I'm writing this information/history to help those that may be experencing the same issues. It started last spring, I noticed the fuel milage had dropped off dramatically, but didnt really feel a difference in performance. Didnt notice any codes, although I have one of those glass C-4 covers over the information center, so unless your looking closely you wouldnt notice.

As spring rolled into summer the car started experiencing idle issues, surging at idle and rough running at low throttle with intermitant service engine soon light. I tried resetting the IAC but it didnt seem to help. The issues would occur mainly when the motor was warm and in closed loop

With summers being busy I lived with it, but when when the car stalled pulling out of a parking and I got a hard code (always on) I figured I better start diagnosing, luckily the car refired after a few try's. It would fire and stall within a couple of seconds.

I shorted the ALDL terminals and got codes 34 and 44. Using the FSM
and the search history on the CF, my first step was the clean the throttle body, IAC valve, check TPS, and reset IAC. The thottle body and IAC were dirty but not bad. The TPS was a little low .50V. I started the car and still had a hard code 34 and 44.

The FSM doesnt say much concerning the MAF relays, but it seemed to be a major item to check on the forum. I replaced both relays this weekend, started the car on the hard code was gone..... I drove the car a few miles and it seemed to run well.... until it got warm. The idle issue came back and I got the intermitant code. I pulled back into the garage and checked the code history, 44 was back.

So what next... all indications were leaning to a bad O2 sensor, a couple of years ago I put a new O2 sensor in just for the heck of it, their cheap, could that be it? I took out the O2 sensor and cleaned it with degreaser and reinstalled. Same thing happened, intermittant code 44 and crappy idle and surging at operating temp.

I went down and bought a new O2 sensor, installed it and all is well, runs and idles good. I read the instuctions on the new O2 sensor and it say's don't use cleaner on them....dah....

So, did i have a couple of things going on at the same time..bad MAF relays and O2 sensor.... I dont know... I'm still not sure either would have caused the car to stall in the parking lot.

I'm wondering, I've got a flat tappit car and use break in oil with high zinc. I've read that the high zinc is hard on O2 sensors.

Hope this helps some poor schmuk in the same boat i was in.

 

Was there oil on the wire leading down to your O2 sensor? If so, that may be the problem. If oil gets into the connector and onto the wires, it will change the resistance of the wire...leading to the O2 giving a false reading and the computer trying to correct the fuel mixture. Most often this is a lean fuel condition....code 44.

Check you wire and clean it if necessary. You might have to change the valve cover gasket if you oil is generated from this area.

 

I'll have to check for oil on the wire, one thing I've noticed is oil at the back of the block, and around the oil filter along with the smell of blowby when the car is first warmed up, no smoke out the exhaust. I'm thinking it may be getting on the headers. A couple of years ago I changed out the CI heads for aluminum, I may have not got a good seal on the intake manifold and china wall. That'll be this winters project....

 

The car can stall if the MAF sensor relay fails when you are driving. The code 44 will not cause the car to stall but it can cause the unstable idle. You had two unrelated issues that you appear to have addressed and fixed.