Ok, thanks. I did that this weekend, but I forgot to take the radiator cap off. I put the car on ramps. They are real steep. I didn't take the radiator cap off though.

I will have to try it with the radiator cap off. I'm gonna buy a new radiator cap today also.

Mine is a 96, and I found two bleeder screws. One on top the Thermostat, and one in front of the alternator, that is the one that the engine has to be running for fluid to come out.

So, I think I have 2.

 

so the o2 sensors fixed your problem? huh, now maybe we can get the other guy to follow the o2 sensor advice.

do you ever get a low coolant light?

 

my O2's survived a few months after the headers went on but eventually caused me grief.

 

I think my low coolant light is on all the time. Its red and looks like a box kinda of with something in the middle of it
its been on since I've have the car.

But the coolant is full. I topped it off

For sure replace the O2 sensors after installing headers. Mine needed to be replaced BEFORE the headers and after I think that just was the icing on the cake.

 

Here's another update on the car. This is AFTER the new O2 sensors.

I drove the car about 20 miles this weekend. It did fine. I drove it the next day and it backfired a lot.

I drove it today and on my way home this is what happened: I was at the stop light and I noticed the engine seemed to run a bit rough. The idle was fluctuating again. Down to about 800 and up to 1000. The I took off and shifted 1, 2, and 3 fine. I shifted into 4 gear and as I was rolling into the throttle the car all of a sudden started to lose power and slow down...even as you applied throttle. The engine became a lot quieter. After about 2-4 seconds of power loss, all of a sudden the power came back, and the engine and exhaust note were back to normal.

Here are some things to rule out.

1. New O2 Sensors.

2. I know the plug wires are not in the wrong order because they were when I first wired them up and I rearranged them. I had two cylinders on each side in the wrong order. I fixed them the same day.

Could this be the Opti or does this sound like a fuel related issue ?

The main symptoms are power loss and sputtering, and backfiring. When I say it backfires, it backfires when you are in a gear and let off the throttle. While in the gear and rolling as the RPM slows down it starts to backfire. Not all the time, just periodically.

Any ideas ?

 

so it backfires on thottle down only? is it backfiring through the exhaust or throttle body? both? does it smell rich again? im of two minds on this one. could be to much fuel and its igniting in the cat or misfire caused by ignition. have you had it scanned for trouble codes.

 

Yea, it backfires on throttle down only. Its backfiring through the exhaust. Yea it has that rich smell again.

I have not had it scanned...where can I do that ?

 

call around the local parts stores and see if they have a scanner that will work on your car. most should.

 

have you disconnected the battery for a while? If not, try that.

Were you running a custom tune?

The guys at the parts counter scan for error codes. You may have a stored one but I'm not sure if their scanners actually monitor vehicle information. My Actron 9145 does.

I had similar symptoms when I fouled the O2's. The car would stutter if you quickly floored it. If idling at a long light, there was a chance that it might stall when the light turned green. Cruising along at a constant speed and then it might start to cut out almost like fuel starved (which it was because the computer was getting false rich readings) backfiring at times

the O2's and then a tune cleared it all up.

 

I've own the car since 06, I haven't put any type of tune on it. I don't know if it has any type on it. I do know that the skip shift has been eliminated.

But, No custom tune...I do want to do that in the future.

Ok, I'll disconnect the battery tomorrow...I have not disconnected it in a while. The last time I disconnected the battery was when I put the new starter in. That was about 4 months ago.

I'll try that tomorrow and see where that takes us.

Man I put a lot of time and money into this car and its frustrating not being able to drive it with confidence. I don't want to get stuck somewhere ...again...It left me on the side of the road about 1 month after I picked it up. Haha...I guess that was its way of welcoming itself into the family