Do it yourself

March 14th, 2015 at 6:27:16 AM permalink
Dalex64
Member since: Mar 8, 2014
Threads: 3
Posts: 3687
Ok, I've done the no tool work.

I heard the fuel pump pressurize the system. (Pretty sure)

It almost started.

I opened the airbox, looks fine, tried starting with it open, still no good.

Engine codes 0133, 0401, 1404.
First one is the "slow"' o2 sensor problem that it has had for years.
The next two seem to be related to the egr valve or egr sensor.

I'll try unplugging the sensor and removing the valve. I'll see if it rattles, and see if I have the right sort of spray to loosen it up.

The spark plugs are top access. Hopefully I haven't misplaced all of my socket extenders.

The muffler still appears to be unobstructed. If I get an assistant later, I can have him or her check to feel air coming out.

I'll have to go to the store to get dry gas and/or starting fluid.
"Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts." Daniel Patrick Moynihan
March 14th, 2015 at 7:44:13 AM permalink
Dalex64
Member since: Mar 8, 2014
Threads: 3
Posts: 3687
I have my TLA's (three letter acryonym's) messed up. The thing I was talking about rattling is the PCV valve. I've never messed with EGR stuff before.

I pulled out the PCV valve, and the hoses connected to it, and it still didn't start.

The bottom of the PCV valve, and the rubber housing that it sits in, was covered with a cardboard-brown sludgy, snotty goop. There was some of that goop on the throttle body side of the hose connected to the egr valve, too. I cleaned it out, and the plunger moves freely now. After reassembling, the car started! I had to have full throttle, and it stumbled for a while, and after it was going I had to hold it at about 2,000 rpms to keep it running. After a minute or two I was able to let it drop to idle.

It is running quite rough. I let it run for a few minutes, and drove it around the block, trying to get some juice back in the battery.

I noticed the snow by the tailpipe was quite blackened. After driving it around to let it warm up (and charge the battery), I replaced the black snow with fresh snow. I revved the engine a few times, and it blackened the snow.

There is visible smoke coming from the tailpipe at idle. It isn't the blue-black burning oil smoke that I'm used to, it looks more like the regular car-isn't-warmed-up color. It didn't smell like the typical oil burner that I got used to as a teen-ager. I don't think I ran the car for more than 10 minutes, so it may not have been warmed up. The outside air temperature today is 45.

The word from my wife is that it has been running rough for a few months, and she is putting in a quart of oil every two fill-ups, which is going to be every 500 to 600 miles.

I realized when I was getting ready to pull a spark plug that I don't have all of the tools I thought I had. I only have a single 4" extension, and I don't even have any 1/4" rubber hose to use to thread the spark plug on replacement. I guess the last time I did this sort of work was a few decades ago when I was living with my parents. I don't even know if I have the right socket - I thought I had a full deep well set, but I only have a couple, and I know the smallest one I used last for my lawn mower. The car has a DOHC engine with the plugs mounted in the middle, and completely vertically, with 6" long boots.

If you think it has bad rings, then this is pretty much the end of the line for the car.
"Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts." Daniel Patrick Moynihan
March 14th, 2015 at 10:53:21 AM permalink
petroglyph
Member since: Aug 3, 2014
Threads: 25
Posts: 6227
It still sounds like water in the fuel to me. I would get the fuel level low and add the rubbing alcohol, which will mix with the water so it can burn.

The cardboard brown around the pcv is either old spray lube, [carnuba wax?] or water mixed with your oil blowing out around the rubber grommet?

What color is the crankcase oil? Do you see any indication of water on the dipstick? Could it be water in your fuel blowing past the rings mixing in the crankcase?

Thicker viscosity oil lasts longer in these cases then low V oil or multi, like a 5-30. There are some pretty amazing additives these days that will slow down the burn for a while. IMHO
The last official act of any government is to loot the treasury. GW
March 14th, 2015 at 11:30:15 AM permalink
Face
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 61
Posts: 3941
Quote: Dalex64
I have my TLA's (three letter acryonym's) messed up. The thing I was talking about rattling is the PCV valve. I've never messed with EGR stuff before.

I pulled out the PCV valve, and the hoses connected to it, and it still didn't start.

The bottom of the PCV valve, and the rubber housing that it sits in, was covered with a cardboard-brown sludgy, snotty goop. There was some of that goop on the throttle body side of the hose connected to the egr valve, too. I cleaned it out, and the plunger moves freely now. After reassembling, the car started! I had to have full throttle, and it stumbled for a while, and after it was going I had to hold it at about 2,000 rpms to keep it running. After a minute or two I was able to let it drop to idle.


Huh. That's weird. As you may know, the PCV allows combustion chamber gases that have blown by the rings and into the crankcase to escape back into the intake manifold, as opposed to staying in the crankcase. It, again, is more of an emissions thing rather than an engine function thing. That "sludge" is likely oil residue that has accumulated. I'm not sure how or why that would affect startup; then again, these accessory functions begin to get out of my area of expertise. Vacuums are the bane of my existence =p

Quote: Dalex

If you think it has bad rings, then this is pretty much the end of the line for the car.


I don't know any other way that oil could be getting into the combustion chamber, unless you burned a hole in your piston. Either way, it's only being fixed by cracking it open and replacing parts.

At 200k, you should have already had to replace a bunch of stuff, which I imagine, like all of us, you haven't unless it has failed ;) You could overhaul it, but even rings, pistons, bearings, and gaskets is gonna run close to $2k after labor, to say nothing of the bits and pieces that regulate the thing. If you're fond of the car, you could hit up the recycle shops and just buy a whole new powerplant and toss it in yourself for ~$500 plus delivery. Of course, your lack of tools makes me think you'd not be keen on all that. And since you've identified yourself as a northerner, I can't imagine the rest of the car is in all that good of shape.

Your car reasonably equipped at that mileage in the north might be worth $1,200 as it stands. If I had owned it and put it through my commute and my winters, it'd be worth maybe $300 in scrap =p In other words, it's not looking good.

It's your call, of course. But this ain't nothing you're gonna fix with a 3/8ths socket set and a hammer.
Be bold and risk defeat, or be cautious and encourage it.
March 16th, 2015 at 10:10:59 AM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
Here's an easy question (I hope):

How come my showerhead seems to screw-in crooked to the tube and then leaks a little from that area?

Supplemental: how come some showerheads won't screw-in at all?
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER
March 16th, 2015 at 11:10:40 AM permalink
Fleastiff
Member since: Oct 27, 2012
Threads: 62
Posts: 7831
accumulated gunk?
Try bleach or vinegar.
March 16th, 2015 at 12:15:46 PM permalink
Ayecarumba
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 89
Posts: 1744
Quote: kenarman
It is likely the water fill mechanism if you have no flecks. The flecks come from the liner inside the ice tray. When it fails the ice sticks and it all doesn't come out cleanly. The ice left behind causes the tray to overflow. Most system have an adjustment for the water level. Google your particular model and it should be relatively simply to adjust it.


Icemaker update - Unfortunately, the filter wasn't the problem. I pulled the icemaker from the freezer, and tried dialing down the water level adjustment (it works on a timer, shutting off after a certain number of seconds, regardless of the actual flow rate). Unfortunately, this slowed but didn't solve the problem. With the icemaker out and defrosted, I noted that the non-stick" coating on the tray was bubling and cracking. As kenarman mentioned, this appears to be the cause of the problem. The existing ice wasn't getting dumped cleanly, but the icemaker believed the tray was empty, and was signaling the valve to open, sending more water into an already full tray.

I ended up replacing the icemaker. Fortunately, I found an OEM replacement on Amazon and was able to do it myself in about 30 minutes. It's working like a champ now.

Thanks for all your help folks!
March 16th, 2015 at 12:18:24 PM permalink
Ayecarumba
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 89
Posts: 1744
Quote: Nareed
Here's an easy question (I hope):

How come my showerhead seems to screw-in crooked to the tube and then leaks a little from that area?

Supplemental: how come some showerheads won't screw-in at all?


It sounds like there are different size threads on the pipe and the showerhead. If a few turns of teflon tape doesn't stop the leak, you may need to purchase an adapter.

Edit: More details:

There are, Standard, Metric and British pipe threads. In the USA the standard is referred to as, "0.5 inch NPT":

1/2"- 0.5000, 13 tpi, 3/4" in 12" taper

12mm- 0.4724, 1.75 mm pitch, 1.5 mm taper

12mm/1/2"- 0.5000- 16 tpi
March 16th, 2015 at 2:33:25 PM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
Quote: Ayecarumba
It sounds like there are different size threads on the pipe and the showerhead. If a few turns of teflon tape doesn't stop the leak, you may need to purchase an adapter.


Thanks!
I had to google "teflon tape," but I think I saw some lying around one bathroom a few month ago.
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER
March 16th, 2015 at 3:12:23 PM permalink
Face
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 61
Posts: 3941
Quote: Nareed
Here's an easy question (I hope):

How come my showerhead seems to screw-in crooked to the tube and then leaks a little from that area?

Supplemental: how come some showerheads won't screw-in at all?


First, I second Aye's advice. Thread tape will seal it right up. It's very thin and shower stuff is usually very low tolerance plastic, so you may need several layers of wrapping to fill the void. But it should stop it dead.

As to why it goes crooked, that typically points to a cross threading situation. However, since most of that stuff is plastic and the threads quite robust, that seems unlikely. If they happen to be metal and the threads are very fine, visually inspect them to see if that's the cause (it'll be completely apparent). If not cross threaded, it's likely that the part that gets threaded into just isn't lined up on axis with the neck of the shower head. Sometimes these threads are an insert, sometimes they're cut into the actual neck, but in neither case is there much concern in craftsmanship. Regardless of the cause, there will likely be no way to make it straight, and any attempt will break it or make the leak worse.

As to why it won't screw in, most likely reason is stripped threads. After that, in the cases were the threads are contained in an insert, the insert has come loose or has broken loose, and turning causes the whole insert to spin, preventing threading.

Why you so rough on shower equipment? Shower / karate dojo? ;)
Be bold and risk defeat, or be cautious and encourage it.