Feels like it wants to stall Topic is solved

Post by **Sveedy** » 02 Mar 2021, 09:01

Out of the blue she was hard to start this morning. Kept dying but finally started idling though not steadily. As I was driving I noticed that when I took my foot off the gas, the RPM's would drop and it felt like it was going to stall. Push on the gas and nothing for a couple of seconds then it would go. Decided that I had better head back home instead of continuing on to work. Just as I got home CEL came on. PO 0171 Fuel bank 1 Lean. Fuel pump and filter are new in the last year. Ditto with fuel pump relay, though that one did come from the JY. Anything else I should be looking at ? I have another relay I am going to pop in and see if that helps.

Doing some searching and I'm thinking o2 sensor. The one thing I haven't replaced.

Post by **volvolugnut** » 02 Mar 2021, 09:14

Bad fuel with dirt or water? Have you kept tank near full and consumed fuel to turn over fuel at least once a month? Do you use ethanol blend fuel? Winter can be bad for condensation in fuel.
volvolugnut

Post by **Sveedy** » 02 Mar 2021, 09:41

Don't think fuel is the problem. It was running fine when parked yesterday. Usually fill the tank. Recently have been driving about 170 miles a day so I'm going through some tank fulls. But getting apx 28+mpg. I think I'll hit the junkyard and grab a o2 and a MAF. I know all the hoses are new and tight so it's something I haven't yet touched, I think. Hence the o2. I have never replaced it.

Post by **Sveedy** » 02 Mar 2021, 15:07

Well I pulled the o2 sensor and I'm not sure if I have an issue or not. The sensor has a chalky white look to it. Is that normal for a turbo ? And if it's bad, do I need to stick with Bosch or will others work fine.

Post by **abscate** » 02 Mar 2021, 15:19

That lean code is pointing to a vacuum leak, either a vacuum hose or an induction leak

Post by **Sveedy** » 02 Mar 2021, 15:39

All hoses are new and tight. So is the intake and TB. When I googled the code there were a few mentions of either a bad or dirty MAF ( I cleaned mine 6 months ago ) or a bad o2. That along with vacuum leaks for bringing too much air in. Then fuel delivery problems for bringing too little fuel in. Since I have done the entire fuel system, I ruled that out.
Seems weird that it would be running fine when parked last night, but then all of a sudden a basket case this morning.

Post by **misha** » 02 Mar 2021, 15:41

Disconnect Maf and start the car.
If it runs better...Maf or it's connector are bad.

Post by **Sveedy** » 02 Mar 2021, 15:50

I'll give that a try. Of course I now have everything taken apart. As you know, the best course of action when something acts up, is to immediately take EVERYTHING apart.

Is the white color of the o2 normal ?

Post by **wizechatmgr** » 02 Mar 2021, 17:24

I would go with what Misha said. On my '98 NA, when the MAF went bad, it had problems idling and even maintaining engine speed. Within a couple minutes it was jack rabbiting. Once the MAF was replaced I pulled it apart. There is apparently a ceramic board on mine and it had a hairline fracture. So it would be fine for 2-3 seconds and then go nuts.

Post by **jreed** » 03 Mar 2021, 05:45

Regarding the color of the O2 sensor, I can offer that my O2 sensor was covered with white and slightly pink deposits on the outer surface of the sensing tip. This was the original O2 sensor dated 1996... I replaced it at about 225K miles recently due to a repeated "slow response" code on the OBD2 system. I don't know if the deposits are normal or not.