I have an '83 Olds Cutlass Supreme Brougham. The engine is believed to be out of an early to mid 70's Delta 88 (350, 4bbl). I was driving to work on a road with a 50MPH speed limit, but I couldn't get the car to do even 45. When I pulled into the parking lot where I work, the car died. I was able to get it running again long enough to get near a parking space before it died again. I had to get a couple of co-workers to help me put into a parking space.
The mechanic across the street from where I live thinks this is a fuel line problem. I can start the car and in Park or Neutral the engine will run if I keep giving it gas. If I try to put it in any gear, the car might get me a few blocks. While watching the engine idling with the hood up, the engine shook quite a bit. When putting the car into gear, the whole car shakes to where things in the trunk jump around. I pulled out the fuel filter to make sure the engine was getting enough gas, no improvement noticed. Wassup?
2006-12-09 17:27:06 · 5 answers · asked by navig8r 3 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
You need air, fuel, and spark to make an engine run properly.
First suspect with me is always electrical. That is the weakest link of all. Use an insulated object that will allow you to remove the spark plug wires one at a time. I say that because if the wires are bad they can really zap you. With engine idling, remove plug wires one at a time and watch and listen to sound and speed of engine. Put wire back on and go to next. If one plug wire seems to make no difference, that wire or that spark plug is bad, replace it. Usually if one plug is bad, all of them are. Same for the wires. and that includes the one from coil to distributor as well as the rotor inside the distributor.
If problem is not electrical my next guess is fuel.
Disconnect the fuel line and aim it into a bucket or large can. It should squirt considerable fuel when you crank the starter. If not, the pump is weak or the line is clogged or the carb is clogged with junk and needs a good cleaning. While you are there check for loose, missing,or cracked vacuum line hoses. They allow excessive air to leak into the engine and can cause the problem.
Now, the only problem I know of with air would be a clogged air filter which could make the exhaust pipe pump black sooty smoke. Check the tail pipe for black junk and if its there replace the air filter.
Hope that helps....
2006-12-09 18:21:21 · answer #1 · answered by Harley Charley 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, here's how you can tell if it's a fuel line problem... Unhook the fuel line from the carb. You need an assistant for this, btw. Point the end of the fuel line into a gas can and have the assistant turn the key. If you have an electric fuel pump, you should have gas coming out of the line. If you have a mechanical fuel pump, have your assistant crank the engine, it will be at that time that you should see fuel squirting into your gas can. If you have gasoline coming out of the line, then it's not likely to be a fuel problem. Check the choke on your carburetor. Sometimes they like to stick closed and that can cause alot of problems. When was the last time you checked your air filter, come to think of it? If you find that your choke isn't opening you should be able to use any good spray carb cleaner like gumout or hogwash to clean the mechanism. If that doesn't solve your problem, check the exhaust flow at the back of the car when the engine is running. If the flow is weak or worse, if there's not exhaust coming out at all, then you in all likelyhood have a plugged catalytic converter.
Hope this helps,
Vince
2006-12-09 17:53:06 · answer #2 · answered by Vince 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
sounds like a bad catalytic converter to me.
2006-12-09 17:29:57 · answer #3 · answered by steelrzs1 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
it could be the cat clogged up,shutting it down and it will make you loose power also.
2006-12-10 02:48:53 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
it will be the headers or something to do with the exast
2006-12-09 18:38:39 · answer #5 · answered by shanetrumble 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋