1995 Mustang Cobra, Hanging idle and starting problems?
hey guys, Since I bought my 95 cobra this has been a continuous problem. For a couple weeks it will be fine. It will start fine, Idle will be fine and then it will randomly crank without trying or start and die and also when It has those problems it has a hanging idle problem. I know from the factory they were supposed to have the idle hang a little bit for smoother shifting but sometimes when I go to shift at 3000 rpm it will stay there for 4-5 seconds before dropping at all. The check engine light is not on and I haven't gotten any codes out of it. I had the codes ran by a shop and nothing showed up. When It has problems starting and staying running it will run by playing with the gas. Also it will randomly surge a lot.
Does anyone have any idea what this could be? I can't handle it anymore I'm tired of being left places wondering how I'm gonna make it home. and then after a while of waiting go to start it again and its fine.. It doesn't matter if its hot or cold either.
If anyone has any idea what this could be it would greatly appreciated
thanks in advance.
If its cranking with out you turning the ignition switch then you have a short some where in that circuit that is bypassing the switch and sending 12v directly to the starter from the battery.
As for the idle hang you would have to get the car on a good scanner that can read live senor data. Look at the TPS sensor voltage and things like that. Rev it up and look at your readings it could be a bad sensor
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83 Mustang GT 5.0L HO currently sucking the living life out me and my bank account...
Its not cranking without me turning the key. Sometimes I will crank it for a couple seconds without it trying to start at all, the motors cranking without trying to run.
I was thinking the tps but wouldn't that throw a code?
If its cranking and not starting your not getting 1 of 3 things Air, Spark, or fuel check for spark and fuel and if its getting both then we know it and air problem and that could be leading to your hanging idle
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83 Mustang GT 5.0L HO currently sucking the living life out me and my bank account...
Turning over but not starting? Gee, sounds alot like a PIP/Ignition pickup coil problem to me. I had this problem.. most times it was when hot, but at the end it would do it first thing in the morning, no start, then viola, start right up. How many miles on your Cobra?
You're going to have to either buy a NEW distributor or take your distributor apart and purchase a PIP/Pickup coil. Only buy it from Napa or Ford, not from any of the discount parts stores (autozone, advance, etc.) Too many DOA sensors from those guys, ask me how I know that! Same thing with reman'd dizzies, they test the PIP sensor and if it's good, they leave it. Problem is they usually act up when at temp. so their tests are useless!
Even if this doesn't solve your problem, it is still good to get this out of the way as it will leave you stranded in the future, it's a certainty.
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1994 GT: 5 Speed conversion, BBK Shorties, O/R H, Flowmasters. Rest bone stock, even has air silencer!
I'm going to clean the IAC as soon as I can get a new gasket for it.
For a while it was going through coils. It would do the same thing it is now but wouldn't start at all until I put a new coil in and then it would be fine for a couple weeks and do the same thing but it stopped that a couple months ago and I thought it was over.
I just hit 140,000 miles
Would it be better to just get the new sensor or buy a new distributor? I'm guessing the new distributor but If I don't have to spend the extra money for it I would rather not.
It depends on how confident you are about pressing the gear off the distributor shaft. If you go with a new one, you MUST get a brand new one, not reman'd. I can't stress that enough. And at 140k miles, you 100% need to change that (and your balancer if you haven't done it yet!!).
Basically, you tap out a coule roll pins. If you have a bench vice, you can chuck the gear into it with the dizzy upside down and tap the shaft till the gear is free. Just make sure you mark it exactly how it comes off, if you put it back on backwards the holes may not line up and you'll have to start over.
you can clean the IAC all you want, but your no start problem is most likely going to be the PIP sensor.... Napa calls these pickup coils so that's what you should ask for if you're going to change it.
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1994 GT: 5 Speed conversion, BBK Shorties, O/R H, Flowmasters. Rest bone stock, even has air silencer!
Ok well I'll call around to a couple shops to see what the price is and depending on price I might do it myself.
I haven't done the balancer yet either.
Is there anyway of telling if its the pip sensor? Shouldn't it throw a code or anything? And is it common for these to go out slowly and not just crap out until you change it?
There is no way to know for certain, but it's happened to many, many of us already. There's been guys who have replaced every sensor under the hood, and waited till the end to replace the PIP sensor, which of course was the culprit. Your mileage definately tells that the PIP has probably had it.
And there really is no common way they go out. They can crap out all together or intermittent problems. And since it controls both your spark AND your fuel system, it's really hard to diagnose. And if it fails totally, then it'll set a code. But I've never had a code when mine were failing. I just know after having owned 5 of these cars in my lifetime when they need to be changed! lol
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1994 GT: 5 Speed conversion, BBK Shorties, O/R H, Flowmasters. Rest bone stock, even has air silencer!
1995 Mustang Cobra, Hanging idle and starting problems? 
