I have a '01 SL1, 5 sp standard with 325K miles on it. It's been running great until a couple days ago when after driving about 15-20 min, the engine started losing power. Took me about 15 mins to get it into a parking lot off the highway.

I looked for any obvious vacuum leaks, bad spark plug connections, ect. I left the parking lot without ever shutting the engine off and had ZERO issues.

I had less than a 1/4 tank of gas, so i filled it half way thinking maybe bad gas or crud busting loose or water may be the culprit. Got it home after fueling without issues.

Seems like a fuel problem to me, but can't see anything obvious. For the heck of it, i pulled plugs and cleaned/regapped (they were 0.80 in!). I drove it around town trying to simulate the driving I did they day I had problems and it ran fine.

Today I took it to work. After back road driving for 15 min, I got on the interstate and after about 5 miles at I-state speed, it started losing power again. I limped off the road and into a parking lot where a friend picked me up.

Never got a SES light, temp seemed normal, engine never died. I have no trouble codes to go by. One thing I did notice, was it was kind of difficult to change from gear to gear while driving. I got back into the car 2 hours later and drove home the exact route with no issues. Both times I had problems, the temps outside were cooler 70 degrees the first time and about 60 the 2nd.

I have done the following (besides the plugs the other day):
-turned key to run and listened for fuel pump on/off.
-checked the man trans fluid level which was good.
-removed and cleaned the EGR valve (some carbon, but little dingus moves freely)
-inspected wiring for the eng coolant temp sensor(I replaced this a couple years ago)

I'm kind of at a loss with it being intermittent. I would think a clogged F Filter would be more constant. Hard to T/S the F pump with the intermittent problem too.

 

Just got back from driving it again after doing the above work. Failed again after 20 min of driving. Same as before, but it was 85 degrees out this time.

For the heck of it I checked the output of the alternator and found output volts to be good.....

 

Check your catalytic converter. Sounds to me like it's clogging up on you.

 

I thought about that too. If the cat was clogging do you think my problems would always start after 20 min or so? I had bad cats on a ford explorer and the power issues would start once the vehicle got to normal operating temps, usually withing five min and even then it was only if I was gunning the engine like to pass.

Once my power issues start it happens at all speeds, in any gear..

 

You may need to keep a code reader in the car at all times so that you can check for codes when this happens. Many of the codes are type 2 DTCs which only set the CEL when it occurs in two consecutive drive cycles and will disappear on the second drive cycle if it does not reoccur. If you check immediately after this happens, you should see a pending code.

 

I'm planning to plumb a fuel pressure gauge in at the fuel rail with a hose long enough to tape it to my windshield and see if I can see any pump pressure losses while it's failing. anyone know what the correct pump pressure should be?

I also do have a code reader. Current codes are P401 (EGR flow) and P410 (secondary air) I have had both these codes prior to this power problem and have cleaned the EGR valve twice and cleaning out the tube from the air diverter valve to the exh manifold. Codes went away for a few days, but came back.

 

For the 410, did you clean out the passage IN the exhaust manifold, that is what gave me a 410 code once.

When this happens, does the car coast OK. If not, it could be a dragging brake or something else dragging. Not a slipping clutch either?

 

So I put a fuel pressure gauge at my fuel rail and was reading 44 psi, changed the fuel filter and was now reading 56 psi. I drove past the normal 20 min till failure without acceleration loss and started getting stoked. Drove for another 25 minutes without any issues or fluctuation on the pressure gauge.

I decided to make one last 60 mph run up a county road when the needle started fluctuating like crazy and then the pressure dropped to 20psi and then to less than 10 with no acceleration.

Ordered an OEM fuel pump from amazon for $158 ($100 less than napa). Guess I'll be dropping the fuel tank Saturday.....

 

yes sir I did. Car coasts fine. Brakes and rotors, drums, ect all new. Original clutch, but it still seems solid.

 

How is it possible to have 266 views and only 8 responses..... just sayin.