97 Ford Escort.Please Help

[mgreen84]

Alright,

My wife has a 97 Ford Escort that should have been crushed years ago. I have working on this POS for days to no avail. It will start and run fine for about 3 seconds. Then the idle becomes really erratic, and acts just like it has a major vacuum leak. Not possible, I have used a ford schematic and traced the lines. Replaced MAF, o2's, and throttle position sensor as well as the IAC . The computer throws one code, something to the effect of " Idle/Fuel metering beyond threshold" (Yeah I've figured that one out, Thanks Ford!!) The only OBD affecting sensors I can think of are the camshaft and crankshaft position sensors (that I haven't replaced yet). Any ideas I'm grasping at straws here?

 

[privatejoker]

What's the code #? DOHC or SOHC?

 

[mgreen84]

Thanks, for taking an interest...its a SOHC 2.0 SPI

 

[mgreen84]

As for the code, there is only one left in it after changing the TPS and not sure of the number but it was a manufacture specific code. I'm not at the garage with the code scanner right now.

 

[89Daytona]

Maybe something to do with fuel pressure regulator or something along those lines?
Maybe something with a coolant temp sensor, sometimes when they are out of spec it causes hard starting (at least on dodges).

 

[JJacobs]

Have you checked the cat for restriction? Pull an upstream O2 and start it.

 

[XJLafonda]

Kinda sounds like a crankshaft position sensor. A similar problem happened to my dad's jeep, and that turned out to be the problem. It would start and run for a second, and shut off. Turns out that's what it was.

 

[massjuggalo]

does the 97 escort have a mass air flow meater i have had this problem after replacing o2 sensors on toyota trucks crc makes a mass air cleaner it works great and cost around 5 bucks so its worth a shot