Fuel delivery problem?

[Chuck Norris]

The TC smells like gas while running and after you shut it off, even for a day or two if you let it sit. I think the culprit is a bad fuel injector possible. The idle goes from crappy to good, sometimes back to crappy. Sometimes it dies sitting at a red light. The smell is DEFFINETLY coming from undder the hood. The bad idle and fuel smell coincided, and I occassionally get a check engine light. I have no test equipment and am not very mechanically inclined. Where do I start? If you guys think it may be the fuel injector, I drive a 1993 TC. How difficult are they to replace?

[Grandmarchris]

Check the Egr valve to see if its clogged..My 92 did that and it burned oil like a furnace

[Chuck Norris]

I'll have to check that out. How do I clean it?

[gadget73]

http://www.lincolnsonline.com/tech/00015.html

[Chuck Norris]

Aesome link, thanks! I have a weekend project now!

[Lincolnmania]

you can easilly see the injectors on a 4.6......just turn the key on so theres pressure and take a good look around the injectors with a bright flashlight

[Chuck Norris]

you can easilly see the injectors on a 4.6......just turn the key on so theres pressure and take a good look around the injectors with a bright flashlight

I'll do that, thank you!

[p71towny]

I doubt it's a leaky injector tho. Its probably a shitty evap system. I gutted mine, but you might have a problem doing that causing a CEL.

[Chuck Norris]

I wondered if maybe the smell was due to a bad charcoal canister. First though, I'm tackling the EGR. My in-laws are watching the kiddo Tuesday so my wife can give her undivided attention to helping my take off the air intake and clean out the egr passages. I've never dug that deep into an engine bay before so honestly, I'm a little apprehensive. I know it would be childs play to some of you guys, but I'm one of the resident perman00bs. But we'll see how it goes.

[V8sofa]

Just go slow and if you begin to feel lost, take a quick break and come back to it.

[1987cp]

Just go slow and if you begin to feel lost, take a quick break and come back to it.

+1

I was going to suggest a leaky injector O-ring ... sucks that the source of a fuel smell can be so hard to pinpoint. :nonono:

[Pirate]

If you would run a lighter around all of the injectors, that would make it a lot easier to spot a leak....

Some suggestions:

1. If you can located the fuel pressure regulator, and the vacuum line hooked up to it, pop the vacuum line off, with it running, and see if gas comes out. Occasionally, the FPR breaks internally, and pops gas back into the vacuum line, causing a charming, Carolina-pine-forest gasoline smell. It will also reduce fuel pressure...which will affect driveability.

2. Definitely look for fuel leaks.

[1987cp]

+1 to Pirate's suggestion #1. I had that happen once, wasn't good for drivability in the least. Hopefully your regulator is replacable with just an Allen wrench like mine was.

[Chuck Norris]

A big THANKS to GADGET!!!

And, Jason Vogelsberg IS the greatest mechanic ALIVE!

I took on the project of cleaning out the EGR passages (see Gadget's link on a couple posts back). I am not mechanically inclined, but I read and re-read the steps in the walkthrough on the link, and did my best. The harsh idle is gone! It was a big job for me, took me over three hours due to inexperience and shamefully inadequate tools and equipment. But it's done, and the car is running very well again.

Now I've got to replace the anceint rubber fittings I destroyed in the process.

There is two lines that connect to the PCV. The larger line, the one on the bottom IIRC, connects to a solid plastic tube, which then connects to a rubber T (that goes dirctly to the block at the bottom), whick the runs a solid plastic hose over to the drivers side, passing under the throttle body, which then connects to the valve cover, I think (it was hard to see) via a rubber hose. That piece of hose broke, and the T broke. UGHA! I "borrowed" some hose from the radiator overflow, cleaned it out, and reconnected the drivers side bit using it, but it is barely hanging on. And I globbed gasket sealent all over the T connector in hopes it'll provide enough seal to prevent vacuum leak. It's working for now.

So, this not-even-amerature mechanic, and GMN perman00b, cobbled everything back together and it's better than it was when I started. I am giving myself an intarweb pat on the back!

:poop2::rock::smirk::headbang::woot::jammin:

[gadget73]

ah the pcv lines rotted apart at the T. Thats another stupid problem I've heard of with these. Glad its running better for you. The 4.6 is a good motor, just has it's own maintenance items to deal with.