1999 Chevy Cavalier sluggish acceleration

Tiny
KATHYJO
  • MEMBER
  • 1999 CHEVROLET CAVALIER
Engine Performance problem
1999 Chevy Cavalier Automatic

Car driving fine, I stopped at stop sign, turned left onto gravel road and when I pressed the gas peddle it didn't seem to accelerate at the normal rate. Since I was on gravel I wasn't trying to get it up to high speed really fast or anything. We had recently just got gas so we added some gas dry stuff and it seems a little better at times. Has only completely died once when I pulled slowly in driveway but just doesn't seem to be running smoothly, with very little power to accelerate. Pushing the gas peddle down further has no affect on the acceleration. With a long enough stretch of road it willl eventurally speed up enough to shift thru all the gears. While in park the engine will rev up when I push gas peddle.
Thursday, September 4th, 2008 AT 11:30 AM

6 Replies

Tiny
RHALL77
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Do you have a check engine light on? You may have a fuel pump going bad or some bad gas in the tank
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Thursday, September 4th, 2008 AT 6:01 PM
Tiny
KATHYJO
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Thank you for your reply to my question. No check engine light on. Since the car had been quite low on gas and we had just put gas in and drove 6 miles home right before it started stalling out, I thought it might have been bad gas also. Put part of a bottle of gas dry in it but maybe putting more and some fresh gas will help? I think we are going to replace the fuel filter tomorrow as it is about the cheapest place to start. And check the spark plugs and wires. That reminds me, a week before this trouble it wouldn't start, not even crank and we cleaned the cables and took the wire off the starter, cleaned it and put it back and it started just fine since. Wouldn't think that one had anything to do with the other but in car trouble, who knows!
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Friday, September 5th, 2008 AT 4:25 PM
Tiny
MMPRINCE4000
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When you remove the fuel filter, pour the contents into a clear glass container.

If you see two seperate liquids, then you probably have water in the gas, show this to the gas station and demand a fresh tank. Use the alcohol based drier to try to get the water out.
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Saturday, September 6th, 2008 AT 7:16 AM
Tiny
RHALL77
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Mmprince4000, I agree.
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Monday, September 8th, 2008 AT 12:59 PM
Tiny
THEYCALLHIMDIETSETH
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Hey, I'm having the same problem with my cavy right now, too. I had recently been low on fuel and just filled up (I had a little less than a quarter tank). I'm also wondering if its bad gas.

Anyway, does your engine run really choppy, too? Mine sputters when I push the throttle sometimes. Then once it cleans up, it has full power.

Let me know if you figure anything out, please. I have to drive about 300 miles every weekend and have little money. If I don't have to repair anything, I don't want to! Thanks!

Diet
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Wednesday, October 1st, 2008 AT 9:42 PM
Tiny
KATHYJO
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No my car was not sputtering, it just didn't have any acceleration. Ended up dying and cranking good but refusing to start so we put it in the shop. Not good news! Needed timing chain, had a plugged catelytic converter, leaky water pump and hardly any compression in #1 cylinder! Just too much money to take a chance on it being the engine so we sold it for scrap! Sorry I can't be of more help. Good luck!
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Thursday, October 2nd, 2008 AT 7:31 AM

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