[Supras] [SPAM 5.1] Re: car sputters

Tue Jun 16 19:53:51 CDT 2009

Yup.  Translation for Kurt-- Cleaning these AFM's almost invariably destroys the extremely sensitive optics inside them.

At this point, here's your clear course of action, repeated from several of the responses received.  Don't be overwhelmed, this is all very easy.  Go to where the car is and do this all yourself-- you don't need to know anything about cars.  Seriously.  And you'll learn something like you say you want to.  If you must have a mechanic do it, print this out and hand it to him.

1) Check for codes:
Open the hood.  Behind the battery there's the large fuse box.  Behind that, there's a little rectangular box with a gray plastic lid.  Open the lid.  Look at the label under the lid, it will identify the terminals in the plug.  Find the plugs labeled E1 and TE1.  Find a paperclip and straighten it out, then bend it to a U shape.  Stick one end of the U in the E1 terminal and the other end into the TE1 terminal.  Get in the car and turn the key to the ON position (without starting the engine).  Count the blinks of the check engine light.  It will report two digit numbers by a series of flashes and pauses.  Example:
Flash - Flash - pause - Flash - Flash - Flash - long pause (23)
Flash - pause - Flash - Flash - Flash - Flash - long pause (14)
When it flashes out all the codes it will start over at the first code again.  Collect all the codes and report back to the list for further instructions.

Remove paperclip.

2) Unplug the AFM and try to drive.  The AFM is the rectangular metal tube behind the air filter box.  The plug probably has a little metal spring clip around it that needs to be disengaged to unplug it.  This may take one or more stall-start cycles for the engine to continue to run, and the check engine light should come on.  At this point, you should be able to get the engine to rev gently.  Now you can try to drive it gently.  If it runs better than it did, your AFM is junk.  I would place a fairly sizable wager on it being junk just from what you've reported so far (especially the "quite dirty" and "mechanic cleaned it out" pieces of the story).

3) Check the ignition timing.  This requires a special tool (timing light) and is probably best suited for your mechanic.  He can use plug wire #6 to attach the inductive pickup since #1 isn't easily accessible.  It should be at 10 degrees BTDC with the paperclip U installed.

4) Depending on the outcome of 1 and 2, start shopping for an AFM on e-bay, like Bernie suggested.  The price of a new one is a tough pill to swallow.  If you do buy a used one DO NOT CLEAN IT!  No matter how dirty it looks.  I feel like I need to say this again: DO NOT CLEAN IT!!!!

Do these simple steps and report back.

-Craig

---- sprigmo1 <sprigmo1 at yahoo.com> wrote: 
> Cleaned the AFM......................Uh Oh!!!!
> 
>   Malik  It Ain't Eazy Being Me!!!!  92Turbo GT SUPRA  
> 
> --- On Tue, 6/16/09, Kurt <kurt_20120 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> 
> From: Kurt <kurt_20120 at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Re: [Supras] car sputters
> To: supras at supras.com
> Date: Tuesday, June 16, 2009, 8:11 PM
> 
> 
> Hi all,
>     I apologize that I am not with the car and cannot take everyone's suggestions and act on them. I understand the frustration I've read. The fact is, I much rather have someone else who I think knows what they're doing, do the job, as I don't believe I am very auto-tech oriented. Though, I will admit, I kind of wish I could do some of this, as I believe I would have learned alot this way. But being my only efficient commuter, I also don't want to wait too long.  Also, I live at the bottom of a long hill, and I don't trust that the car could have made the trip back up in its current condition, so that's another reason. I have asked my mechanic to get the codes: 
> 
> QUESTION:
> If the Check Engine light never lit up (I don't recall that it ever did), could the computer still be putting out codes? The mechanic said he never saw that the Check Engine light was on, and so does not think the computer even generated any codes. Anyone?
> 
> Also, he noticed some broken vacuum valves that should be replaced, so he ordered the parts and I suppose we'll wait out the week to get them. He did clean out the AFM, which he indicated was quite dirty, but it made no difference.
> 
> Thanks VERY MUCH for your patience everyone. I'll try not to let you down with lack of details from here on out.
> 
> Kurt
> 
> 
>       
> 
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