Lack of power upon acceleration

Tiny
CORIKKA
  • MEMBER
  • 1999 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE
  • 3.8L
  • 6 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 180,000 MILES
Put gas in car and would not start. Finally started but immediately died. After several times finally started but CEL came on. Drive to destination (O'Reily's) code reader. Gave code for EGR valve and crankshaft sensor. I cleaned EGR Valve and drive good for a day. Then next thirty miles stalled six times. Next day thirty miles no problem? A week later drive three miles car had no power on acceleration, stalled ten times hard to start every time and barley made it back home. Changed CSS which fixed stalling and hard to start, but still lack of power. Drove twenty mikes to O'Reily's finally got there, turned car off and over heated! Smoking and leaked coolant from crack in too/upper side of radiator shroud. Code reader gave code for multiple misfires. Changed spark plugs. Previous spark plugs had normal wear and correct gap. Checked coil packs, fuel injectors, cleaned EGR valve, fixed radiator and flushed system. Still major lack of power, CEL comes on, white smoke coming out of tailpipe and heavy exhaust smell.
Wednesday, February 8th, 2017 AT 4:40 PM

10 Replies

Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
  • 15,233 POSTS
White smoke is not a good sign. Rent a combustion gas detection set, then test to see if you are getting engine gasses in the radiator. It sounds like a bad head or head gasket. If your real lucky it will turn out to be a bad intake gasket allowing coolant to get sucked in but that is not as common.
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Wednesday, February 8th, 2017 AT 5:02 PM
Tiny
CORIKKA
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
Thank you for your advice. I found this recall and want to know if you think this could be a possibility Pontiac
Bonneville 1998, 1999, 2000
Engine, June 30, 2004
Original Recall from the NHTSA
Manufacturer's Report Date:
June 30, 2004

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number:
04V090000

NHTSA Action Number:
EA02030

Component:
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery

Potential Number of Units Affected:
910,873

Summary:
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 3800 v6 (l36) engines and certain Delphi fuel pressure regulators, the regulators have a much higher than usual rate of fuel leaks. A leak can allow fuel to enter the intake manifold through a vacuum line. If the engine does not start when cranked, the fuel from the leaking regulator and a mistimed spark can cause a backfire.

Consequence:
The backfire can rupture the intake manifold. The rupture of the intake manifold can displace a fuel line, pulling an injector out of place, and causing a fuel leak and possible fire.

Remedy:
Dealers will install new fuel pressure regulators with improved diaphragms. The recall will be conducted in phased mailings. Phase 1 began on June 30, 2004, and phase 2 began on September 30, 2004. Owners should contact Buick at 1-866-608-8080, Oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537, or Pontiac at 1-800-620-7668.7? Also, I would like to apologize for all the typos on my original post. I cant figure out how to edit to fix which I would have done before posting had that not been the fourth time due to interruptions that led to previously losing all the data that I typed. Lol. Anyway I greatly appreciate your time and your advice. Thank you.
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Friday, February 10th, 2017 AT 8:46 AM
Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
  • 15,233 POSTS
Nope, different problem than what you have.
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Friday, February 10th, 2017 AT 9:37 AM
Tiny
CORIKKA
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
Darn. I just do not want it to be the head gasket, cracked, or especially blown. I was just getting ready to start substitute teaching and now I am just stuck until I get my tax return. Anyway, sorry, I did not mean to tell you my personal problems, lol. Back to my car. I have never had a properly working gas gauge. Every time I fill up my tank, my gas gauge would go to E, the check gauge light would come on and ding for approximately ten miles. Then the CGL would go out, the gauge would go to F until I fill up again. But a little while before all my problems started, every once in a while I would get a faint smell of fuel when I would be driving. Also, when I would put gas in it would take a little then start pouring out as if It was overfilling. It is like my gas tank shrunk, lol.
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Friday, February 10th, 2017 AT 11:04 AM
Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
  • 15,233 POSTS
The rupture they talk about actually blows a chunk out of the intake manifold.

I will tell you though, you could probably drop a good running used engine into that car for less than it would take to do head gaskets and fixing the other engine related issues. Those engines are very common. It would depend on what you wanted but a lower mileage engine might be a faster solution.

The gas tank issue sounds like a bad sending unit on the pump, also common.
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Friday, February 10th, 2017 AT 12:52 PM
Tiny
CORIKKA
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
Sang can you give me spme giod news please. Lol
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Friday, February 10th, 2017 AT 3:14 PM
Tiny
CORIKKA
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
Approximately how much would an engine cost
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Friday, February 10th, 2017 AT 3:16 PM
Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
  • 15,233 POSTS
Sorry, sometimes it can be a kick in the guts when you start looking at repairs.

Depends on where you are, what the labor rates are and who actually does the work. You may want to call around.

Punch your info in -
http://www.car-part.com/

Keep in mind that this is NOT the price you would pay a shop for an engine though but it would give you a rough idea of prices around you for the "bare" engine.

Another option is to see if any of the colleges/tech schools around you would be interested in doing it. They generally are cheaper than a conventional shop. BUT may take a week instead of a couple days.
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Friday, February 10th, 2017 AT 8:30 PM
Tiny
CORIKKA
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
Ok thank you
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Friday, February 10th, 2017 AT 8:37 PM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 54,137 POSTS
Please let us know happens so it will help others.

Best, Ken
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Monday, February 13th, 2017 AT 11:20 AM

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