Sorry to be Redundent - Help

[bhermes]

OK. First test complete.

TPS

-At idle the center contact is in contact to the contact on the right. So good at idle

-At 1400 rpms the center contact is still in contact on the right terminal. Not good

-The center to right contact breaks at about 3500 rpms. I repeated this about 10 times and conssitant.

-I did not go above 4500 rpms but center contact never made it to the left contact.

-Contacts look very clean

I kind of suspect the gauge to be off about 200 rpms, idles best at around 1000 rpms per gauage but not much more. The engine is obviously going much more than 1400 rpms when contact breaks.

Any thoughts if this would be a sympton of my shutting off problem. Seems that for the most part I would be running rich most of the time. Not sure if the problem is always associated with a certain rpm.

Fuel gauge installation next.

Thanks

[bhermes]

I tried one more thing. On the test in previous email I was appplying gas slowly both at pedal and in engine bay. Increasing rpms slowly in obth cases.

I just tried a quick acceleration and the TPS seemed to move through the cycle correctly. A little hard to tell if at 1400 rpms but close.

Any thoughts?

[FastWoman]

Your TPS doesn't care about RPM. It only cares about throttle position. It's your ECU that cares about RPM in relation to the TPS signal. Your RPM can be quite high without much throttle when not under load.

However, what you've learned is that you can give the engine enough throttle when not under load to reach 3500 RPM before even breaking the low idle contact in the TPS, hence your problem. When properly adjusted, that contact should break when you just start opening the throttle. It should be closed only when your foot is off the pedal. As I recall, the TPS closes in the other direction at something like 3/4 or 2/3 throttle.

Of course to adjust the TPS correctly, just rotate it and set it in the correct position with the little set screw.

[siteunseen]

On your brake light issue when you unplug the bullet connector does the light go off? Mine did and I just left it unplugged, I think it's a safety switch for low fluid that goes bad. Just make sure the reservoirs are full when you pop the hood every now and then.

[bhermes]

Adjusted TPS and it seems to be breaking contacts correctly.

Unplugged the connector under the master cylinder and the brake light stayed on. Remember that I upgraded to the 60 Amp Alternator with the internal voltage regulator and did some rewiring. I need to look back at the procedure and do the last step that makes the light go off. My concern is if this is draining the battery while off. Light is off when key is off.

I also noticed another bullett connector under the windshield fluid reseviour that was not connected. Not sue where it goes. There are a couple going to I guess a sensor under the windshield fluid reseviour but this one doesn't seem to have a home. Reseviour is busted anyway.

Drove car down the street a couple times and seems to be driving a little better. My wife calls it acting like a redneck, which is perfectly ok by me, the car had good pick up but since the problem is so sparatic I will have to do a little more driving to find out if anything improved.

Next up is fuel gauge to wiper.

I feel like that this group is like having a free mechanic but better. I get to play around on your advice. Thanks.

[bhermes]

Still not completely happy with the car. I think I may have adjusted the TPS to far the other way. I will readjust and see if this helps.

I was reading through some old threads (Jan 2011) in regards to the 60 AMP Alternator upgrade, and the thread talked about the udgraded alternator not charging during cruising on occassions and it would recover with a change in rpms. I am curios if I may be having this problem and how I would tell.

[siteunseen]

Gorilla tape a volt meter to the passenger's side windshield and go for a cruise. Or get 6 ft. of speaker wire, wrap the ends on your battery terminals, run it through the window and tape the ends to a volt meter sitting in the passenger's seat. But don't text and drive!

[bhermes]

I know I should have some fuel pressure data by now; however, I did attempt a drive yesterday and about .1 of a mile from my driveway the car just about stopped. I was able to turn around and get the car back home going about 1 mile/hr.

I did note that the rpm's stayed around 1500 throughout the 1 mile/hr trip.

Any thoughts? Does this mean I am looking at a fuel problem for sure? I started thinking I might be having some issues with alternator charging or fusable links but it more and more seems like fuel.

If I can get another decent day I will try the fuel pressure check.

Just wanting to keep track of what is going on.

Thanks.

[siteunseen]

Crank your car inside the garage, with the garage door opened a little at least, walk to the front passengers side and grab the fuel line coming from the metal fuel filter. Try and pinch it together. If you can you don't have enough fuel pressure.

[bhermes]

Hopefully this does not show up twice. If so sorry.

I finally was able to get my fuel gauge hooked up. I connected between the fuel filter and rail and ran the gauge to the windshield wiper. I have not been able to go for a real ride but here is what I have learned.

During idle the gauge is reading 25 psi. During acceleration, raising rpm's, the pressure goes up to 30 psi; however, no matter the rpm the gauge will settle at 25 psi. I did drive just briefly in the driveway and the gauge was consistent at 25 psi.

Based on the FSM and previous posts I believe I should be getting around 36 psi.

Fuel Pump? Fuel Filter? Fuel Line? Anything else to consider? other than possible bad gauge.

Thanks.

[EuroDat]

You will not get 36psi with the vacuum line connected to the FPR. When the engine is running at WOT and under heavy load it would get 36psi for short periods, but thats when the manifold vacuum is very low.

To check the true fuel pressure, you can remove the vacuum line to the FPR, then the pressure should increase to 36psi. If you run it for long periods with the vacuum line disconnected it will run rich because the ECU won't compensate for that.

The system is simple and the ECU opens the injectors based a 36psi pressure difference accross the tip of the injector. The FPR simply varies fuel pressure according to manifold vacuum and maintaining 36psi pressure difference between fuel rail and inlet manifold.

Chas

[siteunseen]

If you get bored try pinching off the return line with some needle nose pliers with rubber tubing pieces over the teeth, if you have a healthy Bosch OE pump it will hit 50 psi. Do it quick though or you'll get leaks at that pressure. You may have a slightly clogged filter but those numbers you've posted do not seem bad to me. It should run fine around 30 psi. Have you measured the vacuum at the intake manifold with a vacuum gauge? Auto parts stores will loan you one if they have one, pull off the big line to the brake booster and measure there, should be between 15 and 19 if I remember right and your motor is healthy. Good to hear your progress with this weather we've had.