[BLUMX6]

HELP!!! my car is actin funny. i've got less power be4 4300rpm and more above 4300rpm than i used to. it always kicked a little, but now i'm sluggish then fast as hell. if i line up my shift points to land in the new gear above 4500 it's breathtaking. but now its a pain to get TO 4300. i was told my o2 sensors are bad, could this be it? i know i'm running REALLY rich(i can smell it and watch my fuel ga move). is this the absolute cause? any help is appreciated.

thanx,
Nick
BLUMX6

P.S. would an apexi super afc fix this?wit bad o2s?i want 1 anyway and found it 4 less than $300. L8R.

 

[Mike 94PGT]

HELP!!! my car is actin funny. i've got less power be4 4300rpm and more above 4300rpm than i used to. it always kicked a little, but now i'm sluggish then fast as hell. if i line up my shift points to land in the new gear above 4500 it's breathtaking. but now its a pain to get TO 4300. i was told my o2 sensors are bad, could this be it? i know i'm running REALLY rich(i can smell it and watch my fuel ga move). is this the absolute cause? any help is appreciated.

thanx,
Nick
BLUMX6

P.S. would an apexi super afc fix this?wit bad o2s?i want 1 anyway and found it 4 less than $300. L8R.

If this is a recent, sudden development, you should start your search at the #1 VRIS valve. Get the engine hot, open the hood and let it idle. Verify that the #1 valve is in the "open" position. Blip the throttle "hard" (directly at the linkage) and watch the #1 linkage - make sure it closes momentarily when you blip the gas.

Also, if you are running *that* rich, get the O2 sensors looked at. Have you noticed the check engine light coming on at all?

 

[BLUMX6]

yeah the light does come on. the problem started almost a month ago and the light comes on more often as time goes on. more now than in the beginning. ddoesn't feel any worse tho.speaking of vris, any way to rig it for more power? i'll check the valve 2morrow in daylight. thanks.

 

[Mike 94PGT]

yeah the light does come on. the problem started almost a month ago and the light comes on more often as time goes on. more now than in the beginning. ddoesn't feel any worse tho.speaking of vris, any way to rig it for more power? i'll check the valve 2morrow in daylight. thanks.

The first thing then is to read the codes out. For 93-95 MX6 V6s, go to my web page (see sig) and click on "Malf Codes" to see a comprehensive list of V6 codes and how to get them out. Your check engine light behavior sounds like O2 sensors from here. Read the codes out anyway.

As for "rigging" VRIS for more power, no, not really. It's tuned pretty much right for the V6 with that manifold casting. Ignore any of the hype you might read about tying the VRIS plates open or other nonsense. The only way this will help is if the system is malfunctioning and the plates aren't opening when they should. Even then, you're only gaining back what you've lost (and losing some elsewhere in the RPM band), not gaining over and above what a properly functioning system on a stock (or near stock) engine would give.

 

[BLUMX6]

thanks, thats one in depth web site. lots of info. you think the o2s will solve my power problem?

 

[Mike 94PGT]

Thanks

thanks, thats one in depth web site. lots of info. you think the o2s will solve my power problem?

Thanks.

It's hard to say if your power loss is all in the O2 sensors. Certainly, you are safe to assume that if the PCM isn't happy with the O2 sensors, the car is running subnominally.

Bottom line: If they are persistently giving O2 sensor codes, replace them. Even if they aren't the direct cause of the weird power delivery, they aren't helping anything.

 

[BLUMX6]

ok. i ran the codes. i got 17-L.o2 inversion, 23- R.o2 inactivation, and 24-R.o2 inversion. 2 questions- can the left inversion error be a result of wiring or such and does it even need to be replaced anyway? and what is the CHEAPEST place to get em, online or otherwise? i'm seeing online anywhere from $70-$170. thanks 4 your help. MX-6's RULE!!!(...when they aint havin problems=))

 

[Mike 94PGT]

Wow...3 out of 4 codes. Maybe they are the cause of your power problem.

Replace them.

Try going to NAPA and asking for the Bosche direct replacements (#15708 or something like that).

 

[BLUMX6]

2 more ??'s. how hard is it to replace em, any special tools or anything? how the hell do i get at the rear one? i obviously aint got a lift, just a jack(a real one, not just the spare tire one) and a friend has jackstands.

 

[Mike 94PGT]

2 more ??'s. how hard is it to replace em, any special tools or anything? how the hell do i get at the rear one? i obviously aint got a lift, just a jack(a real one, not just the spare tire one) and a friend has jackstands.

The front one is a snap. Remove the air duct running over top of the radiator (if you've still got the stock induction system). Look down between the rad & the engine and you'll see the exhaust downpipe. The left O2 sensor is right there. Unplug it & unscrew it. You might need a large open-end wrench or O2-sensor socket (try a parts store...should be pretty cheap.) Apply anti-seize compound to the new sensor's threads (even if it's already got some on there) and screw it in. Plug it in.

The rear one is tricker. If you turn the steering wheel all the way to the left & peer into the passenger-side wheel well behind the wheel, you can just see the rear (right) O2 sensor. Replacement is the same as the front though getting at it, as you will see, is alot tougher. It can be unplugged from under the hood (behind the intake) and, theoretically at least, removed from the wheel well.

As you've already mentioned, if you lift the car and remove that wheel to remove the sensor, make sure you've got the car well supported (i.e. the jack-stands)...don't rely on just the cheesy factory jack or a hydraulic jack to hold it up while you work under it

 

[BLUMX6]

THANKS MIKE.looks like i found a project for my next day off (wednesday. any luck finding em really cheap? i got 4 days to get em and i'm pretty strapped for cash. rents due on the 1st. lemme know if u find em for 50-60 bucks ea. THANX AGAIN.
---2.5L's RULE---