3400 start-up

[Midgear]

well this is a recent problem.. earlier today I was driving around.. and for no apparent reason I just punched it- just something I do every now and then lol.

it stumbled, picked up and took off like normal. so I get up underneath the hood when we get home to check it out.. one of the spark plug wires was melted to one of the spark plugs.. and one of the spark plug wires was cracked, less than a year old.

called up auto zone and sure enough, under warranty.. so I go get my replacements and install em and fire it up.. now it has serious trouble starting and staying at idle.. but once it gets going it'll rev and drive normally-

just recently (about 10 minutes ago) I went out to fire it up to pick someone up from work.. and it gave me hell starting and once it started it was bogging alot and it farted out this black smoke :blink: I think im running rich.

coil packs? spark plugs?

[CBLOHM3400]

double check wire routing to verify correct wire to sparkplug

[Midgear]

hmm.. I think im running retarded amounts of rich.. it boils black smoke when I fire it up. I think my 02 sensor after the cat is gone-

[jackal2000]

hmm.. I think im running retarded amounts of rich.. it boils black smoke when I fire it up. I think my 02 sensor after the cat is gone-

the o2 sensor after the cat has zero to do with air/fuel ratio. the pre-cat o2 sensor could be bad but it should have thrown a code. might have a fuel injector or two stuck open.

[Midgear]

oook.. my service engine soon light was on for a couple days.. should have had it scanned then because the light shut off after two days of driving. but it didnt run any different when the light was on-

how do you un stuck an open fuel injector? or even tell if the injector is stuck open?

[jackal2000]

my reasoning is if the injector isnt closing properly, then it is dumping fuel creating the black smoke, but the car runs fine at higher rpms since the engine requires more fuel anyways. try some fuel injector cleaner. whatever code that tripped the SES light may still be stored in the PCM so i would get it read.

[Midgear]

okie dokie.. i'll check a few things and post back in a few

[Midgear]

well wtf.. we looked at the fuel pressure regulator and the part that goes inside the fuel rail has been smashed back into the FPR.. i guess jamming whatever moves inside of it. now when the vacuum hose is off the FPR.. it spews fuel straight up.. with the hose on it.. its shoveling fuel directly into it O_o

I dont have 70 bucks for a new one.. and the warranty on it expired in may.

what the hell could have caused this damage?

[Nate's Alero]

well wtf.. we looked at the fuel pressure regulator and the part that goes inside the fuel rail has been smashed back into the FPR.. i guess jamming whatever moves inside of it. now when the vacuum hose is off the FPR.. it spews fuel straight up.. with the hose on it.. its shoveling fuel directly into it O_o

I dont have 70 bucks for a new one.. and the warranty on it expired in may.

what the hell could have caused this damage?
0_o.....hey, mid, if you really dont have the monies, i can lend after i send the rest of my "payment" to kilroy

[rustyballs_69]

rockauto.com has one for $43.99. I don't know how much the charge for shipping though.

[Midgear]

I think the car will live untill thursday.. I get paid then.. no harm really being done to the motor aside from a tad bit of buildup and mabey ruined spark plugs (i think?) but I can replace those too come thursday.

thanks for the offer though.

this leads me to my next question.. can someone explain to me exactly how a fuel pressure regulator works, and what the purpose of the vacuum hose going into the top of it serves?

[CactusWill]

I wouldn't be able to tell you how it works, but the vacuum hose is what provides the energy for it to function.

[jackal2000]

A regulator keeps a certain amount of fuel pressure in the fuel rail and then sends the rest back to the tank.

[Redog]

Can you tape the vacuum hose closed? since you are going to replace it anyway?

Should get you thought a few days :p

[Midgear]

whats the down side to taping that vacuum hose shut? and what do I do about the FPR spewing fuel out the top?

[Midgear]

bump.

[03MNAlero]

its shot, get a new one

[Midgear]

update.. cousin was kind enough to lend over the money for a new one. all is well. thread complete lol

[Cliff8928]

That's good. You don't want to be driving around with a ruptured diaphragm.

[Midgear]

^^ ooo.. the person I was waiting for.. I still wanna know exactly how one of those works lol