Stranded, cobra died

[sunburned]

I was driving to work today and the car all of a sudden fell on its face and started running like crap. The boost gauge was reading hardly any vacuum so I pulled into a turn lane where the engine cut off. Coasted into a parking lot trying to restart it but it wouldn't.

The car has power and the fuel pumps are both working. Fuel pressure is normal at 40 psi with no vacuum. I checked all the vacuum lines I could see and nothing is wrong. Car isn't leaking anything. I actually got it started but I had to pump the gas to keep it running and it was only showing 5 mm-hg of vacuum. Jason said maybe something popped out of the bottom of the intake manifold like a freeze plug, but I can't see under there.

Stuck in PG county on livingston road off of 210. Anyone have any ideas or is close enough to come by? Know anyone with a trailer around here? Tow company doesn't open until 8 so I'm exhausting all my options first.

 

[sunburned]

Oh and I'm posting this from my BB, if anyone has a quick suggestion, give me a call at 240-682-9937.

Don't think its fuel related, pumps are working and the rail is getting pressure. Plus my fuel system isn't run off the factory wiring. Not sure if a dead alternator would cause these symptoms.

 

[N2DAMYSTIC]

Wish I could help you bud! Good luck and hopefully it is something simple.

 

[EVILNSS]

All the coil packs snug? one didnt pop off maybe? I dunno, just a thought.

 

[sunburned]

Coil packs look normal, feel snug at all connections. Could they have gone bad?

Would the alternator cause this issue?

 

[FISHTAIL]

Like I just told you in your VM, if you have a screw driver and a belt tool, pull the drive belt off the S/C and remove the intake from the back of it. Make sure it hasn't crapped out resulting in a plugged intake.

 

[95PGTTech]

Coil packs look normal, feel snug at all connections. Could they have gone bad?

Would the alternator cause this issue?

if the alternator had died the car would run on battery until that died. you would have no crank, no start, dimming cluster.

 

[EVILNSS]

has it been acting funny lately?

 

[04azuremach]

I was in the same boat last night when I shredded my belt. Oil pressure good? Any unusual noises?

 

[convert03cobra]

Dam Dale, hope you get this figured out. That's the problem with high HP cars, always something to replace/upgrade.

 

[sunburned]

Got to work about a half hour ago. Had the car towed to my parent's house.

Thanks to Jason, Tim and Mike for trying to help out this morning. Jason and Tim, sorry for waking you guys up. Hoped I'd be able to fix something, but no luck.

The only problems the car had lately was yesterday on the way home from work, when I exited off the beltway and stopped at a light, the car stalled. Started it back up and it stalled again. Started it again and it ran fine, drove it later and still fine. Everything was normal until this morning. I thought the stalling was potentially from the extreme heat yesterday.

I guess I'll start pulling stuff apart this afternoon, maybe take off the intake manifold and see if there are any random holes in it anywhere. Gotta be a big hole somewhere after the throttle body to make me have absolutely no vacuum, don't think a small hose leak would do it. The few times I've gotten the car started, it runs like absolute crap, car shakes all around, the vacuum is showing around 3-5, and I can barely keep it going for longer than 3 seconds.

 

[FISHTAIL]

Dale,

What time are you leaving work and heading to your parents? Do you have Carb/TB cleaner? If not, I have some you can have for this. Before you pull anything apart, try to locate the leak with a can of intake cleaner. Did you check your oil? It's also possible that you blew a head gasket, although given the conditions I'm doubtful that is the cause.

I can probably give you a hand this evening looking at it if you want, let me know what time you are heading over there.

 

[PSUCOBRA96]

did you check to make sure none of the hoses came off/ blew allowing in unmetered air? look on the back of the intake.

Has it been having trouble just idling once it starts, it could be the IAC, but I dont think that would cause you to have no vacume?

Does that car still have the egr stuff hooked up, or does it use a block off plate? If so look and see if there is a leak there. Im throwing a ton of ideas just to give you somewhere to look, hope something leads you in the right direction.

 

[ScottinSSMD]

Did you get a new batch of gas yesterday before or after work?

 

[sunburned]

Dale,

What time are you leaving work and heading to your parents? Do you have Carb/TB cleaner? If not, I have some you can have for this. Before you pull anything apart, try to locate the leak with a can of intake cleaner. Did you check your oil? It's also possible that you blew a head gasket, although given the conditions I'm doubtful that is the cause.

I can probably give you a hand this evening looking at it if you want, let me know what time you are heading over there.

I'll probably be home around 5 or so. Thought about pulling the dipstick, but didn't. Don't wanna change the oil now since it hasn't been that long and it takes 8 quarts... $$ I hope it's not a head gasket. I was just cruising when it went bad, not getting on it at all.

did you check to make sure none of the hoses came off/ blew allowing in unmetered air? look on the back of the intake.

Has it been having trouble just idling once it starts, it could be the IAC, but I dont think that would cause you to have no vacume?

Does that car still have the egr stuff hooked up, or does it use a block off plate? If so look and see if there is a leak there. Im throwing a ton of ideas just to give you somewhere to look, hope something leads you in the right direction.

It's blow through so the mass air meter is just a little before the TB. Only one coupler there and it's fine. I looked over the engine bay at least 5 times and didn't see one thing out of place including vacuum lines and all. EGR is all gone, but it's almost new so I don't think that's the problem.

Did you get a new batch of gas yesterday before or after work?

Not yesterday, but Tuesday I did. A co-worker just asked me the same thing. Told me some gas stations are claiming they got water in their gas from the recent storms?? That's not good, but at least it might be easily fixed by draining the tank. I think I've driven almost 100 miles though since I filled up and haven't had a stutter at all before this.

Just found an article that said the gas came from Hess and Exxon stations. I filled up at a shell. It also said the drivers started having problems as soon as they left the station.

 

[04azuremach]

Water is more dense than gas so if you had water in the tank you'd be seeing problems almost immediately

 

[TRBO VNM]

dale, check all your other intercooler hoses. just because the one at the MAF is ok, that doesn't mean the others are and if a clamp came loose or partially blew out before and just now worked its way out, that can be it and not easily seen in the engine bay with your setup. plus, with your BOV being so loud, you wouldn't be able to hear it sucking from somewhere else when you try to start the car.

 

[mitrls10]

You might have had a big vacuum line pop loose like pcv or brake booster are about the only 1s big enough to cause engine to stall and not stay cranked check for anything obvious make sure no wire connectors came loose and after that I would check the compression make sure it didn't overheat and fry the engine.. Also its possible for the fuel pumps to have the right pressure but not the right volume cause they have excessive amp draw.. Get some1 to crank it and u very carefully spray carb cleaner in the intake at even bursts and if it continues to run you know its a fuel problem. If its not getting enough spark or fuel and skipping real bad its not gonna show good vacuum so keep that in mind. Try that and let me know what happens.

Tim

 

[95PGTTech]

+1 on gas's density and it doesn't explain the vacuum issue.

 

[stsltd]

Pardon my ignorance if your car does not have one but I had a Diablo MAFia go bad on my car and it did the same thing - ended up being a pain to diagnose but in the end once that was replaced all was good....

Dave