1988 Cadillac EL Dorado engine misses and stumbles

Tiny
ALLENSTALNAKER
  • MEMBER
  • 1988 CADILLAC ELDORADO
  • 4.5L
  • V8
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 100,000 MILES
My engine runs normal about 98% of the time. After the car is driven for 30 minutes or so the engine sometimes misses, especially if the engine gets a little warm. I use the on board computer to monitor the temperature when this happens. Just a few degrees, say 10 degrees, just going up a grade is enough to make it do it. Seems to do it more on a hot day. I have put in a new thermostat. That did nothing to help. I have put in two oxygen sensors. That did nothing to help. This problem started about two thousand miles ago. It acts like a vapor lock to me. Is that possible? Nothing has been altered on the car, it is completely stock. I put a pressure gauge on the fuel line leading to the throttle body and taped the gauge to the windshield and drove the car for about an hour. The fuel pressure was about 9 PSA all the time, whether the engine misses and stumbles or not. The are no ECM codes set. .
Thursday, September 3rd, 2015 AT 10:33 PM

3 Replies

Tiny
HMAC300
  • MECHANIC
  • 48,601 POSTS
Scan for codes and check fuel pressure with a gauge auto parts rent it. If you have pfi it should be 40-47 psi
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Friday, September 4th, 2015 AT 8:28 AM
Tiny
ALLENSTALNAKER
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
Thanks, There are no codes set. My engine requires 9-12 PSI from the fuel pump. It is 9PSI all the time, whether the engine misses or not.
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Friday, September 4th, 2015 AT 9:36 AM
Tiny
HMAC300
  • MECHANIC
  • 48,601 POSTS
By mechanics these engines were really considered junk as they had a ton of head gasket problems among other things so have it pressure checked for that.
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Friday, September 4th, 2015 AT 12:38 PM

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