Odd engine problem on a rainy day . . chug, chug, chug, chug

[SJ]

Huw wrote:

> >>Stabilant a year ago probably means very little now.
> >
> > **** It lasts 10 years plus. No evaporation.
>
> I am stifling laughter as I write this, to avoid seeming rude.
>
> In an *engine bay?*  In a marketing lab, maybe...
**** There may be some marketing hype. But, the company is an ISO qualified
company. It caters to the military, defense, and medical field. So, its no
fly by night.
I think stabilant is the only product they make. If it was shit, I dont
think they would be around this long. I think they patented and started
production on this item in 1985.
A google search will find enough articles related to Stabilant written by
independent sources in various fields.
Does it work? I've read of tests done on connectors on a "shake and bake"
tester. Passed with flying colors.

I only used it once in a situation where I could actually test the results.
I had an Alpine slide in radio. After some time the contacts became pretty
crappy. I had static, intermittant operation . . .pushing in and moving the
radio would clear the problem.
The normal contact cleaners worked for a while, then the problem returned. I
put on Stabilant, and the problem cleared up for good. Worked fine for the
two remaining years that I had the car(85 4k). The car is still on the road,
I know the owner. Maybe I should call him and ask him how the radio works?

I still have the original small vial of stabilant - about 50% full. Thats a
lot of years and lot of contacts on 3 cars and a truck. The $40 I paid
doesnt seem that bad a price, considering. And no intermittants either. This
"intermittant"
problem is my first . . and it may not be related to a connector contact.


> You've checked out the Hall sender by now, I suppose?  You're bound to
> have...
**** Not yet. What is there to check? The engine runs fine. If I take
readings, they will come out per spec.
A hall sender problem would be a case of "all or nothing at all". Even if
intermittant, during that period of intermittancy it would kill the
ignition. My engine was running . .on one cylinder maybe .. but running .
.and to a constant beat.
The symptoms remind me of a bad case of stuck ISV valve > air/fuel problem
related. I wrote on such a problem several years ago. My 88 5k ISV would
stick when very cold. And the symptoms were somewhat similar to what I just
experienced. Chug, chug, chug, and no throttle response. Cleaning the ISV
cleared that problem, with no re-ocurrence.
This is the reason that I suspect  a fuel related problem rather than
ignition problem.

I would rather just swap out the Hall effect sensor. But, they dont sell
them. I've read someplace that you can get the hall sender itself. Maybe its
a Motorola part.


> Don't you hate intermittent problems that only occur on the road?
****Yeah, it sucks big time. Luckily, the car finally cured itself and I
could drive the car home.
I should have thought of reading codes when the engine refused to start that
one day in the driveway. The thought just never crossed my mind. Duhhhhhh!
<slaps himself upside the head>


SJ
85 Dodge PU, D-250, 318, auto
85 Audi 4k - - sold but still on the road
88 Audi 5kq
90 Audi 100q