really bad performance from k8

[madLyrical]

Alright so basically i started having alot of problems with what i believed to be my distributer because it started with my start ups being very weak..so where it would start and would only rev to 1k or less and just sound awful but it would ride okay but would ride okay once i got going, very hesitant tho, and my gas mileage was horrible..
then my idle was always very low and would stall sometimes while driving.. so at that point i didnt want to get stranded so i went ahead and did the hei + ext coil assuming that it was a spark issue.. but once i got that going, and cranked it, it was still pretty weak.. it was slightly better but still very hesitant to accelerate, even when the vris should kick in. Sometime it gets so bad that itll stall just as im pressing in the clutch to stop at a red light or something.

so ive checked my intake for leaks and nothing, but i do have an exhuast leak but im pretty sure that shouldnt cause all the problems im having. I also thought maybe my o2 sensors but the only codes im pulling are 16 and 29 tho from searching dont appear to be much of an issue..i tried adjusting the timing but it basically will just go from the bad idle and hesitation im at now to stalling. i still feel like its a vacuum leak somewhere
i been searching for almost a week now and i just cant seem to pinpoint any definative answer from problems other people have had.. any assistance is appreciated
93 gs

[Ryan]

can't time it -> mechanical timing is out.


but it still really sounds like a vacuum issue, I'd double and triple check.

[madLyrical]

yea tommorow im going to inspect the entire system from the manual.. i thought about the mechanical timing as well but wouldnt it be driving bad all the time, because i will have moments were it will suddenly ride fine..
actually earlier on my way home from school it had been driving bad as usual, then i suddenly saw white smoke come out the exhuast and it started riding just fine for a while. i do have a slight coolant leak which i assumed was from a hose that mightve split due to extra heat from not having a cooling fan for a little while.. ido now but the leaks another issue i havent begun working on yet

[mazda915]

i had the same prob and then my disty died so i just last week did my hei mod wit my 92 k8 disty so now it starts up fast with my red top battery and also has a improved idle and at high rpms . so id do that before ur disty leaves u stranded bro . and also make sure ur timing is dead on .

[carizle]

Check your battery cables. mine only ran like s*** the first few days I got it until I noticed the + cable was about to fall off the battery. Also clogged cat?

[madLyrical]

i had the same prob and then my disty died so i just last week did my hei mod wit my 92 k8 disty so now it starts up fast with my red top battery and also has a improved idle and at high rpms . so id do that before ur disty leaves u stranded bro . and also make sure ur timing is dead on .

ive already done the hei mod + the external coil, i will check the timing again today as well as the vacuum again

Check your battery cables. mine only ran like s*** the first few days I got it until I noticed the + cable was about to fall off the battery. Also clogged cat?

im pretty sure my battery cables were fine but i will double check since i dont have many other ideas right now myself.. hmm i will check the cat as well..

[madLyrical]

okay so i drove the car around for a little, then went to recheck the codes, and finally i get something of use.. codes 17 and 24 , so it appears to be the o2 sensors.. so im gonna order some and hopefully that fixes the issue..as far as i kno both sensors are the same if im not mistaken.. i noticed the oe densos on rockauto are two different prices so maybe im wrong?

[mikeinaus]

there the same sensor, as far as i know the rear one has a longer cord but other then that there the same.

[xSocialx]

My k8 did the same thing and it turned out it was a vacuum leak. Sounds like a you have a vacuum leak to but O2's make alot of sense to.

Good luck!

[madLyrical]

after further considerations and more searching, i think i will check out the injectors before purchasing the o2 sensors, i hadnt quite looked into the fuel system yet and just because it would be very odd if both o2 sensors happen to go bad at the same time..

[newdriver92]

im wondering if we have the same thing wrong with our cars

[Ryan]

vac leak can lead to O2 code.

[carizle]

Anything throwing off the a/f can lead to an o2 code. The only reason the light comes on is for emissions problems. It really doesn't care if something else is seriously wrong. The only thing o2 codes are good for is tricking people into buying them when theres nothing wrong with them. I ALMOST made the same mistake with my Explorer after running the code, but figured out it was a bad FPR to blame. Speaking of that, check your FPR? Are those a common issue on these cars? I haven't been around it long enough to know...

[madLyrical]

So after I let it get up to temperature I start pulling the spark plug wires and I get no idle change on 2 and 4 but I do have spark..so that would lead me to assume the injectors are to blame, what do u guys think?..I still do have a vacuum leak somewhere tho, but I feel I've narrowed the issues to vacuum leak and a couple bad injector, hopefully at least

[madLyrical]

I haven't been around it long enough to know...

You've been a member for less than two and have already almost caught up to me in posts.. I'm definitely a lurker I guess its time I stop