At a loss on where to try next with this '94 960. A month ago, it stalled and wouldn't restart on the freeway. Got it home and swapped out the external fuel pump, nothing. Fuel pressure regulator was next and now it runs but acceleration is a joke. Improves slightly after warming up but still has awful acceleration. Have to play with accelerator to keep it from stalling under load. Getting it to 40 is a challenge, as are hills and forget using the freeway now. Idle is fine.

Had some slight issues before the FPR went out with power and it was (and still gives) O2 sensor and EGR Temp sensor codes. Already changed cam position sensor, plugs. Can smell gas from exhaust, going to look at plugs this evening to see if running rich. Bogs as soon as RPM hit about 2000 when running "good" and to get it to go over, have to play with throttle or it threatens to stall and bogs at the least. You can barely touch throttle when accelerating or the bog/stall problem starts. In the process of getting oil separator out to clean, throttle body had gunk in it, have to remove it to finish cleaning. Fuel pressure seems fine now. Vaccum lines seem fine as well as does spark. Also it starts with no problem.

Getting passed by Grandma while trying to accelerate is no longer fun and not sure where to look first as likely culprit because some research points in several directions and EGR Temp sensor seems to be a less likely culprit even though it doesn't seem like it is working properly. Any suggestions?

 

If this was a B230 I'd be looking at the MAF Sensor (mass air flow), the 960 is probably similar in that respect.
Any codes? CEL on? You should have an OBD1 box on that car to show stored codes.

 

CEL has been on since I have bought the car. the only two code I get are for the egr temp sensor and for the O2 sensor. AMM/MAF is fine. TPS is fine. Found a clogged vacuum line to the flame trap while dismantling. Now I am fighting trying to find a way to get on the nut holding the intake manifold in place.

Before the car stalled on the highway I had replaced an ignition amplifier(ICM), cam position sensor, and the fuel filter. I replaced the filter because it started leaking.

This car has been sitting for at least 3 years..

 

It can still be a bad MAFS--it is a mysterious thing that acts in many different ways. It sounds like it's running rich, that could be the MAFS also. Any air leaks after the MAFS?

 

as far as I could tell, no. I have been fighting to try to get to the nut that holds the bottom of the intake in place. 3 days and I am still no closer to getting at that nut. I'm about ready to pull the motor or send it to the bone yard. This is the only intake manifold I have ever seen with a bolt on the bottom. Worse yet is you can not get anything on iy, stubby wrenches are too big and forget about trying to get a socket and extension in there.

 

Before I tore the car apart it would not idle with the maf disconnected, ant threw a code. Cleared the code hooked it back up and it idles fine.

 

I really doubt it is a MAF the car acts literally 180 degrees of what a bad MAF does on these cars.

 

Still trying to get that nut off

 

No air leaks can be found on the intake side. I have sprayed all around the intake with carb/injector cleaner and no bog while at idle or at around 2500 rpm while spraying. I am trying to work up the gumption to change the fuel pump in the tank even though I believe it is fine. I tried once, but could not get the bung nut to come free.

I am not sure if either of these are related, but My fuel gauge works when it wants to as well as the ambient temperature gauge on the dash. The display will read either -188, or any where between -40 and within about 10 degrees of the actual outside temp. When it reads closer to the actual temp the car runs some what better. When it registers a reading it will start to fall at some point from it's starting point down to -40, the got to -188.

I have yet to check compression. I am pretty sure the cat is not clogged, I do have an exhaust leak behind the cat. Replaced 02 sensor, still throwing a code. I destroyed the wires for the egr temp sensor when removing the intake. I do not want to replace that until I get the car some what running fine. We have had 2 good snow falls since I last posted. The first one was the night I got the car put back together. I took the car out and it ran like crap still. Pulled it back in the garage looked things over then for the heck of it cycled the key about a dozen or so times and started the car. The car would free rev to 4500 RPMs before it stared to bog. Pulled out of the garage and took it for another spin. Man I forgot how much fun a rear wheel drive is in the snow. The car ran the best I have ever seen it run. I pulled into a big empty parking lot and had some fun fish tailing and doing doughnuts. You could feel a difference depending on whether it was in winter, econ, or sport. The seconds snow was the only other time I got the car running "well", an I do not remember what I did. Either way the car returned back to its previous condition the next day. So I don't know. I'm looking for another vehicle, and am not too sure if I want to waste any more time on this one. For being a '94 it is in pretty nice shape. A couple ding, and not much rust at all, just a couple of spots of surface rust on the drivers door.

 

did you also check the ECT sensor? Also, does this model have an intake air temp sensor (to actuate the pre-heat flap)? As to the ambient temp guage etc, I'm wondering if you have a ground wire issue. May be worth looking at the wiring diagram to see if there's a common ground point between your suspect devices.