Running....well sorta

[hpservertech]

Well, it looks like my DME was bad. Borrowed one from a guy close who blew his clutch and isn't driving his right now.

So:
Have spark
Can get it to start and run, but only with the fuel pump jumpered.
Will not start with any dme relay, even a brand new one from the dealer.
Running very rich from the exhaust smell
sputters a bunch and can't really get it to rev when giving it gas. I'm thinking my vacuum lines aren't run right.


So I know the following:
coil is good
ignition switch is good
fuel pump works
injectors are firing when jumpered
TPS & AFM are hooked up
Speed/ref sensor are hooked up...obviously cause it will start and run

Lots of smoke from exhaust, but think this is cause it's running so rich.


What should I look at next?

[Schumi]

I sent you a PM. One thing I forgot to say in the PM however; now that I think about it, the super rich condition an be caused if the fuel pressure damper or regulator vacuum line is not hooked up properly. Vac lines should come out of the damper and the regulator on the fuel rail and run into a Y connection to each other under the intake manifold. The other part of the Y should run to yet another Y. The two connections out of this second Y should run to the control valve up on the right by the carbon canister junks. The other should run into the throttle body housing. Make sure these connections didn't come unhooked when you installed the intake since they are up under there and hard to get at and could easily have been pulled apart.

[Outback Porsche]

Bypass your alarm as per Clarks, and see if your DME relay works.

Cheers,

[jmd_forest]

I know I'm stating the obvious but make sure the DME you're using is compatible with your AFM. A early DME in a late car or vice versa will exhibit the symptoms you described. I put together a salvage 944 in the late 80s using a nose from an early 944, including the AFM (which was missing from the salvage car). Ran like you described until replacing the AFM with the correct unit.

jmd_forest

[hpservertech]

Yup, DME is correct. Came from a late car. Good check though.

For the vac hose, should that go to the front connector on the TB or the rear? I did try both just to make sure.

I really think the running rich is cause of vac. lines.

O2 sensor is new, maybe 30 miles at the most on it.

[shikzachaser]

Here's the pictures from White Mountain I was telling you about in the PM. I don't think my 944 would have had much luck. The ML55 has descent control similar to the Rovers and literally will crawl up or down hills. It got kind of hairy as it started raining pretty hard on the way down. I would do it again in a heartbeat.





The hill doesn't look as steep in the pics. This goes on for 28 miles all the way up and back down the mountain.



This is a view from the summit looking back down on the road below.





I figured out how to use the delay timer in the camera by accident.



The only bummer on the trip was when I detoured for the mecca (Bonneville) they had received 3+ inches of rain the night before and the flats were once again a lake. I was going to take the truck out and open it up to see what would happen. Maybe next time, we are going to do a couple more Sky Zones in CA hopefully fairly soon.

I'll call you over the weekend. Say hi to Mike if he comes by and I'm not there.

Steve

[hpservertech]

Next time you go I think you need someone to help you pump gas along with you!

[hpservertech]

Next time you go I think you need someone to help you pump gas along with you!

[Schumi]

Cool trip, awesome to see a Merc doing some 4x4ing. If I consider buying a Cayenne one day, it would get that sort of treatment...

[shikzachaser]

Mike:

I have seriously considered selling this one and getting a G-wagon. The G-500 is not real fast but is an amazing truck to drive. The build quality is much higher than the Alabama assembled ML. It was definately a good trip, justified by working in CA.

Steve

[UconnTim97]

It sounds like a fuel problem. I would suggest the fuel pressure regulator.