hi guys,
im hoping for some help in diagnosing a problem.
at some point in the last 3 months, i cant really say when, or if anything triggered this, but the car has begun to run shitty, for lack of a better description.
Idle seems rough, and it feels like im losing power at lower rpms.
Everything stock except: k&n 2820 filter, removed intake resonator.
There is also a noticeable miss.
Things we have seen trying to figure this out:
spark plugs seem to indicate running lean.
timing may be off (this is sort of another question...)
when i checked the timing i though it was around 8.
moving the distributor all the way got it to 8, i could retard back to 0.
it may be confusion of how to read it with the particular timing light we were using.
its a digital timing gun, inductive.
with the gun at 16, the timing seems to be at 8.
then we noticed the pointer was slightly at an angle, and reading it at an angle could change the reading by as much as 8 degrees!
so the timing may be ok.

i hear a faint ticking noise, almost like when u need a valve adjustment.
there is a distinct whine that seems to be coming from near the alternator.
the 2820 filter makes a chirping? noise anytime the throttle is opened suddenly...

we checked for vacuum leaks, none found.
we checked the tps sensor, it checked out.
the idle adjustment yielded no results.
the timing belt is looser than i expected, without alot of effort i think i could pull it right off the cam gears.
the valves are adjusted within spec.
the plug wires checked out with a multimeter, but without another set i cannot say for sure they are good/bad
we took the distributor apart and it all seems ok too.

i then started suspecting the rigged up intake
i removed the airbox cover to see if it woud help any.
it did, a little bit.

no CELs.

i occasionally hear a metallic grinding noise when shifting gears.
like a piece of metal is loose in the tranny.
(this is probably unrelated...ive always had tranny problems,i bought the car used and abused)

any advice on how to go about troubleshooting this?
thanks
aet

 

I know its not something you would want to do, but just take it to the dealer and see what they say. dont have them fix anything but just have them try to diagnose it if possible. then you can try to fix it yourself or have someone else do it. I know people have been having lots of problems with dealers lately but thats where I would start in your case.

 

from what you've said, I would look at timing. You should reset the ignition timing back to stock specs (ITR= 16 +/- 2 degrees BTDC). Losing power at low RPMs is a symptom of timing that is too retarded, so make sure it's set right. Are you reading a CEL light? If so, run the ecu codes and see what it says. Are you running decent gasoline? How old are the plugs? Are they gapped right? If you're not sure about the ignition wires, replace em. Do a leakdown and compression test to see what kind of shape the valves, seals, and piston rings are in. Is the compression within factory specs?

The ticking at idle you hear is probably fuel injectors, this is okay. My car does it all the time, just get used to it. The intake whistle from the K&N is also normal. I would put the cover back on the intake box, and if you have the resonator, put it back on. The goal is to eliminate as many variables as you can.

If all that doesn't work, then find a good mechanic, or bring it to the dealer. Good luck

Nick