1999 escort zx2 sport runs rough

danny1967 · Posted at Thu Jan 19, 2006 8:29 pm

1999 ford escort zx2 4 cyl. doc .120,000 miles first of all, i had this car come in , the lights would dim badly when braking. when accelerating they would go back to normal brightness. i checked the alternator on a load and it read 8.50 volts , too low i think . think maybe alternator is bad? i have a second question, same vehicle , runs rough only at idle . did tune-up on it and still runs rough. at times when running at idle it will just about stall out but then it juices back up , think maybe fuel pump? all help would be greatly appreciated !

mpzx2 · Posted at Wed Feb 01, 2006 11:26 am

I have an early 98 ZX2 (built 6/97) with Zetec 2.0L and 5-speed that stumbles upon acceleration - to the point where engine continues to fire but there is no power. This ocurrs when 'flooring' the pedal - Goosing the pedal allows for somewhat smoother acceleration. Idle is smooth and checks on target and it sounds normal. Timing belt broke while driving and was replaced. Ran fine until recently. Replaced MAF, but same condition - reinstalled original. Also replaced IAT and TPS. IAC is next on the list. Could timing be off 180? If so, wouldn't this have ocurred immediately? Anyone have any ideas?