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2.5l tbi misfiring and running lean


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Hey guys, I have a 2.5l tbi 5 speed Comanche that is misfiring and running lean. The components I have already replaced, include, map sensor, plugs, wires, distributor cap, and rotor. I have tried two different ignition coils. I have checked the voltage differential in the tps sensor and it is within range, I tested the ohm differential across the Mass Air Temp sensor and it was 1000ohms which from what i have read is spec. Yet when i pull the plugs they are dry and nasty which leads me to believe that is running lean. I'm at a loss as to where to go from here, any help would be much appreciated.

 

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it is a 86 i believe, it was titled as a 88 but from what i can tell from the paperwork its really a 86. I did do a fuel pressure test and it tested at 15psi which from what i have read that is perfect, i also did a egr delete in case it was stuck open and that did not fix the problem either. I'm wondering if it is the coolant temp sensor, from what i have read that tells the ecu to adjust ignition timing according to temperature

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ok then 88 it is, i have not checked to see in the intake manifold bolts are tight but i know they are there. Do those bolts have a tendency to back themselves out? I ask because the truck has been running great for a few months now and just recently started this misfiring/backfiring problem. I will check the bolts tomorrow morning just in case. by the way thank you everyone for the input so far

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Cruiser before i made this post i went through your tips and re did and cleaned all my ground connections with no improvement. Your tips are awesome though! Jeepdriver i thought about the O2 sensor, is there anyway to test it before i replace it?

Good to know. I don't know if those O2 sensors work the same as the 4.0s. There is a procedure for them.

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For the Renix years, 87-90, the O2 sensor has 3 wires, 2 black and 1 orange. The orange wire (largest gauge of the 3) is the 12-14 volt power that comes from the O2 sensor heater relay on the passenger side firewall, and that powers the internal heater in the sensor so that the sensor can work at idle, and almost immediately after start up. Loss of that power will hurt gas mileage even with a good O2 sensor. 

 

One of the black wires is a common ground for the heater power and O2 signal to the ECU, so a poor ground will give a voltage feedback from the heater power input, to the ECU causing poor mileage even with a good O2 sensor. 

 

The third wire, also black is a voltage feed wire, 5 volts, from the ECU to the O2 sensor. The O2 sensor is an O2 concentration sensitive variable resistor. At optimal O2 concentration the 5 volt input feed to the O2 sensor drops to 2.45 volts due to losses across the O2 sensor to ground. That same wire if disconnected from the O2 sensor will read 5 volts constant to ground. 

 

At idle that voltage should read 1-4 volts oscillating quickly back and forth roughly once every second. At 2000 rpm it should run between 2 and 3 volts max, and is optimally running between 2.3 and 2.6 volts at 2000 rpm (in park). A digital meter can NOT be used for reading the O2 sensor voltage, but it can be used to test the ground and the 12-14 volts to the heater and the 5 volt feed from the ECU with power on and engine off. You must use an old style analog meter with the needle gauge on the display to see the voltage swing back and forth with the engine runing. 

 

If the O2 sensor readings are not right, say they read 4 volts or 1 volt steady, you have a problem. BUT before you blame the O2 sensor make sure it has good wiring, and make sure the proper voltage is feeding it, by turning power on, engine off to read the engine off voltage feeds (12-14 volts on the orange wire, and 5 volts on one of the two black wires), and ensure the ground wire (power off) reads less than 1 ohm to the battery negative post.

 

A leaky exhaust system or leaky fuel injector(s), or bad compression, bad rings or leaky valves, bad plugs, wires, cap, rotor, HV coil, and so on, or combination of these, can also cause a lean or rich condition that gives you high or low O2 sensor readings that are not the O2 sensors fault, so try and verify those other items also before buying parts like an O2 sensor to fix your problem. 
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ok so after a little looking, the manifold bolts are there and are tight, they look relatively new so I'm thinking the po replaced them at one point. The O2 sensor looks extremely old, maybe the original one that came on the truck, so i am going to order one of those and see where that takes me. I attempted to test it using the outline you provided for the 4.0 but the wires are different colors so i assume its not the same senor as for the 4.0's

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ok so the O2 sensor came in today and i replaced the old one, she is still backfiring and misfiring and generally running terrible up until 180*F once she reaches 180* she smooths out and drives great, so the O2 sensor definitely was the fix at operating temperature. I'm thinking to fix the startup will be done by replacing the coolant temp sensor to help fix the cold enrichment then she should run like new. Thank you guys for all your help!

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