Wits End....ready to crush it-(96 Tracker miss)

[fixkick]

If anyone can help, I'd prolly send you a case of beer (if you are of age)....72yo.

So I inherited a '96 Tracker (1.6L, 16v) from my father in law.  One owner but years ago it over heated or something terrible went wrong with it and he decided to try and fix it himself.  He dis-assembled the head and there it sat in his garage for 10+ years.  Recently his health declined and I decided to try and revive her....Little did I know what I was getting myself into.  

Here we are 6 months later and still do not have a 100% running vehicle.

I bought a brand new long block from Autozone and pieced it back together.  It was in about 100 pieces in his garage.

Now its got a miss on all cylinders and is running way too rich.  I tried everything I can think of....

It has new:

Fuel injectors (2 sets actually)
New fuel regulator
New temp sensor
Tried a distributor off another Tracker (used)
Tried a MAF sensor off another Tracker (used)
New Radiator
New battery
New fuel pump-the fuel tank was completely gummed up, I removed the tank, cleaned it, replaced the filter.  


I've set the timing a dozen times (set it to base timing using the connector at the front of the vehicle)
Check the timing belt alignment from the factory
Checked fuel pressure-30 or so and goes up when vacuum is pinched

Ive given up and taken it to two different shops even and I never use shops unless something needs special equipment like an alignment.....one charged me a boat load to replace the intake gasket they claimed was the problem (which slightly helped) and the second is scratching their heads at this point after checking everything I have.

The return fuel line was blocked for awhile with debris which I fixed (removed fuel line and cleared).....

I'm ready to give up on it at this point.....but have dumped too much $$$ to do so.

I even have a used ECU coming but I do not think its going to help.  

This thing should run purr like a kitten!

Any one have any suggestions?  It randomly misses on all cylinders at idle (800 RPM).


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most of these cars fail ECU for bad caps.
some  leak acid, other look perfect but are dry in inside and are dead at 0uF.
those bad makes ECU reboot constantly and that will misfire

why think the distributor is not bad.  pr bad sparkl coil inside it., or or rare, cmp bad inside it too. or bad ground under hood. all.
not scanning the ECU, looking for  p03xx codes,  as engine misfires  is huge missed (no pun)  clue not looking.

sure spark plugs, HV wire sets new, sure gapped at 0.028" and NEVER out of the box 0.045" dead wrong.

that is all I can think of

02 sensor ok front, not stuck at 0v with cracked #4 exhaust tube header, stock does that.

EGR not sticking open. (at idle)
misfires hot and cold, ? or at idle, or accel or wot "?

the question is , does spark misfire or is it fuel mix wrong gross when it misfires.
first see if it is spark scan it.

good  luck to you

Yeah, it did have a P0300 code-General misfire....not much help there....

EGR was checked (the first shop said it was ok)

It's got new plugs gapped correctly-Ive had to take them out 10x and clean them off due to the misfire and the wires are also brand new.

The original distributor was clearly left out in some weather as it had signs of rust on it.  I put a new cap/rotor on it and cleaned it as best I could.  For this reason that is why I tried one I got at the bone yard....it ran the same on either.

O2 sensor seems to be tracking correctly as far as voltages....second shop told me that.....


Yeah, I agree that I'm not positive if:

     -Its running rich because of spark
    Or
    It's misfiring because of too much fuel

My gut (and both shops) says it's too much fuel.

Ive also wondered if when the fuel return line was blocked and the pressure was too high if it damaged injectors....I don't know if that's even possible 

Lastly, seems like the misfire is worse at low RPM and it runs much better over 2k....

bad fuel wrecked the old injectors. AND THE return line  plugged and with that plugged, PSI is 60PSI and goes rich as hell. like that.
the injectors foul out and go lean , WITH BAD FUEL.
the injectors have 10 micron, sized screens inside that pack up when fuel is bad. (4 times smaller this than then the fuel filter size, media inside)

P0300 is useful, it means all 4 cylinder ar misfiring , via bad spark  or bad fueling, ( not just one cylinder failing all 4 do)
A good shop can use there spark scope to see why, the spark  plugs make  a plasma resistance when fired.  this reading shows  to key factors.
1: SPARKS IS GOOD OR DEAD (MISFIRED)' or not.
2: OR SPARK IS GOOD BUT THE PLASMA IS WRONG, (MEANS FUELING ISSUES)
i can only assume  spark plugs are J plugs stock not some wild useless surface fire plugs. of any kind, just on gap there. not 2,3,4 worse true surface fire  plugs.
try mag-wires , NGK, or BOSCH , mag wire set,  these are best on low energy susuki spark systems, (weak)

a lean engine makes high resistance plasma  , too rich is low resistance.  (learn burn verses rich burn)

The 1996 has CKP  SENSOR ON FRONT OF ENGINE CRANK PULLEY. this must be for the Sidekick trackers not other suzuki G15b like seen on ESTEEMs,etc.
when you buy an engine the bottom crank cog is viewed by eyeball, is  a CKP tone wheel and must be for your exact car, or it will misfire.

300 mean also it is not single cyclinder failing, nor are all 4 spark wires bad,
but is bad spark coil, sure. or 4 bad injectors.
or bad ECU.
You changed the distributor.
and new FPR used, this is a very important device,  and fails dead with returned line clogged,  and must be tested at key on idle both, for correct spec pressure.
This device keeps pressure correct so the injectors can not under flow or overflow and also the ECU assumes this is correct the ECU does not know true fuel pressure,
so the ECU uses fuel tables based on FPR working perfectly, at all times.  key on 36psi, idle is 30psi on my 96.  the 6psi drop is NOT optional.


did the mech check to see if the hot engine runs in closed loop at idle?????? it must, and if does not is fixed first.

if spark checks out and fuel pressure checks out.
we then assume sensors are bad.
we know compression is good, 180PSI
we know the vacuum at idle is about 19inches, and that vacuum is not acting backwards at the throttle with clogged CAt.
we know the engine is good, not just that it rebuilt, we test it. (assuming things are good, is not bad, best is to prove it)
the EGR not stuck open, nor vacuum hoses routed wrong. to it.
The O2 front sensor swings, at hot idle this is called closed loop operations. and  it must do that. (exhaust cracks near by cause super rich misfire)
CKP not off some lame,  ESTEEM G16B , hopeless this and makes the ECU go quite MAD.
bad inejector from bad fuel, are reverse ultrasonic cleaned, to make the screens clean and all parts inside the injectors clean.
a good shop knows how to do and injector leak down test. 1 by 1 on car, it is trick but proves all 4 flow the same rate on car,  a skill some shops do not know.
a bad ECU, bad caps, lid off see that large corner Can shaped CAP,  they leak green acid when bad (some) other crack or blow the bottom rubber out and leak
ECU love to fail on this car 1989 to 95 more often, but some have the Rubicon caps there, known to fail. black color.

rebuilt engine horrors
wrong CKP sensor tone wheel COG ( please click me and see wrong , !)
or put in a oil pan gasket this is dead wrong 96 up as this makes the CKP dead or misfires, super super bad.
a real engine the Pan is RTV glued on in the factory and that puts the CKP mag tip very close to the tone wheel, spoke tips if this is wrong ,nothing but bad happens.
or the engine is OMG, 1995 (92-95) and has no CKP port in the oil pump casing at ALL , omg its MISSING, derp builders.

P0300 only means the combustion pressure was way too weak on all 4 , at random. nothing else , spark or fuel caused or EGR stuck open.(or cam belt slipped)

driving a car with scan tool scanning  is best,  not just looking at history for stored DTCs, we drive and scan and OMG there are other codes that fail or show up  in PENDINGS
and gee are the real problem. Live errors are best seen,  stored errors are subject to the rules of driving cycles. 2 or 3 to see stored.

and scan the O2 sensor. it must swing fast , at hot idle and light cruise. (right foot steady say 40mph, but not at WOT ever is there closed loop)
Live data scans are best to see all things all sensors actions to see what might be going on,  that no code reader made can do. 

is the  #4 exhaust manifold cracked like this.

RECAP:
we still are stuck at  

• bad spark (but 2nd distrib , no cure) or
  
• bad fueling , the FPR is new you said. fuel pressure reg.  and 30psi idle , 36psi just key on, turn key 3 times on to get full pressure 36)
  
• even a bad ECU ( bad caps are 99% of all caused for bad here... super common)
  
• or wrong CKP and friends, (pan gaskets are not allowed.  gasket makers are liars !!!! 96+)
  
• or injectors need reverse flow cleaned. Ultra sonic does that) bad fuel, has the bad habit of wrecking all injectors replaced, until all things to the rear of FPR are very  clean. even a new tank put in, is done or sent out for pro cleaning but if rusty inside the tank is useless.  (have NASA friend that cleans tanks with secret device, (ask) he invented. did my motorcycle.
  

O2 sensor fails closed loop tests;.  for lots of reasons. besides just it bad. front sensor ONLY. rear is only for cat tests. )no exhaust cracks allowed here)

injector leak down test not done to show all 4 flow the same, sadly we have 2 guys here all 4 were equally weak,  so passed the test and all 4 clogged 1/2 way, damn.
one guy modified the FPR to get full engine power with 1/2 clogged injectors. (we found it with FULL FPR testing)
bad fuel is never fun on any EFI car, never, .  for sure endless cycle of injector cleanings, most just put in a new tank and clean all fuel lines.

Pinching.
pinching the FPR vacuum hose can be a wrong test,  if locks in the last vacuum the FPR read. (the newer the FPR the more likely  to lock in, as in perfect diaphragm there)
the test is , remove FPR vacuum line and GOLF TEE the sucking hose.
now FPR goes from 30 psi and to 36 (or 6 more for sure) and this makes clogged injectors go way richer. and stops misfiring. (lean burn proved and even see closed loop happen at idle OMG, magic.)

there are lots more,  lots to fail
mine day 1(96 ), the main alum, induction AIR pipe, top of engine ,right rear mount, alum. mount cracked off and huge 1/2' gaping hole there, sucking air  LIKE MAD, making MAF near useless
see what can happen even simple does.

be sad no if all was good and ECU not, we check all things if all things good.
ECU bad.
there is no other way to test ECU ,besides plotting OBD2 full scans, and plot out all sensors readings.

here is one scan of vast.
shows my themastat is CRAP, old and slow as HELL ,fixed day1.
I tested all maf readings , NOT SEEN ALL BELOW JUST SOME;. WE DO THAT BECAUSE ANY ECU LIED TO FAILS. (GIGO) GARBAGE IN ,  GARBAGE OUT(INJECTIONS:?)
ECT
IAT
O2
MAF
TPS
VSS