2000 Mercury Cougar Misfire in cylinder 1, 2, 3

RSTULLER

MEMBER
2000 MERCURY COUGAR
2.5L
V6
FWD
AUTOMATIC
196,700 MILES

Car when started revs up and down wants to die, when it's cold outside its worse car will start and die unless keep foot on gas, when driving it runs fine when warm until I need to slow down or stop revs up and down, wants to die, brake peddle gets stiff as a brick and car doesn't want to stop but still wants to go forward, jerks bad when stopped like acouple is havenong sex in the back of car, also vibrates real bad, head lights and cluster dim on and off when revs up and down, I've changed the fuel filter, spark plugs, spark plug wires, coil pack, egr silenoid, egr valve, and the thermostat is about 2-3 yrs old. It seems todo it when it's below 50 degrees outside but when it's above that car does it till motor warms to temp then brakes and motor run fine. It's just really bad in cold weather for some reason. Any ideas or huge helpful hints. I took it to advanced, oreily a, and auto zone had them pull codes, said o2 sensor bank 1&2 egr, vaccum leak, injectors, misfire on 1 and 3. 1, 2, 3 and 3. Before I started driving this car it was my wife's, she started having probs with it when I looked underneath the car the cat was glowing red and was on fire I gutted the cat and it helped for awhile but then these misfires started happening I changed all this stuff so far and it still does it.

3 Replies

JOHNNYT73

MECHANIC
924 POSTS

Ok, it seems you have multiple issues that may need resolved. When you car is that hot, you have too much fuel in the exhaust. You may need to replace all the coil packs to be sure. Have it checked for a leak at the manifold somewhere (if your getting lean codes as well). Are the codes actually for the o2 sensors or it did say lean? Or rich? Check the MAF sensor. Check your plugs too see if there is unburned fuel on them.

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Thursday, January 8th, 2015 AT 10:19 AM

RSTULLER

MEMBER
2 POSTS

Code P0401= system fault (exhaust gas recirculating) ECM has detected to little flow on the egr system. Code P0174= fuel trim bank two condition, ECM has detected a rich or lean air/fuel ratio, probable cause if bank one and two are set together suspect a fuel pressure condition or MAF sensor fault. Failed Ho2s21 (heated oxygen sensor-bank 2 sensor 1. Code P0303 misfire cylinder 3. PCM has detected a misfire. Code P0302 misfire cylinder number 2. Code P0301 misfire cylinder number 1. Code P1132 lack of bank 1 o2 transitions-rich explanation ECM detected bank 1 o2 at its rich limit. Code P1151 lack of o2 switches-bank 2sensor 1 ECM could not adjust fuel trim because of a lean or rich condition. Code P1131 lack of bank 1 o2 transitions lean, ECM detected bank 1 o2 at its lean limit. Code P0135 ho2s11 heater condition (heated oxygen sensor bank 1 sensor 1, the PCM monitors the oxygen sensor heater. The computer has recognized a failure in this circuit. Code P0136 Ho2s12 circuit condition (heated oxygen sensor bank 1 señsor 2 the PCM uses the oxygen sensor to calculate the air/fuel ratio in the exhaust. Ok now I gutted the catalyst cuz the honey come inside melted and was clogging the exhaust pipe. I unbolted it and jammed all the stuff out of it. It ran fine after that. But now is these issues. Now because my catalyst is gutted my o2 sensors will say these things and my engine light will stay on. I done it to many cars and they never ran like this except one. And I ended up being some module on top of the motor. I just want buy the right part and not 5 more parts I'm putting to much into this car now.

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Thursday, January 8th, 2015 AT 4:30 PM

JOHNNYT73

MECHANIC
924 POSTS

Your PCM is trying to compensate from not having any converts in the exhaust system. Your downstream o2 sensors are going to be constantly reading that the car is off, and tell the PCM to try to adjust for it. Your not really going to be able to correct it until you have new cats put in and then start diagnosing after that. If it was melted inside prior to you gutting them out then you were most likely running too rich and it got so hot it melted.

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Saturday, January 24th, 2015 AT 4:08 PM