Probe Problem

[dpm68]

Hi. I was wondering if anyone can be of help here. I know this is not a Charger or even a Mopar problem for that matter, but here goes: A friend had her 1989 Ford (Mazda) Probe dropped off. It will start but only runs for about a minute and then dies. It will start right back up but pretty much do the same thing. It has a nasty exhaust leak somewhere midship and that's about it. It doesn't need a tune-up. Also, if you put it into reverse or drive it especially kills it. Any advice would be helpful, as this tank is floundering outside my garage. It seems fuel-related (relay) but I'm not sure. Could a plugged cat be suspect? I might try to huff the intake port with carb spray and see...Thanks!

[tan top]

does sound like the fuel pump relay .....  can't remember if these have them but have they got reset button /trip type of thing ...
when was the last time the car was running properly , ? what happened just suddenly started doing this ?

[dpm68]

I will quiz her on it's demise and try to see what the conditions were. One thing is that it makes a clink sound at the top end of the air meter box whenever it dies...I'm not sure if this is normal or not.

[mikepmcs]

I was thinking cat as soon as i started reading this. Disconnect the exhaust at the head and fire it up for a cheap way to check that out.

[dpm68]

Will do. I just talked to her and it was gradual and started bumbling over about a week's time. It died once about a week ago and started immediately - then drove for a while and progressively got worse where she would have to start it several times to make it to work (a couple of miles) and now it wont stay running long enough to make it across the street. I will bypass the cat and see. Hope that's it, as I urged to get her exhaust leak fixed months ago. Thanks!

[chgr500]

Depending on which engine the car has 4cyl or V6....the 2.5 litre V6 has been known for repeat failures with the distributor..they are only available aftermarket and costly... the crank sensor and crank sensor wiring harness are other common issues with the 2.5L  ....these component failures generally start off as intermittent and then a no start condition...could be plugged exhaust as well...GL

[dpm68]

It's a 4.

[rt green]

i agree. take a back pressre test. check engine lamp on? what you do is pull the nearest o2 befor the cat and hook up a back pressure guage. shouldnt be more than 1 pound of back pressure on the guage.  if so, plugged cat. if not, go from there.

[Dough88]

Pull the plugs and check them.  I had a friend in high school with the same car, same problem, we pulled the plugs and the electrodes were all burned almost off.  Probably not the problem, but worth a look.

[dpm68]

I tuned it up a year or so ago and while the engine does have a habit of leaving deposits on the plugs, they should be relatively okay, but I'll pull a couple out just the same.

[dkn1997]

I will quiz her on it's demise and try to see what the conditions were. One thing is that it makes a clink sound at the top end of the air meter box whenever it dies...I'm not sure if this is normal or not.

If it's a mass air car, check the mass air sensor in the airbox.  I had one go on my grand prix.  stranded the wife. towed  it to a friend who's a tech and started right up for him.  he had a hunch and tapped the mass air sensor and it stumbled and ran crappy.  I don't even know if your car is mass air or speed density, though..

[dpm68]

Speaking of the mass air sensor, it does go clink as it dies. I wonder...

[mikepmcs]

Don't get off on a tangent, keep it simple first.

[Silver R/T]

sounds like vacuum leak to me

[dkn1997]

Speaking of the mass air sensor, it does go clink as it dies. I wonder...

try tapping on that thing and see it it works.  unfortunately, it's not a cheap enough part to "just swap it out and see if that is the problem"  I bet if you went on a ford forum, someone would know of a way to test the mass air sensor with a volt meter

[Doright]

It does sound like a fuel pump relay
When the key is first turned the fuel pump relay is by passed with power going threw another circuit either in the relay or in the wiring to the pump when you let go of the key in run it return power threw the relay and it takes over.
If the relay is bad no power to the pump this could be confirmed with a fuel press gage on the fuel manifold. You could hook one up see the pressure come up when key is first switched on start engine and see if pressure drops while running till it dies, if it remains constant look for something else.

A plugged up exhaust would run for awhile and die too.

Its not a crank or cam sensor dist. etc. I wouldn't think! (but it could be) as it does run at least for a minute you said, A scanner may show a code or two which would be helpful for trouble shooting but not always an accurate at pointing too the problem! a single problem will cause multiple codes! if the battery hasn't been killed or disconnected.

Could also be a bad pump or plugged pump pick up,There was a rash of bad pump insulation (Black stuff they put around pump and base) issued with re man pumps which melts in gas after a while and plugs up the pump inlet filter.

Other than that keep it simple first check wiring connections first and Ground on engine.

Have fun and take your time!

[dpm68]

Ladies and gentlemen, the winner is: The Fuel Pump!
I finally got a chance to go through it this afternoon and after watching it misbehave for a bit, I removed the fouled and eroded plugs, and then went after the fuel filter and poured out its sandy brown cocktail, I realized that the pump had given up. They don't like pushing sandy brown gunk. Thanks everyone for yours input.

[Doright]

When you replace that pump try to reuse the old insulation not the new stuff that comes with the pump.
Only reason I found this was having to pull pump back out after 6 months, what a mess

[RallyeMike]

I thought I was logged into my Alien Sex Experimentation forum for a minute there.

[dpm68]

Crap crap crap! I took the pump out and bench tested it in a bucket of water off the car's battery and it ran for a few seconds and began to sputter and poot - just like the car was doing, so I think "it's the pump, plain and simple." I just put the new one in today, and it ran for about 45 seconds and then began to sputter and poot, then died. New filter too. What gives?

[69charger2002]

maybe the fuel pump and catalytic converter are going out simultaneously? it is a ford after all, it is prone to having more than 1 problem at once. 
trav

[chgr500]

Speaking of the mass air sensor, it does go clink as it dies. I wonder...

That noise is usually the throttle body butterfly slapping shut...

Crap crap crap! I took the pump out and bench tested it in a bucket of water off the car's battery and it ran for a few seconds and began to sputter and poot - just like the car was doing, so I think "it's the pump, plain and simple." I just put the new one in today, and it ran for about 45 seconds and then began to sputter and poot, then died. New filter too. What gives?

Does this car restart right away after the sputter and poot or does it crank and not start for awhile? ...if it becomes a no start is there any spark? Is there a check engine light and does it actually prove out when the ignition switch is on? (does the light really work) Still sounds like an ignition problem with a sensor or wiring problem...these engines are known with distributor concerns

[dpm68]

Yea, it starts right back up, and then dies again. If you let it sit overnight, it will start up and run for about 45 seconds or so and then die. At this point, it will start back up immediately, but die within seconds. Perhaps I should have her insure it heavily and the drive it off the nearest fourteener - there are a few of those around here. Pike's would be a good start, but it would have to run first to make it down there.