URGENT!: help, bad idle, no power- long

[tonytony]

Swap works perfect until today, i got my exhaust done and been driving around with no issues until i went to cartoys today and when i came back out the car started up idle irratically give it some throttle input and it dies, over and over. I listen to the engine and it seems like there's knocking coming from the engine. I thought maybe it was the spark plugs are fouled, from when i didn't have an 02 sensor in there, took em out and they're totally black, got new copper plugs( all i could afford) same thing, just this time without the knocking.

How many vaccum hoses are there? there's the brake booster and the fuel pressure regulator that i know of. i thought maybe it could be the fuel filter but i cant' get under there to find out.

there isn't any noticibly abnormal amounts of smoke coming out of the tail pipe, just the average exhaust coming out when it's cold outside. what could it be:*( i gotta get to work tomorrow also. TIA

[Jason89i]

started up idle irratically give it some throttle input and it dies, over and over. I listen to the engine and it seems like there's knocking coming from the engine. I.........

.......How many vaccum hoses are there? there's the brake booster and the fuel pressure regulator that i know of.

we need some more info.......but.......rough idle, stumble / die when gas is hit.........sounds like a fuel / air mixture problem. check the idle stabilizer valve....make sure the boot in plugged into the manifold. check for vacume leaks. massive vacume leaks will cause the same problems you are speaking of.

cheers, jason

[tonytony]

k, here's the details: it idles really rough around 400rpms up and down, give it a little bit of throttle and it jets up to 2k rpms and comes down and dies or gets really rough, the lights flicker and the car wants to die at this point. leave it alone and it goes back to 400 rpms again still rough. I tried to drive it but it keeps on dying. As for the knocking it was only doing it with the bosch platium 4s which were covered in black stuff and fuel, put the champion coppers in and the knocking went away. I check the brake booster and the FPR hoses and they're all connected. I didn't think of the boot you're spreaking off, i'll go check it again. Would a clogged fuel filter cause these problems? thanks again

[PiercedE30]

if it was a clogged fuel filter then you wouldn't of had gas on the spark plugs like you had said. i vote for vacuum leak.

[tonytony]

jason is right, I would be scratching my head and spending money to get it towed home. It did turn out to be the idle stablizer boot that came undone:)

[moatilliatta]

didnt you just seafoam it threw the vacuum lines.... check them. its prolly something silly

[Jason89i]

jason is right, I would be scratching my head and spending money to get it towed home. It did turn out to be the idle stablizer boot that came undone:)

glad to hear you got it running. drive on. cheers, jason

[tonytony]

thanks again jason