Just got the car back from the shop. I took it in for the wheel bearing and while it was there they pulled the codes. I had a code for an O2 sensor fault, so the mech took a look and found one of the leads right at the sensor had been cut clean in two.

With that and the wheel bearing fixed, the car is much better. Idle is still a touch rough but I think the base injector timing is still screwed up from the O2 sensor and the plugs may be hosed.

 

Glad you got her fixed. I didn't even think about the O2 sensor. I'm sure you got charged an arm and leg for the repairs.

 

I paid $315 for all of it, which is quite reasonable considering I have had other shops quote that much and more just for the wheel bearing.

What's weird is how different it drives now. It feels like the steering is tighter (harder to turn) and the brakes are less responsive (same pedal pressure, less stopping power). However, I can't tell if it is different or if I just had that bearing noise so long that I learned to use it as a reference.

 

I would check and see if the shop twisted the brake line when they put the caliper back on the side they replaced the bearing. I don't know about the steering. Check the fluid. If its something that you think is dangerous take the car back to the shop and have them look it over, if they messed something up they have to fix it.

 

After driving it for a while it seems to be driving about the same, so I think it was just me not used to the noise.

However it is still dieing on acceleration after coasting down hill. It just does it less.

What's interesting is that when it gets ready to stall, rpms drop to 500 and hold steady. Giving it any throttle makes it bog and the rpms drop. If you ride it out, the rps will eventually climb back up to 800 and everything is fine. It feels like I'm driving a 5 speed let the car coast down in a high gear.

 

I wish I knew more about the 4 banger, I could probably be able help more. Go over to www.aleromod.com or www.grandamgt.com. Some of the members on the sites know alot about the 4 cylinder motors then I ever would.

 

Have you looked at the idle air control? If it is stuck, it could cause your problems.

 

The mystery deepens.

Over the past few weeks, the car has been driving equally crappy and the power steering has been feeling sort of weak.

This morning, it was sort of cold outside. I started the car and it was running rougher then normal. When I backed up out of my spot, the car acted like it was struggling and I had no power steering. I stopped and let it warm up for a minute and while in park I reved the engine up to around 2000 rpm. When I did this, I felt a distinct POP in the steering wheel followed by the power steering coming back. When this happened, the check engine light went off and the car started driving better. Since then the light has remained off and the car is still driving better.

The only problem that remains is that it bogs from light throttle at 1500 rpm. A sharper jab or letting the rpm drop to 1000 and the issue doesn't happen

 

Well I finally figured it out.

I am visiting the parents, so I finally had a near by advance auto that I could stop by and get the codes read. I had a handfull of downstream O2 codes (low volt and heater), a MAP code and a poor mixture code.

So I started looking at the MAP and throttle body and found the vac line connecting the sensor to the TB had dry rotted in half and was being held together by a thread. I actually checked this area once, but the way it was ripped, it was hard to see without a good light.

Fixed that hose and all is fine. Idle is normal, throttle response is fantastic and she actually has power again. Makes me wonder how the shop that looked at it missed it...I can't imagine the MAP code wasn't set. Sort of also makes me wonder if the O2 they replaced was really bad. The wire they showed me had been cut (looked like by a set of dikes), not rubbed or burned through

 

I read this over on aleromod earlyer today. Glad you figured it out finally. I think it seams weird you had all those codes and the shop told you it was an o2 sensor wire, that so happened to be cut. Seams like they couldn't find the problem so they made a problem they knew they could fix. I think you should go talk to the manager of the shop and try and get some money back. If he doesn't want to help go to someone higher on the food chain. I know were I work if someone called and complained about something our district manager would give them their money back or the problem would be fix at no cost to them.