Looking for help...

[96talontsi]

Ok, here's the deal, my gf's 96 Talon TSi, manual FWD has a wierd problem. After driving it for a bit, when you pop the clutch to slow down the tach drops to 200 RPM or even lower, everything goes dim, and sometimes the car starts shuttering. I had the alternator checked, no problem there. Yesterday i was driving it and after popping the clutch the tach flatlined, the oil light came on. The tach was at 0 for a good 3 seconds. Wierd thing, the car was idling, I turned it off and I could hear it go off. Any help would be great.

[BlackEclipse]

What performance mods were done to her car?

[BlackEclipse]

Notice any weird ticking noises coming from the belt side of the block? Does the clutch pedal go weird when you go around sharp curves?

You might have an intake leak somewhere....this would cause air to enter the engine without being measured and the wrong fuel ratio is being calculated by the ECU.


But you do say that the engine wants to die when you push the clutch pedal as you are slowing down to a stop....but after you come to a stop and are just sitting there it will idle fine?

[96talontsi]

No mods. And usually what it was doing was the tach needle was dropping down and it would bounce up and down a few times and typically ended up leveling out at 500-800 Rpm. It has run rough a few times. It has died at least once. I wasn't there for it but the gf told me about it.

[96talontsi]

I took it to a mechanic and he couldn't find anything wrong with the motor itself. He said it's somewhere between the distributor and the tach guage. But how much stuff runs off of this?

[Iwishiwascool]

talked to him on AIM.

Its crankwalk.

80% sure.

Tapping at idle, rev drop when clutch is depresed....

[harry's94tsi]

poor guy, and girl

[96talontsi]

Well, after halting a timing chain replacement and having the mech talk to one of the admins on the phone the car has 0 CW. Very good news, just need to find the prob with the tach now.

[biglipps66]

I wouldnt think there was a problem with the tach, maybe just a problem else where.

Have you ever checked for boost leaks?? How about checked the spark plugs lately? Ever change the fuel filter? Things like that.

[Iwishiwascool]

im not buying it.

Most mom and pop shops probably wouldnt have the knowledge to check it properly. They probably just smack it around and look for visual movement. Who knows though...

You hear a tapping at idle and your RPM drops when you push the clutch. Ive heard crank walk cases in which the rpm dropped just 50rpm, you told me it was much more than that.

If you can Hear the motor dropping RPM... not just the tach going down, there is a bigger problem than just the electrical input from the ECU. There is a reason that the idle drops.

Do this test: Start the car, wait for it to reach a constant idle. Push the clutch in. How much does it fall?

[BlackEclipse]

For starters....

There is no distributor on these cars. We have what is called "electronic ignition".

There is no timing chain on these cars - it's a timing belt.

There is nothing wrong with the tachometer. It is not an old car with a mechanical linkage from the tranny to the tachometer. The tachometer receives a electronic signal from the ECU. And the ECU receives timing signals from the crank angle sensor and the cam angle sensor.

[96talontsi]

OK, here are some arguements that I've gotten against CW.

The tach was flatlined but the car was running. Which indicates that the tachs woes are independant from the motor.

The mech, who does admit CW exists, talked to an admin from this site, and the admin told me I had no CW present. He felt assured at this conclusion.

I'm really not saying who's right or who's wrong, I just want to make this car reliable for my gf to drive, and I don't want to put a couple of hundred bucks in a car that will grenade on me in a month. I'll have the car back tomorrow, I'll check back on any results.

[BlackEclipse]

I would like to know what "admin" you were talking to. The only "admin" I am aware of that had anything to do with this is Ken and he is saying that you do have crankwalk - (80% sure that you have it).

[Iwishiwascool]

And im definitely not any kind of admin.

[biglipps66]

he talked to JP..
96talontsi talks to me all the time online

[Gunner]

The faulty tach signal could very well be caused by the fact that the crank angle sensor is being chewed up. Lights dimming and whatnot when the clutch is pushed in will happen when engine rpm drops or something is causing the alternator belt to slip. I'm not one to cry wolf, and i must say those symptoms sound like the much maligned crankwalk bug. 2g's might be cute or whatever, but STAY AWAY from them unless you have big bucks to replace motors and all that jazz.

[EvolvedDSM]

The crank will have some type of movement. Ask the tech exactly what the measurement was.

[jplong]

as per this mornin...no sounds came from bay when clutch was depressed.. no crank play as well. this was info i got from the tech...truth? who knows. but without movement you got no walk. the guy assured me he pryed the FW away from the block and got no movement. like i said...truth?

[M 4 L k i 3 R]

Check the ECU caps maybe? This sorta sounds electrical to me.

[96talontsi]

Well, I went and picked the car up today. Drove perfect, rpms are staying up above 800 at all times, clutch in or out. So right now, it seems there isn't major CW. I've been talking to BigLipps66 and in the next few months I'll start building a 6b just to make sure no more money goes into this block.

[Iwishiwascool]

Just buy a built block or USDM Junker.

The frustration you will save from being a first time motor builder will be well worth the extra 500 bucks and countless hours you will spend perfecting everything... and even then you will worry about every little detail.

This i learned.

[harry's94tsi]

yeah but wouldnt you learn alot more by just putting together yourself? i have actually considered doing this, just the way i prefer to learn/teach myself but right now it prob. wouldnt be the smartest place to put my money.

btw: how much would a junkyard block go for? including head/excluding head anybody know?

[96talontsi]

Just buy a built block or USDM Junker.

The frustration you will save from being a first time motor builder will be well worth the extra 500 bucks and countless hours you will spend perfecting everything... and even then you will worry about every little detail.

This i learned.

I'm with ya, I talked to BigLipps about having someone from Columbus build the motor for me. He said it shouldn't be too hard to find someone but to run it by him on who would do it.