After another sweltering Chicago day a week ago, my wife and I decided to take advantage of the great evening and go for a long drive. About 5 miles out the engine started balking and the oil pressure started dropping. Discouraged but realistic, we turned around and (luckily) limped home.
The engine had been running rich recently with a high idle, so I was thinking it was time to investigate the TA. This excursion cinched it for me. When I got home I pulled one of the plugs -- fouled beyond belief. I then searched the BB for all sorts of related threads - but had to toss and turn all night thinking about which one it could be.
The next day, armed with sage advice from Roadtrip et al (via print outs of old threads), I dived in. Mind you, I'd never even taken the airbox off before, so I didn't know what lurked below.
Ready to take on the Cold Start Solenoid, the TA, measure the pump gap, and replace the fitzer valve (sorry for the "Fletch" reference), I peeled off the airbox. As I'm looking around with the flashlight, I notice a small screw sitting way below on the frame. Not recalling dropping a screw, I looked above it to see the TA missing one screw and barely hanging on to the FI pump by the other, loose screw! HELLO! I attached both screws, put in new plugs, and we're off!!!
I just hope all your future "crises" are solved this easily!
All the best,
Linear Mode
