convert280 Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 Car: 1983 280zxt with modified waist gate, just has the down pipe and cat for exhaust and cold air intake. As far as i know these are the only modifications. I looked through the forums and couldn't find a thread that was like this. I may just be bad at searching Anyways, i started the car up today and let it idle for around a minute then started driving and it was like bogging down, it was running perfect above 2500rpm even when cold. When the car warmed up it ran good but had massively decreased power than it had two days ago which is the last time i had driven it. It used to peel out at 60 mph and now it doesn't even break loose in second. Has ticking from engine, although i don't know if this is related because it has had this light ticking for a long time, my mechanic buddy said it was probably a fuel injector just by listening to it. Well after i warmed up the car the bogging at low rpm stopped i brought the car back and checked the timing and it was set at 20 degrees i think. I tested out a few other settings but it was running best at 20 degrees. The car has had some problems in the past that i couldn't figure out so i ended up paying a shop 1000 dollars to figure out what it was: it was running really rich and when they gave it back it was running lean. All i ended up with was a charcoal filter bypass. I hooked the filter back up and changed the plugs and it ran fine. I tried to give as much information as possible if anybody has any questions please let me know. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluDestiny Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 Well if your mechanic friend thinks its an injector, which it could be, just pull the injector clips one at a time. If one of them has no effect then it's that injector or plug. What does it normally idle at? has that changed? Ticking could just be the valves. If you have a factory ZX turbo you probably have the P90A head with hydraulic lifters. That could be a sign. Double check on the head stamp for us, or if you know it has solid or hydraulic lifters let us know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
convert280 Posted March 26, 2013 Author Share Posted March 26, 2013 Well if your mechanic friend thinks its an injector, which it could be, just pull the injector clips one at a time. If one of them has no effect then it's that injector or plug. What does it normally idle at? has that changed? Ticking could just be the valves. If you have a factory ZX turbo you probably have the P90A head with hydraulic lifters. That could be a sign. Double check on the head stamp for us, or if you know it has solid or hydraulic lifters let us know. It has an N42 head? Thats the only stamp i could find on the head. When you first start it up it slowly goes from 1500rpm to around 300-500rpm and is really rough at that low of rpm. I am going on a camping trip tomorrow and will be back Thursday so i will check the injectors first thing friday. What else could this be? Because injectors seems like an offely silly thing for a shop to miss after throwing 1k at them which i now know not to trust shops: big waist of money! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calvin280zxt Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 Mine does that, runs fine at Operating temp and when cold, boggs in between. It comes on/off like a light switch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
convert280 Posted March 28, 2013 Author Share Posted March 28, 2013 Mine does that, runs fine at Operating temp and when cold, boggs in between. It comes on/off like a light switch Hmmm and you have no other symptoms? Im thinking it is either this fuel injector or a vacuum leak. Im really not sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daddydonuts Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 It has an N42 head? Thats the only stamp i could find on the head. When you first start it up it slowly goes from 1500rpm to around 300-500rpm and is really rough at that low of rpm. I am going on a camping trip tomorrow and will be back Thursday so i will check the injectors first thing friday. What else could this be? Because injectors seems like an offely silly thing for a shop to miss after throwing 1k at them which i now know not to trust shops: big waist of money! N42 head? That's not a stock head a P90a head came on 83s...if I am not mistaken, the FSM has your problem in troubleshooting that you should run through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
convert280 Posted March 30, 2013 Author Share Posted March 30, 2013 N42 head? That's not a stock head a P90a head came on 83s...if I am not mistaken, the FSM has your problem in troubleshooting that you should run through. FSM? I did Bing searches and searches on this forum and also at zcar forum and didn't come across what i was looking for. What keywords would you recommend i use? And do you think an aftermarket head would really cause these problems? It does need to be tuned since it has aftermarket intake exhaust head ect. but the strange thing is that it was running really well and pulling hard but lately its just been a little slower. If you didn't know its potential before, you wouldn't notice. The bad run ability when cold has stopped strangely, but the strange running, almost lean characteristics, have stayed the same. This car changes how it runs like i change my socks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
convert280 Posted March 30, 2013 Author Share Posted March 30, 2013 Well if your mechanic friend thinks its an injector, which it could be, just pull the injector clips one at a time. If one of them has no effect then it's that injector or plug. What does it normally idle at? has that changed? Ticking could just be the valves. If you have a factory ZX turbo you probably have the P90A head with hydraulic lifters. That could be a sign. Double check on the head stamp for us, or if you know it has solid or hydraulic lifters let us know. I checked all the injectors like you said and they all made the idle drop a little when i unplugged each one. My spark plugs are less than a month old and are a clean with white tips. Electrodes i think the part of the spark plug is i am referring too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daddydonuts Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 (edited) FSM? I did Bing searches and searches on this forum and also at zcar forum and didn't come across what i was looking for. What keywords would you recommend i use? And do you think an aftermarket head would really cause these problems? It does need to be tuned since it has aftermarket intake exhaust head ect. but the strange thing is that it was running really well and pulling hard but lately its just been a little slower. If you didn't know its potential before, you wouldn't notice. The bad run ability when cold has stopped strangely, but the strange running, almost lean characteristics, have stayed the same. This car changes how it runs like i change my socks! Xenons130.com, this site has the Factory Service Manual. Your problem sounds like the air flow meter, look up the test in the FSM and try that Edited March 30, 2013 by daddydonuts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
convert280 Posted March 30, 2013 Author Share Posted March 30, 2013 Xenons130.com, this site has the Factory Service Manual. Your problem sounds like the air flow meter, look up the test in the FSM and try that I replaced the air flow meter with a rebuilt one, didn't change it so i sent it back and got another and still didn't change. Strange i know because the signs point to Air flow meter. I have so far replaced the clutch, fuel pump, air flow meter, head temp sensor, spark plugs, fuel injector o-rings, spark plug wires, ignition coil, cap, rotor and all fluids. A lot of what i changed was for the running bad problem that was happening a few months ago and now its back but different. It was sputtering and not accelerating past 4k. uuuuugghhhhhh these cars car confusing. I looked for a vacuum leak before i did anything and couldn't find one. I think im going to look again because this is getting ridiculous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
convert280 Posted March 30, 2013 Author Share Posted March 30, 2013 Anything anybody thinks i should check? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daddydonuts Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Anything anybody thinks i should check? Thanks. Did you download the FSM and do all the component checks with a multimeter? There are entire sections dedicated with these issues, just make sure you are looking at the turbo section Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgsheen Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daddydonuts Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 I'm in the same situation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
convert280 Posted March 30, 2013 Author Share Posted March 30, 2013 Thanks for the link. I fixed the issue by just messing with the vacuum system but blew an exhaust gasket in the testing process... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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