Ex died randomly today.

[psychotic]

Just started up, pulled out of school a little fast. When i let off the gas, the idle dropped really low, shuddered a little and died as i stopped. Started up a tiny hesitant after that and ran great the rest of the way home. All my mods are pretty much listed below, but i don't think any of these could cause it. Could a worn out IACV cause this? or just something else random... hopefully nothing is "wrong" with my ex!

 

[Klowns]

I dunno, literally dunno, maybe since it wasn't warmed up, you kinda "shocked it" maybe flooded it or something, no cars like to run really fast after sitting for a while, at school or something. My ex does that sometimes when i start it and give it a few revs to get the AC going, cause it so hot, sometimes it wants to die after I give it some gas, cause it isn't warmed up, but it never does.

 

[psychotic]

Maybe thats it... but its at least 85 degrees outside, and its been sittin all day. I know 85 degrees is cold for an engine... but i thought it didn't matter so much unless it was like cold outside.

 

[Klowns]

I kinda hear you on that, but i mean it happens to me to a lesser degree, and that's here in AZ, where it's regularly a cool 100+ when I get into my car.

 

[ChuckyD]

thats the only thing you have felt ever ...the only thing that has happened?
no bogging?

 

[psychotic]

I've had bogging twice...
once when pouring seafoam into the engine,
and another time when i had the iac valve unhooked to set the throttle body to idle at 500 rpm.

My IACV was "howling" a while back. Probably because it was getting worn out. I found a quick fix of taking out the foam filter pieces from under the black cap. I was going to clean them and put them back in to see if it helped, but the foam filter fell apart, so i have no fliter under the IAC cap anymore. I didn't think it mattered though?

 

[Jason_25]

Same thing used to happen to me leaving the school parking lot. It would idle down really low, and sometimes it would cut off. I think it's just a general indication that your engine is out of tune. It never happens to me any more.

 

[Magicfan25]

My 98 SOHC with approx 33k miles did that the other day... been fine ever since... I had just come 170miles on the turnpike..parked for 30min and it did that... no codes or anything... go figure

 

[psychotic]

Yeah my check engine light hasn't been on, nor did it come on afterwards.

 

[Alec]

If you don't have that foam stuff in your IAC and it was howling a while back, I'd get a new one.

 

[psychotic]

yeah, I was gonna do that along with oxygen sensors. I've heard that with over 100k on a 96 ex you'll normally get a lil power back with new oxygen sensors. What do you think fellow 96 owner? Also, why isn't your comp code mkk2? is it cause i'm 4wd and you're 2wd?

 

[Alec]

The O2s might be an idea. But if you don't have O2 codes you probably don't need them.

As for the computer codes, there are probably 50 different codes over a dozen years of the X.

 

[psychotic]

do all codes cause the check engine light to come on?

 

[Alec]

CEL means the computer threw a trouble code.

 

[psychotic]

What kinds of codes wouldn't cause CEL?

 

[dogfriend]

Originally posted by psychotic
What kinds of codes wouldn't cause CEL?

Theoretically, for OBD-II, any codes that are set that also cause increased emissions should turn on CEL. Toyota was sued by State of CA over an problem where their light didn't come on, but I didn't ever hear the outcome of the case (probably settled out of court).

Codes that are unique to Ford (GEM codes or Auto Trans codes) wouldn't necessarily turn on CEL, but I don't have any experience with this, it is my interpretation of stuff that I have read. Maybe one of the Ford techs could answer this more definitively.

 

[Robert]

Every OBD-II related code will turn on the CEL. Very few will turn it on immediately, but some will. Most will only turn on the CEL if the fault was detected after two consecutive drivecycles with a minimum of 8 hours in between. Under most circumstances, the first time a fault is detected it will set a code under "Pending Codes". If the fault happens again on the very next drive cycle it will set a "Trouble Code" and illuminate the CEL. When 40 consecutive complete drivecycles have been completed without the fault reoccuring, the code will be erased from either "Pending" or "Trouble", wherever it was last stored.

Manufacturer specific codes for things like air-bags, ABS, transmissions, or GEM operations will not set off the CEL unless it causes an OBD-II sensor to go out of acceptable limits. These codes will usually illuminate their respective diagnostics indicator lamps (Air-Bag, ABS, Brake, OD, 4x4, etc). Most OBD-II scanners will not read these types of codes, however many of these types of errors will flash a certain sequence which will indicate the fault.