Hey guys, i've got your help recently regarding my 87 VL Calais and need more help! Problem: Starts up, idles a little rough, when I put my foot on the accelorator i can hold the revs at around 2500-3000 revs, the car is pumping black smoke, shakes and cuts out, i have replaced, plugs, leads AFM new ECU i'm out of ideas, it's a 6cylinder non Turbo. I can get it to the bottom of my driveway but struggle to get it back up my driveway, i'm thinking it's getting too much fuel? fuel pump is fine, injectors are pulsing fine any more ideas???

AFM.. Get one that works, off a working car.

yea what he said

i've done that, a re-manufactured on and it's not the problem

If you unplug your AFM does the car run perfect?... If so, as above replace it with a known working one (not a re-manufactured one).

Quote: Originally Posted by MizTigaVT [View Post] i've done that, a re-manufactured on and it's not the problem I would be amazed if it wasn't the problem. As said, unplug the AFM and it should run OK up to about 2500-3500rpm and then hit a rev cut.

I tried it without the AFM when I was swapping them over, won't start?

It should definitely run without. It will just run in closed loop until you rev it 2500-3500rpm then will cut out as stated. If you know someone with a VL that runs fine, I would be asking them nicely if you can test with their AFM. Re-manufactured parts in most cases are cheap Chinese parts that don't work to factory specifications. I bought a non genuine knock sensor for my WRX when mine failed and my car still kept flashing the check engine light. Bit the bullet and bought a Genuine knock sensor from Subaru and check engine light stopped flashing straight away.

i paid 250 bucks for the stupid thing are you serious? can it be adjusted or something? i don't know anyone around my area with a VL but know now I can get one from the wreckers for $25 FML

replaced crank angle sensor?

nope I haven't done that, can that cause it to blow the black smoke and cut out?

yep mine did it on the way to melbourne airport. they normally just **** themselves and wont start again but mine was popping and farting and cutting out. called a fellow ct member and replaced cas on the side of the road and drove 3 hrs back to albury no problems.

do they supply cas at the wreckers? i've replaced the afm myself is this something i can do by myself too?

get a new one from bursons! and yea theres a thread on here it takes 15mins dont bend the metal disc in the dizzy though.

How can I tell if the distributor is Mitsubishi or HItachi?

it dont matter the crank angle sensors are the same

lol i'm a girl, of course im gonna bend s*** that's not meant to be! ---------- Post added 03-04-13 at 12:27 ---------- could it also be the EFI relay? from reading threads some have indicated?? ---------- Post added 03-04-13 at 12:59 ---------- or back to fuel pressure reg?

Pull one of your spark plugs out if its black I'd be looking at fuel pressure reg. mine recently failed and was suckin fuel through the vacuum line into the plenum and overfueling. My car had similar symptoms

Get a CAS off ebay, I did and it works fine, just getting the timing back to scratch is beyond me lol. I dunno about blowing smoke but mine definately didnt want to rev past 2k I wouldnt trust a 2nd hand one though

I changed the plugs, don't think they'd been changed since 88, and they were black as, after putting new ones in, pretty much fouled straight away- i'm think the regulator thanks vinny ---------- Post added 03-04-13 at 15:02 ---------- cas, reg, cas, reg match?? lighter arrrgh!! this damn car! lol