[kevinfish]

hi everyone.

I'm looking at picking up an 01 with a 2.7. The owner said it ran great (with 169k miles) but he let it sit for a couple months and now it bogs when trying to accelerate (but once the RPMs are up it's good). He says the motor never has rattled, loses no coolant, has had regular 5k mile oil changes with Havoline (which I know from personal experience over many decades is a pretty decent, sludge resistant oil, even if not exactly the right thing for THIS engine), and I had him check keydance codes and all he's getting is that P1624 (battery recently disconnected) code. It has about 2/3 to 3/4 of a tank of gas and was frequently driven before then.

I'm going to look at it here in a couple days. I was wondering what y'all think I should be looking for?

I was thinking maybe the gas lost it's volatiles while sitting last summer (its in an area that gets pretty hot and it sits in the sun in the driveway) so maybe I could soup it up with a gallon of acetone?

That seems like the only thing that would match the symptoms (but not sure if that would throw a code or not).

If so much fumes had gone thru the charcoal vapor recovery canister that it got all varnished/plugged up, would that throw a code? If so which?

Any other ideas?

TIA,
-Kevin

 

[austinhealey]

Surprised you haven't received an answer. My first guess would be bad gas -- no telling how long it's been sitting in the tank. (Re putting acetone in the tank, sounds like a risky plan IMO -- can't believe that acetone is good for fuel hoses, injectors, etc., especially considering the fuel lines are plastic.) Another possibility would be worn spark plugs -- would have been a good idea to change 'em around 100k miles.
Unless it's a car in super-good condition w/ a very low price, I'd pass, mostly because with 169k miles it's a crap shoot how long the engine and transmission might last. They could call it quits next week ... or churn along happily for another 100k miles.
Re sludge, when my car developed the problem, there was a very obvious buildup under the oil filler cap.

 

[kevinfish]

Acetone shouldn't hurt it because that, benzine, toluene, etc... e.g. all the volatiles are already in normal gas. Just when a car sits they can evaporate off leaving the heavier less volatiles that don't vaporize well enough to ignite with enough energy to move the car down the road effectively.

 

[yevrah]

acetone will do what the others can't, which is melt plastic components.
you want to add volatiles, get some laquer thinner, which is toluene.
actually raise your octane too.

 

[kevinfish]

acetone will do what the others can't, which is melt plastic components.
you want to add volatiles, get some laquer thinner, which is toluene.
actually raise your octane too.

LOL, I'm afraid the burden of proof is on you on that one Bud. I've worked with both of these solvents for decades and I've never observed any significant difference in what they'll dissolve.

As far as octane rating, I seriously doubt there's much difference either but I don't have time to look it up right now.

As I already said, all these solvents are already components of gasoline. Since they sell a lot more gas than they do these thinners the VAST majority of them are not cracked out to be sold separately to the public but are just to be burned in vehicles.

 

[yevrah]

i know the difference from everyday use too.
not my problem if it goes wrong.
use away.

 

[austinhealey]

IMO, the biggest problem w/ stale gas isn't the loss of volatiles. It's the ethanol, which tends to separate and form a nasty gunk that can clog fuel lines, filters and injectors. I have a portable generator for power outages, and I've learned the hard way to check it BEFORE I need it.

 

[peva]

IMO, the biggest problem w/ stale gas isn't the loss of volatiles. It's the ethanol, which tends to separate and form a nasty gunk that can clog fuel lines, filters and injectors. I have a portable generator for power outages, and I've learned the hard way to check it BEFORE I need it.

FWIW, that's why I use ethanol-free gas in all my vehicles and lawnmowers. It's worth the extra fuel cost to me. I figure less issues over the life of the vehicle.