1988 5000 cs start and run problem

[SuffolkD at aol.com]

What's the outcome?
ALSO:  If you have vacuum leaks, they can be found out by spraying something 
combustible around the hose joints etc....at idle.

Wd-40 and the like.
If the idle increases, you've found an air leak.
HTH -Scott by BOSTON

> 
> Jim,
> 
> In addition to Pat Dooley's suggestion to go to www.sjmautotechnik.com
> (the 1st place you should go) and his suggestion to check the Michelin
> Man
> hose (top intercooler hose), ALSO check the lower intercooler hose (the
> car is old enough that it may have had it's eventual failure) which is
> best
> checked with the front bumper removed (easy job, just be careful of the 
> chrome trim pieces) and the intercooler itself. Best to check it out of
> the car,
> by placing it under air pressure, BUT a telltale sign in oil or an oily
> film along
> the seams (common failure point) or even on the radiator core support.
> Finally,
> check the valve cover gasket, or the igloo (must check this throughly off
> the car,
> way too difficult to find leaks with it mounted). Your son's car sounds
> like it has
> a vacuum leak, not necessarily a big one, but bad enough to cause the
> problem. 
> 
> Also, the 5K CS is old enough that it probably does NOT have a code
> storing
> ECU, it must have a MAC 14 or later for that. Thus, code pulling must be
> done
> with the engine on, post a problem and check engine light, or, if it
> stalls, pull 
> codes WITHOUT shutting the ignition off (I think, I know definitely,
> don't allow
> the power to the ECU to drop.) For details, see Scott Mockry's site
> above. 
> Finally, your ECU is located in the front passenger side kickpanel,
> opposite
> the console. When you are in there, check the manifold pressure line that
> goes to the ECU for leaks (try using a MityVac and see if it holds
> reasonable
> vacuum, lacking a MityVac I suppose you could suck on it). BTW, the ECU
> is unlikely to fail, unless it has been poorly modded.
> 
> Your German Auto tech is a dope, BTW. Don't go back to him. His quote,
> "can't be fixed", really means, "can't be bothered". 
> 
> HTH,
> 
> LL - NY
>