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Topic: 1986 Cougar 3.8 L won't idle. (Read 8990 times) previous topic - next topic

1986 Cougar 3.8 L won't idle.

Reply #30
Have the mechanic hook a vacuum gauge to the intake manifold.
Start the engine and put something between the ISC(idle speed control) motor plunger tip and throttle linkage pad to keep the throttle open to where it will keep running at a steady RPM.

Scenario 10 & 12 check for a vacuum leak in the following write-up.
http://www.secondchancegarage.com/public/186.cfm

1986 Cougar 3.8 L won't idle.

Reply #31
tbi = chevy

cfi = ford

on the bottom rear driver side of the cfi there is a gold metal vac line fitting.

flip the cfi over and if that area if full of carbon build up, you will have the problem your speaking of.~yet you said the cfi was recently rebuit.

in my diy link there is a lot of cfi tips but.....

first,,,,

do you have fuel presure at the shrader=  YES

do you have "whiteish blue spark"??????????

is the compression good enough across all cylinders.??????

since the car sat all winter,, eliminate bad gas by doing this (in diy link)....
-jumper the tan / light green wire to the frame of the car at the triangle shaped code pulling connector in the engine bay up by the master cylinder.
-disconnect the fuel supply line at the rear of the CFI
-rig up a hose on the end like a garden hose or something that about 5' long.
-drop the hose into a container to catch fuel.
-turn the key "FORWARD ONLY"
-the fuel pump will run 100% of the time now and extract all the fuel from the tank.
-when fuel is done dumping, turn off key and button things up then remove jumper wire.
-add new fuel
-turn key on for 5 seconds and turn key off , repeat this 3 times to "refill" your fuel lines and fuel system
bad fuel may be the reason why when you introduce "different fuel" the car runs

------------------------------------------------------------
on this car,, to answer your earlier question..................
you should never need to push on the gas to start... if its pushed to the floor, the fuel injectors actually shut off.
-in the trunk there is a fuel pump relay located "most of the time" outboard of the passanger side trunk hinge.
-there is a safety switch if rear ended, located "sometimes" inside the trunk on the rear driver side, black box with a white button.
-this safety switch removes power delivery from the fuel pump
-if you push the button down, that allows power to reach the fuel pump.

-------------------------------------- just notes / fyi for your future information..............
if the fuel pump is not powering up.....
-go to the fuel pump relay in the trunk
-there will be a small tan/light green wire.
-side tap and ground the tan/ light green wire and ground it to the frame of your car.
-if car starts,, let us know.

1986 Cougar 3.8 L won't idle.

Reply #32
second rabbit hole to go down...

by chance did anyone decide to pull the distributor ?

i say yes because you say you replaced the pick up ,, which is down inside the distributor,, and ....so..............

did they dial in top dead center perfectly and drop in the distributor or  is is possibly off one tooth??

i know from personal experience that the 3.8L cfi **WILL NOT** tolerate being off one tooth,, no matter if the tech says "well i should be able to adjust one way or the other for that".,,, nope,, noda.  being off one tooth may not cause a backfire but *will* cause the symptom you are having.

1986 Cougar 3.8 L won't idle.

Reply #33
Quote from: softtouch;465463
Have the mechanic hook a vacuum gauge to the intake manifold.
Start the engine and put something between the ISC(idle speed control) motor plunger tip and throttle linkage pad to keep the throttle open to where it will keep running at a steady RPM.

Scenario 10 & 12 check for a vacuum leak in the following write-up.
http://www.secondchancegarage.com/public/186.cfm
Soft touch - We will give it a try.  Thanks!

1986 Cougar 3.8 L won't idle.

Reply #34
Quote from: jcassity;465560
second rabbit hole to go down...

by chance did anyone decide to pull the distributor ?

i say yes because you say you replaced the pick up ,, which is down inside the distributor,, and ....so..............

did they dial in top dead center perfectly and drop in the distributor or  is is possibly off one tooth??

i know from personal experience that the 3.8L cfi **WILL NOT** tolerate being off one tooth,, no matter if the tech says "well i should be able to adjust one way or the other for that".,,, nope,, noda.  being off one tooth may not cause a backfire but *will* cause the symptom you are having.
Thanks jcassity. I will deliver your ideas to the mechanic as well. Sorry for not responding sooner but I've been busy on other projects. Hopefully one of your solutions will lead to fixing this. I miss my Cougar.

1986 Cougar 3.8 L won't idle.

Reply #35
Another thing came to mind, the 3.8L CFI cars use a time delay relay for the EEC power.
The relay takes about 5-10 seconds to drop out after you turn the key off.
If you listen real close to the center area of the dash, you can hear it click when it drops.

This gives the EEC time to go through a shutdown routine before it turns off.
The EEC will extend the ISC motor plunger to a "fast idle" position to prepare for the next start-up. (The engine has already stopped)
Don't know if it does anything else.

If someone put a standard relay in the EEC power relay socket, you will lose this shut-down procedure.

1986 Cougar 3.8 L won't idle.

Reply #36
So it's now August 15 and the car still isn't getting enough fuel to the new injectors to make the car idle. Could the solution be to replace the entire distributor? The distributor in the car now is the original.  Any thoughts??

1986 Cougar 3.8 L won't idle.

Reply #37
Does the car have fuel pressure?  What is the fuel pressure?
1988 Thunderbird TC, 5spd
Stinger 3" single exhaust, Cone Filter, Adjustable Cam Pulley, Schneider roller cam, Walbro 255 lph, AEM Wideband O2
'93 Mustang Cobra replica wheels on 235/50R17

'21 F150 Powerboost
'17 Husqvarna TX300

1986 Cougar 3.8 L won't idle.

Reply #38
Quote from: Mikey97D;466778
Does the car have fuel pressure?  What is the fuel pressure?

The fuel pressure is 35, which is what it should be. That was the first thing I checked. Any other ideas?  Thanks!

1986 Cougar 3.8 L won't idle.

Reply #39
Quote from: midnight cat;466779
The fuel pressure is 35, which is what it should be. That was the first thing I checked. Any other ideas?  Thanks!

Are the injectors getting signal to pulse/open?
1988 Thunderbird TC, 5spd
Stinger 3" single exhaust, Cone Filter, Adjustable Cam Pulley, Schneider roller cam, Walbro 255 lph, AEM Wideband O2
'93 Mustang Cobra replica wheels on 235/50R17

'21 F150 Powerboost
'17 Husqvarna TX300

1986 Cougar 3.8 L won't idle.

Reply #40
Distributor isn't the culprit. It's either a fuel flow issue or something in the injector harness.

Edit: Are you sure the fuel pump is getting full power?
88 Thunderbird LX: 306, Edelbrock Performer heads, Comp 266HR cam, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, bunch of other stuff.

1986 Cougar 3.8 L won't idle.

Reply #41
Quote from: Mikey97D;466780
Are the injectors getting signal to pulse/open?
Yes.

1986 Cougar 3.8 L won't idle.

Reply #42
Quote from: thunderjet302;466781
Distributor isn't the culprit. It's either a fuel flow issue or something in the injector harness.

Edit: Are you sure the fuel pump is getting full power?
The injectors are new. What do you mean by the injector harness? Fuel pressure is good. What do you mean by fuel pump getting full power?

1986 Cougar 3.8 L won't idle.

Reply #43
Quote from: midnight cat;466784
The injectors are new. What do you mean by the injector harness? Fuel pressure is good. What do you mean by fuel pump getting full power?

Is there 12-13 volts at the fuel pump connector? Is there any damage to the wiring harness that plugs into the injectors?
88 Thunderbird LX: 306, Edelbrock Performer heads, Comp 266HR cam, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, bunch of other stuff.

1986 Cougar 3.8 L won't idle.

Reply #44
Quote from: thunderjet302;466786
Is there 12-13 volts at the fuel pump connector? Is there any damage to the wiring harness that plugs into the injectors?
Thanks Thunderjet. My car is still at the repair shop (pushed off to the side of their shop). I don't have the answers to your last 2 questions. I'll ask the mechanic(s) tomorrow. Even though I already replaced the distributor control module and pick up coil 5 months ago, their plan now is to replace the entire distributor. If that doesn't make the car run they want me to have the car towed back home. This whole thing is very frustrating.