Source
r/240sx•
Booozy

240sx low idle, backfire, and serious loss of hp

Like the title says, I recently replaced my spark plugs, spark plug wires, and air filter, and when I started it up it sounded like complete crap. When Im at an idle it sounds like it wants to stall, and sometimes I'll get a little backfire. When its running I can floor it and it'll go nowhere. I've already cleaned the fuel filter in the back and that didn't help. Any advice would be great, thanks.

EDIT: I JUST REALIZED SOMETHING, a couple days ago I switched out my new sparkplugs for my old ones to make sure my spark plugs werren't the problem. Now when I look at them, I realized the tips of two of them look way less burn't (?) than the other two. One of them looks like its almost new, the other one looks like its had a little bit of use. The other two are charred black. Does that mean fuel injectors? I just put some fuel injector cleaner in my tank, will that be enough to solve the problem?

pics: http://imgur.com/a/lCprQ

Posted Jul 20, 2012, 3:31 AM UTC · edited

218
datoxic93 1UZ-FE Convertible•

Maybe your maf went bad? that sounds like the same symptoms I had when mine went out

5
BooozyOP•

How much would an MAF go for?

1
datoxic93 1UZ-FE Convertible•

I got a new one for $60. But im friends with the shop i got mine from so they gave me a little discount. I think $80-$100 is about what it would cost.

1
High_King_Of_Skyrim•

Try cap and rotor thats what fix it for me

5
BooozyOP•

You had the same problem?

1
High_King_Of_Skyrim•

For the most part some it had to do with my my old auto being in fail safe. But when i did swap the cap and rotor the first time it did bring it out of that for awhile and it fixed my terrible idle but that's what fixed that for me it could be different on yours also where about is your distributor set at? and since then i swapped to a five speed but now i rattle down the road.

1
rhood13•

I don't know how many times I have messed up plug wires and forgot to plug my maf back in.

4
abl0ck0fch33s3no longer an s chassis owner•

i had a maf clip come loose and cause all sorts of bad problems like this.

2
silvia_s13rb25 s14•

Hmm. I'd start be trying to clean throttle body and IACV. Maybe buy some fuel injector cleaner and put it in the gas tank?

3
BooozyOP•

I just went to the gas station so i could put some fuel injector cleaner and i hardly made it there lol. i wont get a chance to work on it tomorrow but ill try the iacv on saturday and check back

3
Burtonken23•

Did you gap the plugs correctly? Run the right wires to the right plugs?

I'm a mechanic of almost 6 years now and I've done both of those. First thing I would check is plugs and resistance of the wires.

3
BooozyOP•

Yeah, I marked all the plug wires so I would know which cables went to which plugs before I swapped them in

1
[deleted]•

[deleted]

3
BooozyOP•

I tried the old plugs and its the same. I cant do the old wires because when I was taking the plugs out the first time one of the plugs came out with the entire plug terminal with it so that plug is toast. What would I do to check the maf? it seems like its on there fine

2
[deleted]•

[deleted]

1
frsh2fourtydrifter mod 93 SR hatch•

Well, since pretty much everything everyone said in this thread is pretty solid advice, try all that then report back.

3
BooozyOP•

yeah, all this help is great. I just bought this car a few weeks ago and this is I dont know squat about cars yet so this is a great learning expirience

2
frsh2fourtydrifter mod 93 SR hatch•

I was in the same boat when I bought my first s13. Now I have an SR swapped hatch and all the work was done by a few different friends and myself. It is one hell of a learning experience and the best thing about these cars is not only is all the work easy to do on them, but there is so much information out there for anything you could possibly want to do to the car.

2
chadilac454•

Are all the cylinders running?. I had a similar issue. Start the car and pull plug wires one at a time. It should run way worse when u disconnect a cylinder, if u pull a wire and it makes no difference then you found your bad cylinder. Also if you have a voltage meter you can check the resistance of each injecter if one is wide open its bad. That was my problem. Swapped one injector ($60) and fixed it.

1
turbo240bigass paperweight•

possibly bad coil packs? disconnect them one by one while running to see if it gets worse/better

1