Car Newbie

[ScooterBovine]

I am why you don't buy a car that someone else already modified. Of course, I don't know much about cars, but I get excited when it looks cool. Anyways, I bought my MX-3 off someone, and it has all sorts of problems. You guys seem to be the experts. So, first, can anyone tell me what these wires are?

Here's a closeup:
http://www.geocities.com/scooterbovine/wtf3.JPG

A little farther out, you can see the wires:
http://www.geocities.com/scooterbovine/wtf2.JPG

And now, all the way out. These wires are located under my home depot intake, next to the side of the motor:
http://www.geocities.com/scooterbovine/wtf1.JPG

Someone in the local car clubs out here told me they look like my O2 sensor wires... I did a volt meter test, and juice is indeed flowing through these wires... Anyways, if you can identify them for me, it would be appreciated. More problems to come! Lol.

[ScooterBovine]

I don't like Geocities. Looks like you can't link pictures directly, so...

http://www.geocities.com/scooterbovine/index.html

That should work.

[dj inferno]

if u can give me ur Email, i cirlced the O2 censor, i don't think that the wires are from that becuase that looks like its hooked up just fine connected to the purple part of the intake... idk what thoes are, but if u wanna know where ur O2 censor is i cirlced it in ur pic.
peace
dan

[ScooterBovine]

jason.r.combs@us.army.mil

The purple part of the intake is the mass air-flow sensor... I think.

But cool, thanks for the help. Next question.

This is really weird. Sound like an idle control valve or motor, but lets see what you guys say:

The car runs great... until it warms up to a certain point. When it reaches that point, the idling becomes erratic. Here's what I mean. Drives fine, smells really rich, and hogs fuel, but anyways, you come to a stop, and leave your foot on the clutch. The car will begin to idle between 1.5 and 2 rpms. And I mean it jumps. It will dip down to 1 to 1.5, then jump up to 2.5 to 3 rpms kind of fast like. Take your foot off the clutch, but keep the brake pressed, it will jump from 1 to 2 rpms, but slower. Take your foot off both the brake and clutch, and MOST of the time, the car will idle right where it is supposed to, which is about 1 to 1.5 rpms I guess? But sometimes, it will still jump between 1 and 2 rpms, but really slowly.

[dj inferno]

do a search on that one, theres many problems... yah that is your MAF sensor... but i think its also ur o2 sensor.. im not sure... now u got me confused... lol if u search, u will get ur answers alot faster, and it will make alot more sence then comin from me lol

[sideshow]

Check this thread for a variety of things:
http://www.mx-3.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=15;t=004639

A couple of weekends ago I put spray lube on the throttle cable and that seemed to do the trick for a week or so BUT if I can figure out how to do it (being a newb myself) I'm going to put in a helper spring.

[ScooterBovine]

Uhhh... Without taking my car apart, is there any way I can tell what kind of clutch I have? I know the darn thing releases right off the floor almost, and my friend says that in order for that to happen, it most likely is NOT a stock clutch.

[ikarus1]

Originally posted by dj inferno:
if u can give me ur Email, i cirlced the O2 censor, i don't think that the wires are from that becuase that looks like its hooked up just fine connected to the purple part of the intake... idk what thoes are, but if u wanna know where ur O2 censor is i cirlced it in ur pic.
peace
dan

HUH?

O2 or EGO (exhaust gas oxygen) sensors are connected to the EXHAUST, not the intake.
The connector to your MAF is just that, the maf connector.

[ScooterBovine]

I know where my MAF is, I was just wondering what the connector was that I have in the pictures. The yellow one. Or what is supposed to be connected to it.

[johnnyb]

ok I just compared to my engine compartment and this is what I found:

a black connector with a yellow plug is for your fan motor, check to see if you have wires going to the fan motor. or theres a white connector with a yellow plug (manual transmission) that goes to a sensor in the tranny, check both of these and see if its either of them.

[ScooterBovine]

I'm getting really scared now. I found the plug for the fan you were talking about. It, too, is unplugged. In fact, there are 2 fans, one of them is connected, the other one is not. But the plug I am referring to does not go to the fan, so it must go to the tranny. Which makes me wonder: what does it do? No lights are on in my dash, so I don't know. After scouring my car, I have found so far 6 unplugged connectors. One was for the master brake cylinder, which I reconnected. Another is for the fan, as you said. Another one is orange, with a three prong connector inside. Another is the yellow one with the two green wires coming out of it. The other two can be found under the console where your ebrake is located, under the middle cup holder thingy. If anyone knows what all these things are, please help!