It turns out my headgaskets didn't blow... but whats this leak from?

[Need4Camaro]

Re: It turns out my headgaskets didn't blow... but whats this leak from?

Did some more testing, 2 of 3 of my ignition coils are bad.

[Need4Camaro]

Re: It turns out my headgaskets didn't blow... but whats this leak from?

Replaced Ignition Coils... Car now cranks right up without problems but it lopes and idles VERY badly for exactly 15 seconds where even when you put your foot on the gas, its very rasp and barely responsive... then returns to normal afterward. After which when driving, Im still missing ALOT of power. Getting on more than half gas wont even trigger a 3rd to 2nd downshift. Car also stalls and dies / then won't start after heating up.

Compression tested ... 150 PSI on EVERY cylinder except Cylinder #2 which is at 120 PSI...

Fuel pressure seems fine...

I found one bad wire (no idea as to how, it's only 40k miles old) but going to replace it... but even with a bad wire, I've never had a car die on me after heating up, just ran very rough.

I checked the coolant, I'm not losing any antifreeze even after driving for extended periods... If a headgasket was blown, I should be slowly losing coolant, but Im not and nor am I even getting smoke out the back.

[Cool81z28]

Re: It turns out my headgaskets didn't blow... but whats this leak from?

Fuel pressure seems fine? How did you come to that conclusion? Re-read my post.

[Need4Camaro]

Re: It turns out my headgaskets didn't blow... but whats this leak from?

Fuel pressure seems fine? How did you come to that conclusion? Re-read my post.

Gauged at 43 PSI at Idle - I didnt check it while revving.

[Need4Camaro]

Re: It turns out my headgaskets didn't blow... but whats this leak from?

I think I found my problem...

...I have a bad MAF Sensor and O2 Sensor... Is there anywere I can get an MAF for less than $150?

[Mogobs30th]

Re: It turns out my headgaskets didn't blow... but whats this leak from?

I should sticky the thread, because this is how NOT to diagnose an automobile. You've seem to like throwing parts at it.

[Need4Camaro]

Re: It turns out my headgaskets didn't blow... but whats this leak from?

I should sticky the thread, because this is how NOT to diagnose an automobile. You've seem to like throwing parts at it.

I can't help it if thats what the Scantool says... I've just got it running to a point where it can drive decently enough to get to an auto parts store where I could get it scanned... and nothing I have thrown at it has it not needed. The coolant elbow was a must and it wouldnt even crank until the ignition coils were added there by flawing your logic... I haven't replaced anything of which it didn't need period. But everything I innitially thought was wrong (headgaskets / fuel pump) has already been checked and wasnt the cause of the problem... What else can I really do?

[96blackmaro]

Re: It turns out my headgaskets didn't blow... but whats this leak from?

Do you have a 3 or 2 screw Maf sensor? If I remember right the 2 screw ones were cheaper.

[Need4Camaro]

Re: It turns out my headgaskets didn't blow... but whats this leak from?

Do you have a 3 or 2 screw Maf sensor? If I remember right the 2 screw ones were cheaper.

I didn't really look, I'm guessing 3 screws as I believe 2 screws came on the Angled Throttle Bodies.

[96blackmaro]

Re: It turns out my headgaskets didn't blow... but whats this leak from?

That's not true, mine is a 96 and has the 3 screw, but I'm just saying I remember the 2 screw being easier to find and cheaper.

[Need4Camaro]

Re: It turns out my headgaskets didn't blow... but whats this leak from?

That's not true, mine is a 96 and has the 3 screw, but I'm just saying I remember the 2 screw being easier to find and cheaper.

I'll probably be unlucky enough to have a 3 screw one in that case... Although its weird that they would use 2 different MAF's on essentially the same motor configurations.

[flamingchicken]

Re: It turns out my headgaskets didn't blow... but whats this leak from?

I should sticky the thread, because this is how NOT to diagnose an automobile. You've seem to like throwing parts at it.

please dont sticky this!!!! lol

i cant see how you had a decent running car, then all of a sudden it goes through 3 water pumps. so then you decide to put a new fuel pump in it, and upon receipt of the car, it runs like ***. so then you find a massive water leak, at which point you find that the plastic elbow has been stolen. then you replace coil packs and it starts up good but idles bad. now your maf sensor is no good....

[Need4Camaro]

Re: It turns out my headgaskets didn't blow... but whats this leak from?

please dont sticky this!!!! lol

i cant see how you had a decent running car, then all of a sudden it goes through 3 water pumps. so then you decide to put a new fuel pump in it, and upon receipt of the car, it runs like ***. so then you find a massive water leak, at which point you find that the plastic elbow has been stolen. then you replace coil packs and it starts up good but idles bad. now your maf sensor is no good....

It was never the water pumps that were leaking. I just thought they were because thats where coolant seemed to be coming out. I never knew the existence of those plastic elbows until just recently so I never would have thought to check those hence why it was leaking since November.

The fuel pump I installed was for an entirely different reason. My fuel gauge sending unit died and I wanted to be able to see how much gas I had, plus I had a motor swap planned in the future so I wanted to kill two birds with one stone and during the installation of it I had the mechanic look for the water leak which was becoming progressively worse. He pressure tested the system and it also seemed to be coming from the water pump to him as well but he also didn't notice the coolant elbows.

The coil packs died for obvious reasons... They were stock packs with almost 150k miles on them, engine compartment got full of steam and hot for a long period of time and they probably gave up. My car DID initially start up when I received it from the mechanic, it just didn't run very well...

I was lead to believing the fuel pump was bad because this happened right after I recieved it from the Mechanic, and the head gasket was blown because of the massive water leak + severe lack of power and it wouldn't crank after it over heated... but after checking both the cylender and fuel pressure and both have repeteadly tested fine, I don't think either of those are the problem and I can't afford to tear up $400 worth of hardware to find that these just might not fix my problem...

How the MAF crapped out like this, is beyond me as well. But thats what my SES code says.

I know the car had to be driven with the Mechanic to have my exhaust wielded back together after replacing my fuel tank and I'm wondering if it also steamed up under the hood and took the sensor with it while he was driving it before I received it back...

[Cool81z28]

Re: It turns out my headgaskets didn't blow... but whats this leak from?

If I were you I would never ever go back to that mechanic again.

[Need4Camaro]

Re: It turns out my headgaskets didn't blow... but whats this leak from?

If I were you I would never ever go back to that mechanic again.

True. I'm not. I really have no idea as to what he did and how he did it... Supposedly he has worked on alot of F-Bodies and it was a performance shop which is why I trusted him. Not like I CAN go back anyway as his shop moved out of state.The pump wasnt even supposed to require modification of the fuel bucket and after recieving it back, my fuel gauge still didn't work... But I did gain two new codes on my SES light...

I have no idea as to how the heck my car came back in this condition.