Fouling plugs left and right, need assistance

[Alt space n]

Okay, driving around 2 weeks ago thought the car felt a lil funny taking off after a start. Felt like it stuttered to go like I was fiddling with the clutch, that I don't have to fiddle with.. So, get it out of first gear and felt like normal again. Next time I start up its a little more noticable maybe because I was looking for it. Anyways, next day I sit and let it run and its jumping from 800-900 rpm's quite quickly and with the loudmouth on I could easily tell it wasn't supposed to sound like that idling. Take it up to a local shop and they pull the plugs and run a "test" on it. All 6 plugs were fouled and went thru a set 15 minutes after they put a new set in from just idling. Mechanic blames my exhaust and tells me I don't have the backpressure so its running rich to compensate, thus fouling the plugs. He also said something about a coolant leak which I have yet to find being my car is in another shop sitting without a door and fender. Thats a story for another day. To foul all 6 plugs it sounds like a carburation issue, but being I have had my exhaust for approx 5-6 months now I don't see how that would be the issue. What do you guys think it is, I am having another shop look at it as I post this but I need to see some sort of light at the end of the tunnel. Any help is greatly appreciated, any questions please let me know and I'll do my best to answer them. This is really getting to me and I would like to know what kind of money I would be looking at to get this running as it should being that I've got a $1500 repaint up in the air and a $800 drivers side bill already.

[Marty85]

How many miles do you have on your engine, or more importantly, how many miles do you have on your current set of O2 sensors? Have you checked your air filter and intake routing to make sure there isnt any kind of restriction that would cause the engine to run rich? If the O2 sensors are old they could be reading wrong causing it to run excessively rich at idle fouling the plugs.

[Alt space n]

Changed the air filter and inspected my intake. There are 60,XXX miles on the car. Don't know how many miles I have on the O2 sensors though. If it isn't them what else could it be.

[ March 17, 2005, 10:25 AM: Message edited by: Alt space n ]

[Marty85]

Since you only have 60k on your car then im pretty sure it isnt the O2 sensors. My next guess would be a bad fuel pressure regulator. Find your regulator on the fuel rail somwhere and inspect the vacuum line going to it. If the the regulator isnt getting any vaccuum then it will see a WOT condition all the time and cause excessive pressure which can cause rich conidtions.

[Alt space n]

Checked O2 sensors, fuel pressure regulator, mmm and a few other things at the shop and they couldn't figure it out. It is running quite rich though... Hooked up to their computer they said the sensors and regulator were working correctly but it was just rich. They are bringing in one of their I guess 'lvl 2' techs to look at it. It wouldn't be my exhaust setup that could be causing it could it?

[Nicklz]

I've never heard about an exhaust itself causing the car to run rich. If all the other things mentioned and checked out ok. Have they checked the computer itself?

[Alt space n]

Told me it was my O2 sensors, so i'm getting new ones. Should I look into getting sims if this problem arises again?

[grayman]

they are replacing the 'front' o2 sensors. they control mixture and stuf.

the rear 02 sensor is post cat...only need to sim that when your are setting off emissions related SES code.

[viper98885]

The 3.4 has single wire O2 sensors which suck with a high flow exhaust system. Look into switching to 3-wire setup which are heated sensors. You will get a better reading and the A/F mixture will be better. We sell a kit for this conversion which is pretty easy to install.

[Alt space n]

So would I have to buy 1 or 2 of those?

[viper98885]

The kit that we sell will have 2 wiring harnesses and 2 O2 sensors.