95 lumina apv, 3.1, 177K miles:
It started running poorly about a month ago. It would not run smoothly at speed and bucked when trying to cruise and backfired when decelerating. I read the troubleshooting section of my manual and decided it was a bad gas filter -- the trouble started immediately after filling the near empty tank. It seemd to clear up.
Yesterday, it started again (160 miles aftrer aparent fix), and me 55 miles from home. So, I took a chance, and headed for home.
This is what happened along the way:
Vehicle would idle at lights and accelerate well enough, but sluggishly. Once I reached speed I relaxed the accelerator and the vehicle began to buck and then backfire when the pedal was released. I discovered I could keep it from "bucking" by accelerating and decelerating, repeating the process. I let the speed drop to 60, then accelerate back to 65+. Somtimes it ran well enough at 65 to use the cruise control.
Eventually it changed. About 10 miles from home it began to buck and slow. I could keep it running by holding the pedal to the floor. Gradually top speed went from 65, to 35, and then held at 25 for about 4 miles. Then all I could get was between 10 and 15 mph for the duration of the trip.
Pedal to the floor, the engine barely ran. I could hear it hear sucking air, and it was shaking. It stopped, but restarted -- barely. Got home.
Changed filter again today. There is Fuel at Throttle body and coming through injectors.
Won't start. Fires, but will not stay running when key is released. Will only fire when pedal is held to the floor -- like in the good ole days of carbs and points.
(You think I could put a carb and distributor in this pig?)
The engine has a new distributor, coil, plugs and wires, and is getting gas.
It's got me beat.
I finally got a "Check Engine" light this morning while trying to start it. Didn't have one all the way home.
It started running poorly about a month ago. It would not run smoothly at speed and bucked when trying to cruise and backfired when decelerating. I read the troubleshooting section of my manual and decided it was a bad gas filter -- the trouble started immediately after filling the near empty tank. It seemd to clear up.
Yesterday, it started again (160 miles aftrer aparent fix), and me 55 miles from home. So, I took a chance, and headed for home.
This is what happened along the way:
Vehicle would idle at lights and accelerate well enough, but sluggishly. Once I reached speed I relaxed the accelerator and the vehicle began to buck and then backfire when the pedal was released. I discovered I could keep it from "bucking" by accelerating and decelerating, repeating the process. I let the speed drop to 60, then accelerate back to 65+. Somtimes it ran well enough at 65 to use the cruise control.
Eventually it changed. About 10 miles from home it began to buck and slow. I could keep it running by holding the pedal to the floor. Gradually top speed went from 65, to 35, and then held at 25 for about 4 miles. Then all I could get was between 10 and 15 mph for the duration of the trip.
Pedal to the floor, the engine barely ran. I could hear it hear sucking air, and it was shaking. It stopped, but restarted -- barely. Got home.
Changed filter again today. There is Fuel at Throttle body and coming through injectors.
Won't start. Fires, but will not stay running when key is released. Will only fire when pedal is held to the floor -- like in the good ole days of carbs and points.
(You think I could put a carb and distributor in this pig?)
The engine has a new distributor, coil, plugs and wires, and is getting gas.
It's got me beat.
I finally got a "Check Engine" light this morning while trying to start it. Didn't have one all the way home.
Nov 20, 2009 at 5:34 PM
