Troubleshooting Request! [SOLVED] Options

[rave2n]

Hello all. On my way home from work this evening, the cellie died.

I was just taking off after a light, and it started to feel like it was stalling in 1st when the gas about half down. It seems to have recovered and was going alright. Drove normal...til the next light. Did it agian, but worse.

After stalling completely while going 35, pulled over. Had trouble starting up, but would start. Idle was crazy, but tapping the gas you could get it up to 4k rpm easy. That didn't last long either. It started to drop asoon as I hit the gas after that. Now it'll have a really rough start up, then run like crap for about 10 seconds, then just dies.

I checked for any obvious leaks or anything of the sort..nothing. My limited knowledge of engines is a hinderence atm. I do know, you need air, fuel, spark. I have air, I have spark. So, my question is...do you guys think my fuel filter, pump, or injector is bad?

The spark plugs are less then a year old, the only recent thing i've done is got a oil change, and put in LED BA-15 bulbs in my rear lights =P

Any assistance would be greatly appreicated, as right now its sitting in a parking lot of a not so wonderful area. Hoping its something I can fix quickly and available at a local shop..

This post has been edited by rave2n: May 19, 2010 - 4:15 PM

[rave2n]

Well to revive a semi-dead thread.

I've gone through the works to figure out this issue. TPS, IAC, TB itself, Fuel Filter, Fuel Pump, Distributor, Wires, Plugs, Timing, distributor, distributor cap. Checked all of it, and replaced anything that looking even slightly wrong or worn.

Anything that could be related to this problem, I've checked it and replaced anything that is slightly out of spec, even things I didn't need to change just cause I was tired of nothing fixing it.

Now, I've been shooting in the dark to possibly find this issue. Then I remembered my last oil change, I didn't do it myself, being I didn't want to have another dirty weekend. I took it to "Tire Kingdom" becaue I was getting an alignment done, so figured what the hell why not.

When the did the oil, they spilled a bit on the valve cover and altenator, and just left it there. I of course cleaned it off, and figured shouldn't be much a issue. Well 2 days after the change is when this issue arose. I spoke with someone at TK and they said sure bring'er in and we'll take a look (Probally because I've dropped 1600 bucks in 2 cars there within the last month). I get there, and the manager is present. He instantly starts arguing with me that its not the altenator, its my TPS. I inform him, my TPS is within spec, and all the other things I've replaced or fixed. He continues to treat me like I know nothing about a altenator...but the more he talks the more he shows his ignorance. Thus I ask him where his vehicle is, he informs me in the lot. I then ask him if i can dump some oil all over his altenator and then see how his car runs, then of course they kick me out.

Either way, I do not have the funds to replace it at the moment, being I want to go with a higher amp output altenator for future plans, but after all that i've done, its the only thing left. It just makes sense, oil on the bushings would ruin the surface area, thus less then required output of electricity is there when its needed (When I pound the gas).

The problem itself has evolved, it no longer stalls out, or do I have to tap the gas to get'er going.

It drives relatively normal except in idle, you can watch it randomly just drop and return, and some slight hesitation on lower RPM takeoffs. For instance taking a turn, dropping to second, with engine at 2k RPM it'll hesitate, but be gone once you pass 3k. This of course sounds like the TPS, but I've checked that several times.

[shoteh]

My car has been doing this for the last week or so as well. I was pretty scared and stopped driving it because I have almost an hour commute in stop and go traffic and that is when the car stalls the most, on low rpm. I too have had similar experiences as well with sputtering at low rpm, engine going up and down just like yours on your clip. Please keep my updated if there is any changes good or bad. I called a trusted mech and he said that it could be many things but if it's the Fuel pump then I should not continue to drive it until it get's replaced. But you said you already checked your pump right? I hope things get better for you. In the mean time I drive it every few days to close places but am too scared to drive it far. I get a few sputters every 5 minutes or so still.