# 1995 ford probe is hesitant with take-off



## wil penn (Apr 28, 2010)

i have a 95 ford probe gt. recently it just started acting like it is missfiring and it shakes while u are at a idle it also seems to have a great deal of power loss seems to me like it boggs out at around 3 to 4000 rpms. ive changed the distributor spark plugs and spark plug wires and still have the same problem. is it possible that maybe i have a loss of air that would causer this or maybe the map sensor has went bad. there is no check engine light on so i havent tried to take it to get codes.what do you suggest could be wrong cause im at my witts end


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## octaneman (May 13, 2009)

Hi wil penn

Check your air and fuel filter to see if it's partially blocked, have them replaced as needed. If your engine still bogs down have the MAF sensor (Mass Air Flow) tested to see if it's functioning properly. 


post back your findings.


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## wil penn (Apr 28, 2010)

how would i go about checking the mass air flow sensor. i took the hose off the canister that a fuel hose is connected to under the hood and turned the key and a whole crap load of fuel shot out like a rocket. id say a half gallon in about 5 seconds. do you think cleaning the throttle body would help the air filter is about two months old


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## octaneman (May 13, 2009)

A simple method of testing the mass air flow sensor would be to tap on it lightly using a screwdriver as the engine is running. Once you tap on the sensor the engine will either attempt to correct itself or it will shut down. If you don't get a response then connect a diagnostic tool and do a full scan of all sensors.

Cleaning out the throttle body will be a definite improvement on how the engine runs, but it would also be a good idea to seafoam your engine and do a complete system flush if you decide on taking that course of action. 



post back your findings.


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## wil penn (Apr 28, 2010)

i put a bottle of lucas fuel injector cleaner in the tank on my last fill-up seemed like it made a little improvement but not alot a friend told me sometime you have to use two bottles. or should i just try the sea foam instead


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## octaneman (May 13, 2009)

Run the engine until the injector cleaner is completely through the system then you can run the seafoam. Don't mix both products in the gas tank just in case to avoid any problems.


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## wil penn (Apr 28, 2010)

i tested the maf like you said to do while i was under the car with it started i noticed a hissing sound as if it were sucking a massive amount of air just so happens i was at a friends house and his neighbor came over and said that he was 100 percent sure that it is the intake gasket manifold because when he took the oil cap off the car shut off instantly. do you think he could be right


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## octaneman (May 13, 2009)

If excess air is being drawn from the outside then the answer is yes it will stall. When the oil cap or dip stick is removed when the engine is running you are creating a leak, essentially by-passing the mass air flow sensor forcing the engine to shut down. On probe gt's this is normal, the intake manifold gasket however is another matter. If the manifold is suspect, you can use a cheapie propane torch or carb spray and use it around the manifold probing the areas you think it may be leaking. If a leak is detected you will see a noticeable difference in engine idle.

Before you do this type of test, make sure that all air duct clamps to the throttle body and filter housing are on tight. Look around for any vacuum hoses that may be cracked or dried out especially the one that goes to the MAP sensor (Manifold Air pressure sensor) and the EGR valve.


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## wil penn (Apr 28, 2010)

well i bought new intake manifold gaskets since a "certified" mechanic told me that was the problem im goning to install them on sunday and i will post back to let you know how it goes


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## octaneman (May 13, 2009)

Make sure that the gasket is torqued evenly or you will have the same problem.


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## wil penn (Apr 28, 2010)

thank you what do you think about 15-18lbs of torque. so if im understanding you correctly, when you take the oil cap off of a probe it will cause it to shut down


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## octaneman (May 13, 2009)

For your oil cap. Yes that is correct. 

15 to 18 lbs sounds OK, but it would be better to check your spec sheet for torque values and tightening sequence.


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## wil penn (Apr 28, 2010)

wow! talk about an experience. ill never do my own intake gaskets again lol. well mr "certified" was completely wrong there was absolutely nothing wrong with the intake gaskets at all. But there was these two black things on the bottom of the intake that had hoses connecting them and one of the lines was broke off at the clip witch is made onto these mystery pieces. i called every parts store and checked the internet, no one knows what they are or what goes threw them i thought it was air that went threw but a sales man said that they are fuel injector filters but they didnt smell like fuel. the car runs about the same it seems like it idles a little bit higher now maybe 900 rpms at a stop. now the problem is that when i turn on the a/c or heat it all comes out of the defroster. when i first turned on the a/c the check engine light came on and then went off a few moments later this has never happened before what do you think could be wrong now?


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## octaneman (May 13, 2009)

Can you post a picture of what the part looks like we'll try to identify it. 

When you re-installed the intake manifold there is a possibility that you shorted out a wire blowing the fuse to the A/C 'heating system. When the fuse blows the system goes to a default setting set by factory, the switches and the actuators won't activate to divert the air to it's proper vent port. The whole system works off vacuum, so if your engine has a leak the computer will register a code affecting the whole system and it may even stall the engine. 


Re-check all your vacuum lines to and from the intake manifold and around the throttle body. Extract any codes that the computer may have picked up and please post them.


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## wil penn (Apr 28, 2010)

unfortunately i can not post a picture of it cause i had to reassemble the car so after i check all my vacuum lines and if the air still comes out of the vent then its a fuse that is blown? i just went to try to get a code pulled from it at autozone but they didnt have the plug to do so im trying to find somewhere that is able to do it.


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## octaneman (May 13, 2009)

Yes, but if the fuses checks out OK, you will need to go more in depth analysis which will require you to check the system inside the car. Check your system first for leaks, and the we'll follow through with the rest of the diagnosis after you're done.



post back you're findings.


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## wil penn (Apr 28, 2010)

here is a picture of the bottom of the intake manifold if you look closely around the middle you will see hoses crossing over the sides and middle and in between the hoses are those black rectangular things i was asking about. i called fords part supplier and they had no idea what i was talking about


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## octaneman (May 13, 2009)

After closer inspection from what what I see, the hoses are vacuum lines and the black rectangular things are the injectors.


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## wil penn (Apr 28, 2010)

these are the black things i am talking about


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## octaneman (May 13, 2009)

Does it look something similar to this ?


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## wil penn (Apr 28, 2010)

no it doesn't have any kind of plug hook ups or power going to it at all just has what i think is a vacuum hose going threw both sides of each one


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## octaneman (May 13, 2009)

I'm speculating it is the purge control valve, if you can take a clear close picture of it ( off the manifold prefereable) it will help us to identify it better.



Note: Is the engine a V6 ?


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## wil penn (Apr 28, 2010)

yes it is the v6 Manuel if it matters i cant actually get a picture of it cause it is assembled that is a picture that i found on the internet. i believe that the guy at a parts store told me the same name for the part but he also said it is discontinued. if i can not find one is it possible to go around it?


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## wil penn (Apr 28, 2010)

i think i may have found what they are called after three days of research. i think they are vacuum chambers i found a great picture of the bottom side of the intake and it shows them clear as day and some of the symptoms it mentions is the same that i am experiencing. i think the problem with my heat and ac not comming out of the vents is due to a hose behind the intake which has a kink in it so im gonna buy another to replace it when i find a store that sells the vacuum chambers


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## wil penn (Apr 28, 2010)

ok so these vacuum chambers are no longer in circulation unless you buy a intake manifold from a junkyard and then they might be messed up as well. do you think i could go around these and just run a straight vacuum line.


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## octaneman (May 13, 2009)

There is that possibility to run the engine without the chambers. But the chambers are there to hold vacuum to activate diaphragms, solenoids, and all other vacuum related accessories. To remove them could compromise other systems. You can attempt to modify the system by putting a vacuum reservoir from another model vehicle to compensate. Get the specs for the chambers and just add the total volume of vacuum that each chamber holds, then look for something compatible. 

Note: Before you attempt any modification, test the chambers with a vacuum pump and see if they hold vacuum. If they don't leak then they're ok. Then any vacuum leaks could be isolated inside the air box or the ac/heat console.



post back your findings


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