Ford Mustang Problem
 

Problem Fixed:
Well I just got my car back from my mechanic's, a friend of mine that works on my car and gives me a good deal. He fixed my E-Brake. They ran a test on my car to find out what was wrong with it and why the Check Engine light is always on. He said the reason why the Check Engine light is always on because I don't have catalac converters on and I don't know the rest of what he said. Now the problem with my car, he says it's my Mass Air Flow Sensor. They don't fix engines or anything, he's going to find out about it in the morning for me. I just thought I would let you all know.
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Hello,
Here in Oregon and Washington we had a snow storm, actually first one in Portland, Oregon in over 40 years. We rarely have snow here and yeah my first time with my car. It was under a shelter/blacktop for the two weeks we've had it, wasn't burried or anything, but wasn't fully covered. These past two or three days it's been clear enough for my car to actually get some where.

My Question: I've been driving toda smf, missing my car of course. Well I've noticed that my car is back firing really bad when I use the gears/down shifting to slow down (I don't remember the name right now). It does back fire, but that's only when I run my RPMS really high, but that's just normal for my car. I also noticed that my car will start to die or try to kill it's self when idling. It will be at 1k RPM, then it will start to go down and like shake, but it doesn't always kill it's self. I've also noticed there was a bad smell, like burnt/burning smell, which I think it's the gas. I noticed that my car sounds differen't then before, I could be wrong. My car never had a problem before, it starts up fine, it drives just fine, but yeah. :/ HELP

I did not prepare for winter because I didn't have time, nor having this storm hit us, and I don't know much about vechiles. I bought this car in May of this year and it does have that antifreeze stuff, but who knows how long it's been in there. I did start the car at least once every day or maybe skipped a few days.

1995 Ford Mustang 5.0 GT

And in all of that you failed to tell us what type of stang you drive. (I read in your other thread that you drive a 95 5.0)
Check the big three, spark, air and fuel.
It is not hard on your car to check the plugs, they are easy enough to get to.
The strange smell can be a few things, possibly antifreeze burning, but again, you would have to know what that smells like. Do yourself a favor and pick up a Hayne's manual for your pony.

Sorry, like I said I'm new to all this, but I fixed it, and thank you! How do I check that stuff? Am I just better off getting new Spark Plugs and Spark Plug Wires? What's a pony? haha

My friend said "could have a small glitch in the programming".

Other friend said to get this stuff:
Duralast / Distributor Cap And Rotor Kit 11.99 - F976
Bosch-Platinum Plus / Spark Plug 2.99 each - 4009
Bosch / Wireset 36.99 - 09729


That's stuff from AutoZone. I need a Mustang buddy, haha.

Pony - haha I get it.

dont bother with those fancy platinum 4 prong plugs or whatever the new style is. Just stick to a nice cheap copper plug that is the same temperature rating that comes factory for your motor.

Do you have any idea what is wrong with my car?

Don't buy that crap. Go get the Motorcraft replacement parts for the ignition or a good reputable brand (such as MSD). For plugs, you don't need anything more than Copper but if you don't want to replace them often, stick w/ regular Platinums/double Platinums. Reputable brands include Motorcraft/Autolite, Champion, NGK, and Denso, all of which should be available at any parts store. The Bosch plugs are a waste of cash. If they really did have a benefit, you would see racers using it. About the most exotic racers get are grooved electrodes and cut back grounds. However, my money is on the ignition. How are the plug wires looking? Are they falling apart? How many miles you got?

I don't really know, I can't tell, and I don't know anything about cars, well that stuff. I just know how to check the oil, add oil, where the gas thruttle is on the egnine, and that's it. Well I know how to change the rims and yeah, haha. The car was fine until after this stupid storm hit. It was under 100k miles, never had a problem with it before besides the ac is going out.

What do you think it is?
My car starts up fine, not a single problem with it.

I updated my first post, if you can please read it. Thank you guys a lot!

Yes but I'm sure you can look at plug wires and see if they look like crap. Also, if the engine has miles, it may be time for a tune-up. Now, not having cats won't do anything since OBD-I uses only 1 set of O2 sensors, so not having cats won't trip the comp. Plus, the crappy weather wouldn't just make the MAF screwy. This to me more so leads to an electrical problem since the humidity is seeping into places where it shouldn't and cause shortages.

I'm pretty sure it's time for a tune up, which is what I want to do. For my first time and I can learn my self. But I need help getting performanced stuff and I don't know everything to get. That's why I was trying to figure out in my other thread. Is it possible that it's the Mass Air Flow Censor that got messed up and is messing my car up? He ran those comptuer test on my car. Check Engine light is because of not having my cats on. Then the other problem with my car is because of the Mass Air Flow Sensor. I don't even know how to tell if they're bad wires or plugs. Yeah it has under 100k miles.

I can pretty much promise you that it is the mass air flow sensor. My stang is doing the same thing. It will stall while idling if you are not in the car to give it some gas. It also acts worse when it is cold outside or if the humidity is high.

sounds likely... try cleaning the sensor element. Search if you need the procedure.

So I should replace it? It's just cold here, not that humidity right now.

How would I do that? I found the product last night at AutoZone.
http://www.autozone.com/addVehicleId...leSelected.htm

Before you go and toss money at something that might not even be broken I would go ahead and clean it instead of buying a new one. You can get electrical contact cleaner or even i think they sell a product now for cleaning the MAF, but the electronic contact cleaner is great for this. Just take the MAF out of the stock air filter housing (DO NOT TOUCH THE WIRES INSIDE THE MAF WITH ANYTHING!!!!!) and just spray the inside of the MAF. You will see there is a part that hangs down with some very small metal wire in it just spray the crap out of it front and back and let it dry then reinstall the MAF.

Again do not touch the inside of the MAF as you can damage the wires inside and screw it up.

I'm on my Cell Phone. Can anyone show me what exactly I'll spray? I don't want to mess up. How long will it take to dry? What kind of Formula should I get exactly? I live by CarQuest and AutoZone (97206) and they're dumb or don't care.

Read my post it says it all.

I see that now, my phone wasn't showing it all since this website wasn't made for Mobile. Can you some how show me a picture of what I'm spraying, because I'm a little confused and have no clue what I'm doing.

Once you pull the MAF out of the stock airbox you will see what I am talking about its the only thing inside the MAF sticking out. The MAF looks just like the one you posted in the link before hand so that is what the MAF looks like.

Are you on, I need help. :/

Just post and someone will help whoever see's it first. No need to ask if people are on just post and someone will help ya I promise.

Yeah thank you, but not many people reply fast, and I have it all take apart here. I'm confused on what I'm spraying.

I have the whole intake next to me, well half of it. Inside the big part where the Screen is to catch the stuff. I took out that whole thing. If you look in the rubber tubing you can see a little thing sticking through. It's like a U with a little tiny thing in the middle of it. Is that it?

Yes, it has little metal wires that get dirty and can cause the motor to run badly like you have. Just spray that thing down with electrical contact cleaner (NO Brake CLEANER!!)

They made me get the stupid Mass Air Flow Sensor Cleaner. There is a square box with two metal lines on them. Here are pictures.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...2656107653.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...2656170501.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...2656216581.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...2656277765.jpg

Sorry I'm hard to work with, this thing is just confusing me.

I'm guessing that I just spray the last picture the flta form/metal part and the wires on the black thing. I don't know if I should clean the intake where the rest of it is. My friend said mine is complicated, because most just hang, there is no air system/tubbing it has to go through.

yes the little wires are the things that need to be cleaned and should not be touched.