when i drive at cruise speed, my check engine light will come on.
it happened yesterday for the first time. and today again.
and if i increase the speed or take my foot of the pedal, it will stop.
the idle is a tad bit shakey , but nothing to write home about.
and there is some deposit at the tail pipes.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj219/ceedeefl/tailpipes001.jpg(right side)
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj219/ceedeefl/tailpipes002.jpg (left side)
after i started the car and had her idle for a few minutes (check engine light came on)
the tail pipes looked like this
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj219/ceedeefl/tailpipes003.jpg
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj219/ceedeefl/tailpipes004.jpg
ha... can't really see it. but there is a lot of condensation on the pipes...
i got the feeling it's something to do with the o2 sensor.
and was going to see what happens when i fill her up with fuel again
maybe some deposit got into the lines?

i've done a search and try a few things, but i also wanted to ask you guys.
i've learned here, if you wait a little too long things get very ugly very fast. and troubleshooting the situation then, is almost impossible.

so what is your guys guess.

I have a similar problem for a long time and looked for many reasons... its been a while I,ve been driving the car like that and noticing that my voltage increases...well to make the story short one of my batteries was bad and now is been few days that the car have not acted up like that however I will still look for the cause of that dead battery before I replace them which I think is the voltagve regulator located inside the alternator... if you have the same problem as I do then you will be happy you just replaced the batterys because O2 sensors are very expensive...

my voltage is about 13.88 but i also have the car on a charger all the time.

You could try cleaning your Maf sensor, but I suspect you will need new O2 sensor

my voltage is about 13.88 but i also have the car on a charger all the time.

Have you done the "stomp test" and read the codes? A Check Engine light should always set codes to read.

Not if it's a Maf, Atlease mines didn't? CEL would go away when i gave the car a little more gas, Cold starts would only run on one side for about 2 minutes then the other side would kick in, When the Maf finally when out, It seem to be dumping fuel, Was scary, Checked and seen that one maf was doing nothing when unplugged, Thanks Wuffer!

i hooked up the laptop and it didn't show any errors.
i then started the car and unplugged the right side maf and the idle surged.
then i plugged it back in. and did the same thing on the left bank. it surged again.
i however noticed a whole lot of vapor coming from the tailpipes.
maybe, from the rain we were having lately? i had the car outside a couple of days
when it rained down the heavens.

oh and thank you very much for all your suggestions
it's one of those 'finding the fault by ellimination games' again

Condensation is normal. It is most likely the MAFs, and possibly the O2 sensors.
MAF's can be cleaned, but that is a band-aid at best. I kept having this issue until I got them rebuilt.

Condensation is normal. It is most likely the MAFs, and possibly the O2 sensors.
MAF's can be cleaned, but that is a band-aid at best. I kept having this issue until I got them rebuilt.

who was your contact for the MAFs?

He is no longer rebuilding MAF's for the general public. The only other source is GAULT - expect to pay about $425 each.

i then started the car and unplugged the right side maf and the idle surged.
then i plugged it back in. and did the same thing on the left bank. it surged again.Are you sure? Normally you get the surge when you plug it back in, You should get a drop in rpm when unplugged and a surge when repluged. If you have a bad maf, It should do almost nothing when unplugged. The good Maf unplugged will drop the idle and try and possibly shut the car off!

Are you sure? Normally you get the surge when you plug it back in, You should get a drop in rpm when unplugged and a surge when repluged. If you have a bad maf, It should do almost nothing when unplugged. The good Maf unplugged will drop the idle and try and possibly shut the car off!

duh of course what you said... the idle dropped whe in pulled the MAF plug

Was trying to help, Good luck!

Was trying to help, Good luck!

you did help ... i am just a bit challenged sometimes, when it comes to write things in a sensible way...lol

Sorry guys, to sound so ignorant, but what is a MAF????:rolleyes

Mass Airflow Sensor...the round doohickey with a round connector on its side of the bottom flat portion that's between the air filter and the throttle body. X2

I say the MAF and the MAF is probably being contaminated by a vacuam leak. I would suggest testing and replacing the VCV / PCV.

The clean (and less traceable) way to test the VCV is to start the car and open the OIL filler cap. With good VCV there should be a slight vacuam and the car will stutter and almost die once you take the oil filler cap off. If you have a small cardboard piece or paper to cover the hole it should keep the paper in place with the vacuam.

The messy way to test this is to start the car and pull the engine oil dipstick. If the oil gushes out your VCV (s) are shot. If not then they are fine and MAF is contaminated by something else.

VCV change takes less than 30 minutes for the V12.


http://members.roadfly.com/faisal_in_laurel/VCV/VCV01.jpg
http://members.roadfly.com/faisal_in_laurel/VCV/VCV02.jpg
http://members.roadfly.com/faisal_in_laurel/VCV/VCV03.jpg
http://members.roadfly.com/faisal_in_laurel/VCV/VCV04.jpg
http://members.roadfly.com/faisal_in_laurel/VCV/VCV05.jpg
http://members.roadfly.com/faisal_in_laurel/VCV/VCV06.jpg
http://members.roadfly.com/faisal_in_laurel/VCV/VCV07.jpg
http://members.roadfly.com/faisal_in_laurel/VCV/VCV08.jpg

+1

I say the MAF and the MAF is probably being contaminated by a vacuam leak. I would suggest testing and replacing the VCV / PCV.

The clean (and less traceable) way to test the VCV is to start the car and open the OIL filler cap. With good VCV there should be a slight vacuam and the car will stutter and almost die once you take the oil filler cap off. If you have a small cardboard piece or paper to cover the hole it should keep the paper in place with the vacuam.

The messy way to test this is to start the car and pull the engine oil dipstick. If the oil gushes out your VCV (s) are shot. If not then they are fine and MAF is contaminated by something else.

VCV change takes less than 30 minutes for the V12.




hmmm ahmed... the two things you describe didn't happen. when i opened the 710 fillercap, the engine didn't almost die or even stutter, and there was no oil gushing out of the dipstick, either.
hmmmm

hmmm ahmed... the two things you describe didn't happen. when i opened the 710 fillercap, the engine didn't almost die or even stutter, and there was no oil gushing out of the dipstick, either.
hmmmm

In that case atleast one of the 2 VCV is still good. What air filter are you using?

i am using OEM airfilters. i think they are MAN...

Good. Did you pull the dipstick all the way out when the car was running?

Good. Did you pull the dipstick all the way out when the car was running?

uhm ... i don't think i did... :eek: i don't remember...
*runs out and tries again* i'll report back

ok ... iam back.
no oil, but no more check engine light either. and no sputters (or any change for that matter)
when i take the 710 cap off.
hmmmm...

i changed those lines ... the idle has improved a lot.
the light still came on once... maybe it needs a bit to get to normal?
or it's the oxygen sensors and MAF?