Is my engine about to blow??

I have yet to find a thread that addresses my problem so Im making one. So the story is a few weeks ago I had my MAF calibrator installed but the mechanic opted to use quick connects instead of soldering it. We talked about it before I left because I was concerned. He said he had installed a few just like that with no problems and that I can bring it back to get soldered if something goes wrong. Sure enough a few weeks later, problem!! It started yesterday when I parked at my gate. My truck started making weird muffled popping noise from exhaust and the engine would randomly make a ticking noise, kinda sounded like it wanted to die. I got home n checked my hoses for leaks and checked my ultraguage for codes...nothing. I disconnected my battery for a few min hoping it was just a weird glitch..nope. woke up today started my truck n came back cpl minutes later to a puddle by my exhaust and it just smelled like water that ran thru a dirty exhaust. On my way to school today I stopped at the store and when pulling out of the lot my truck started "popping" when taking off, and then 3 pending codes came up: p0300 301 and 302 which are cyclinders 1-3 misfiring. Im making an appt with my mechanic tomorrow. I hope its just a fucked up ecu connection and it will go away when I get my MAF soldered, but jw if anyone else has any experience with this?

 

I cannot see a correlation between maf and misfire codes. your right, maybe one of the main harness connections. the last thing your truck wants to do is misfire. even without a maf it should default to some sort of fail safe timing to go along with fail-safe a/f ratios

so, I would start with harness connections, as it is unlikely that coils 1-3 or plugs 1-3 decided to fail at the same time. injector wiring also.

 

and fwiw, a misfire is bad only in that it could mess up your cats. I don't think a motor would blow up from failed ignition so no worries.

a mis-timed ignition on the other hand. . . . . but then you would be getting knock codes I believe.

hopefully somebody better will chime in. my obdII experience is fairly limited, thank god

 

Certainly could be MAF...

Check Engine Light On, P0300 Random Misfire Code

A random misfire means your engine is misfiring, but that the problem is not isolated to one or two cylinders. It is jumping around in a random way from one cylinder to another. A random misfire code usually means the air/fuel mixture is running lean. But the cause might be anything from a hard-to-find vacuum leak to dirty fuel injectors, low fuel pressure, a weak ignition coil, bad plug wires, or compression problems. Even a dirty MAF sensor can cause a lean code and/or misfire to occur. The engine may be stalling because it isn’t getting enough throttle opening. The cause is often a problem in the idle air control system. The first thing to check is the intake vacuum with a vacuum gauge. On most vehicles a normal reading is 17 to 21 inches Hg. If the needle is lower, is jumping up and down or steadily dropping, you have a vacuum problem. Look for possible vacuum leaks by checking vacuum hose connections, the throttle body and manifold, and PVC valve and plumbing. An EGR valve that is leaking can also act like a vacuum leak and cause a random misfire. The next thing you should check is the fuel pressure with a gauge. If it is not within specifications (refer to a service manual for specifics because fuel pressure is critical for proper engine performance), the problem may be a weak fuel pump, low voltage to the pump (check the relay and wiring), or obstructions in the fuel line (like a plugged filter). A bad fuel pressure relay can also leak pressure and prevent an otherwise good fuel pump from delivering full pressure to the injectors. Dirty injectors can also restrict fuel delivery and cause a lean fuel condition. Many regular grades of gasoline do not contain adequate levels of detergent to keep the injectors clean. Frequent short trip driving accelerates the buildup of injector deposits. Cleaning the injectors with a good quality fuel tank additive (or having them professionally cleaned) can solve this problem. Look at short term fuel trim (STFT) and long term fuel trim (LTFT) with your AutoTap Express DIY. If the numbers are high, it tells you the engine is running lean.

 

im not the op. just here trying to help

 

no lol that would be pretty rude. its all good man, glad more knowledgeable people are here.

when I was last having efi problems, I think misfire was called "igf signal failure" so im a little outta the loop.

just for s's and g's, when was last spark plug change op?

 

Got a little ahead of himself, I guess...

OP, I had MAF problems before and it caused my engine to pop and accelerate weird and make all kinds of codes come up. I'm willing to bet it's the connections he made. Make sure you get a detailed report of any damage correlated to his install, and document it in case something happens, you can cover your ass. Often times, a mechanic will do a shitty job and then the customer will bring it back, have it corrected, then down the line something fails that was related to the shitty install. Don't become a victim of that.

 

doing things half assed comes back to bite ya sometimes, and he def did a half assed job IMHO.

Gadget has said over and over and over....always solder.

on that note, I hope ur guy can solder well....u got a system that works off of resistance iirc, so u want a nice clean solder job.

keep us posted.........id def take it out for now, this way u can start from scratch and not have that extra variable.

 

Haha yeah I will

Im calling tomorrow morning to see if I can squeeze in an appt im gonna have him do it the right way this time. My truck drives fine once im going so im not gonna mess with it anymore. And yes I have it mapped to my truck by gadget but I would like to do a legit tune but I think the program only works on pc:/

I replaced my plugs about a year ago. Maybe year and 2 months. I also just installed a URD fuel filter/pump kit(made a big difference btw, my old filter was sooo bad) and had my O2 sensors extended to the bottom bung of my headers the same time I got the MAF put in...

K will do. Thanks for all the info guys!

 

soooo I'm stumped!! I had the MAF removed n had my wires soldered n wrapped and no difference. The mechanic didnt notice the sound because it only happens when my trucks warmed up pretty good and I dropped it off really early so i didnt get to show him myself. Its getting worse too. When I stop and idle, (sometimes it happens as soon as I stop sometimes it takes a minute), my truck starts making the weird popping/dying noise. It has no pattern but its starting to become more frequent. I will try and get a video/sound clip of it asap to help you guys out

 

Okay (seemingly) silly question, but was the new MAF sensor a true OEM replacement, or aftermarket? I wanted to "save a few bucks" on my daughters Subbie so I bought an aftermarket one at the parts store and it did a lot of the same stuff you are describing here. I removed/returned it, bought an OEM and it was good. I had the aftermarket tested and the oh mic values were WAY off. Just my $.02. Good luck.

 

MAF calibrator, not sensor sorry haha. My maf sensor is oem

 

If he used quick connects (taps) then there is a high possibility that he cut or almost cut a wire. I would definitely pull the calibrator and check that all the wires are in tact, also check that he didn't tap the wrong wire. Once the problem has been found have the install done correctly.

 

Did you reset the computer after removing the MAF calibrator from the equation?

 

x2, after you removed the MAF calibrator, unhook the battery for 20 minutes and let the ECU reset itself.

Also, I agree with what was said above, smack your mechanic and don't let him near your truck again since he obviously thinks it's ok to cut corners.

 

Right, and if your mechanic says he reset the computer, I would take that with a grain of salt and do it yourself...

 

I have the Maf calibrator and I used quick connects and haven't had a problem. But my MAf sensors did go bad. Trying cleaning it first with some maf sensor cleaner from the parts store. See if that helps.