Re:-164L - '91 V6 - Still stumbles

[Bruce Murray <bmurray@domain.elided>]

>From: "David Westphal" <omoo@domain.elided>
>
>I got a 'Check Engine' code of 1223 and replaced the O2 sensor.  The symptom
>was stumbling on acceleration up a slight grade, and stumbling at idle and
>sometimes dying.  It would start right up again.  Driving last night on the
>approaches to a bridge at the toll both, it stumbled again twice; I goosed
>it to life both times but had to play brake/accelerator dance.  I did not
>want to go over that bridge knowing I hadn't fixed my problem.  My Verde had
>similar symptoms (fuel starve) and drove me crazy until it finally died - it
>was the relay that controls the fuel pump.
>
>Any ideas ?  I did not get a 'Check Engine' light this time, but I'm not
>getting on that bridge with this problem.

I too had (I hope) a problem with stumbling on my 19 164S.  In my case the 
engine would idle but would just not accelerate even in neutral.  It was 
almost like the throttle wasn't connected up.   No check engine light came 
on either.  The solution that seemed to work was to switch off and restart 
the engine - a cold reboot if you will.

I put on a fuel pressure gauge and verified that it wasn't a fuel pressure 
problem.

I hooked up an Auto Force Tester to the ECU and ran the car for a week.  It 
ran flawlessly and I got all the correct indications on the instrument.

I figured that the root cause might have been a dirty connection at the 
Motronic box which I had cured by plugging in the AutoForce tester.

So I removed the AutoForce tester , sprayed contact cleaner on the contacts 
, plugged everything in and prayed.  For the last 600 miles all has been 
well, and pleasantly 25 mpg with extended fast running between 80 and 90 
most of the way.

So I suggest cleaning the Motronic connector - it might work.  It may have 
worked for me.

By the way in case anyone's wondering, the AutoForce tester  is a device 
once sold by ARDONA to the dealers for ECU and ABS checking.

Bruce Murray

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