More MAF sensor fun

[TheDeuce]

Well, after the fun of the stuff in these posts- http://www.a-body.net/forums/showthread.php?3689-stalling-code-fun (http://http://www.a-body.net/forums/showthread.php?3689-stalling-code-fun) http://www.a-body.net/forums/showthread.php?3730-Erratic-acceleration and the tune up the car was running fine. Actually, more like how it ran like 4 or 5 years ago. Then about a week ago the damn SES light came on coming home from work. Again, code 34- MAF sensor. When I went through a neighborhood it completly stalled. iI had a hell of a time restarting it. It would start but the minute I'd go to shift in to drive it would die. After a few minutes it started and ran like crap home. After reseting the computer and driving around it was still coming on. While reseting my radio sations after the second reset my old man came up and said it smelled like I had some bad gas. Seemed like a logical possibility because I got it from a station that week I normally don't go to and it had been running differently than the past month that week until the problems started. I put some fuel system treatment in and filled up to dilute the bad stuff and ran the tank all the way down, with no real problems, and refilled with some Lucas treatment thursday morning on the way to work.

Then today, I had some errands and the damn thing tripped again. Its always the same- I'll be braking and when I get down to almost a complete stop there'll be a little surge almost like the car is trying to keep it from stalling, and then in one of those moments the light comes on.

When it started doing it again, I had done nothing different than anything in the past month when it was running well. The only other factors were I changed the oil and it has gotten colder out, but the code always trips after I've been driving for awhile, never on the first trip in the morning. What the heck is the deal here? I thought I had everything going well after the tune up and actually enjoyed driving the car again.

[6000 SSEi]

I didnt read the other posts, but I would guess youve replaced the MAF, even with another one from a junkyard? Tried cleaning the MAF with some electrical cleaner that doesnt leave a residue?

[TheDeuce]

Replaced the MAF with a new one...well, a reconditioned new one. Everything was good until I got that {supposed} bad gas. However, after reading some posts here and on other websites I saw something about idle relearn{ {where you chock the wheels and let it idle in drive for 10 minutes, shut off for 10 seconds, run again in drive for 5 minutes}. I did that the other day and, at the risk of jinxing it, its been good since Saturday night. Fingers crossed, I hope its good, but its been my experience that when I think I'm out of the weeds, the car senses it and says "UH NUH!"

However, if there is anything anyone can add, please do.

[weroberts]

Check for a vacuum leak, the brake booster could draining all the vac when you break.

[TheDeuce]

Today after running some errands, I gave it the old carb cleaner test, and I really didn't notice any difference in the revs going up or down. I think I did a pretty through job at it and got the fiittings and most of the lines that i could get to. So far {knock on wood} there hasn't been a problem, but now that I've talked about it, watch it happen again. I swear that car knows when I'm talking about it.


*EDIT*- Well, sure enough, she heard me. I went out this afternoon for a few more errands, stopped at 3 stores and when I got out of the last one it didn't want to start right away. I gave it some gas on teh start up the 3rd time and it started. I left the parking lot and was going home, when I got to a place where the road goes from 35 to 25 in a small residential area. While just coasting/giving a small ammount of gas it went off.

What could the deal be? After the tune up it ran great for a month and then it started. Could the idle need to get adjusted? Fuel Pressure {which really didn't change because it ran fine for a month after the reset of the computer at the time of the tune up}? This is starting to get agrivating!

[Prospeeder]

Find a PRE speed density car that has been updated and converted to speed density system and get the ECU and stuff. so 84-87ish cars. they usually have a sticker on the MAF or rad support saying its been converted. again, theres a reason they did it.

[TheDeuce]

I get that, and maybe I'll try to convert it, but the thing remains that there has got to be some underlying issue that is causing it to keep going off, especially since everything was fine for a month after I reset adn had the tune up done.

[TheDeuce]

I thought of something else today, maybe its pertanent, maybe not. Within the last, I don't know, year or so I've noticed that I've developed a little bit of an oil leak. Now, I haven't given it too much tought, because the car is 25 years years old. Kinda taking a look it appears that it coould be leaking from the lifter cover and the oil slowly works its way down the side of the engine. Could this leak have anything to do with any of this?