 


Okay,
changed the hoses as they looked really old and, they were worn out. Took the radiator cap off and saw a lot of rust build up. Flushed the radiator and took the coolant tank off and washed the rust out of that too. The car seemed to run better instantly. Although idle surge has just about completely disappeared, the throttle response is still very poor. What else could be going on with this thing?
 
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