[Intrakitt]

What up.

I come here a lot and get a helluva lot of free advice. Figured I would share something:

I had a surging and rough idle, and my '94 t-bird LX 4.6 would stall at stop lights - even when I put it in neutral to raise the idle level and occasionally tap the pedal. This was not only frustrating, but also was wasting a bunch of gas. Also, it has been sluggish and lagging for a very long time.

I came here first, and tried the free things: cleaning my MAF, etc..

nothing. Then I came back and did more research, and really felt it was the IAC valve. I replaced that - nothing.

Then today, I had the upper oxygen sensors replaced (Ford says there are three on my car, but I was told some time ago that there are four on a 94 LX 4.6... anyway...)

Still nothing. Same problem - although I did need the 02 sensors replaced. One was actually fried, wires actually melted. It did change the performance of the car, but the main problem still was not fixed.

Then tonight I parked my car and decided to lift the hood and listen. I heard a lot of ticks and clicks, but I heard something else too - a swooshing, sucking kind of sound. I followed that to a hose on top of the engine and it was just gone - all soft and crumbling, like it was melting.

A VACUUM LEAK!! WHY COULDN"T THE MECHANIC FIND A .30 CENT PROBLEM?!?!?

I replaced it with some tubing I had laying around and my car perked right up, idles (fairly) fine, chirps the tires, everything.

I still need a tune up and a rear catalytic converter (and a bunch of other crap!), but the car runs like I haven't seen it run for a year.

Moral of the story: Save yourself time and a lot of money by checking vacuum leaks first. Don't be me!

 

[General Zod]

i hear ya on the mechanic stuff......only time my car/car-parts see(s) a shop is to have something pressed in by a machine press, or for a wheel alignment

also, if that tubing is rubber, check it from time to time.....it softens up with heat, and time only makes it worse.....after driving around for most a day, with the engine bay heat soaked, it can collapse under vacuum....that is the best time to check it, after a long drive pop the hood with the car still running

 

[Intrakitt]

Thanks for the info. I did check it and found a bit more tubing that needed to be replaced. Can I ask you something? I noticed that the hose that was on there is pretty whimpy and thin - easily collapses. I replaced it with a thicker, steel-braid-enforced fuel hose that does not collapse under vacuum. Would this cause any problems? Does it need to be thinner for any reason? Sounds stupid, I know, but why would they use this type of hose when it can collapse so easily? My car is running pretty darn good right now, but I don't know if it will cause any long-term problem.

 

[Chris_Murder]

no your doing a better thing by replacing it with re-enforced hose, regular rubber hose tends to rot easy, and its usually hard to find the thicker hoses in that size to keep them from collapsing, so good call, it wont cause any long term problems it will probably be better if anything

 

[J.Miller]

Good stuff! Too many tell you to replace the IAC when in many cases there is nothing wrong with it...