my car is running very rough and smoking badly, very little power?

Question

My car just started running very roughly and has very little power . It also is smoking badly .Someone told me maybe i have a bad spark plug and need distributer cap and plug wires . any suggestions???

Answer 1

More information would be nice. Year, make, model, mileage. If there is smoke there is fire. In other words the spark plugs are firing and burning something. No doubt the plugs need to be replaced but you need to fix the root problem or you will just ruin the new plugs. If the smoke is black, the engine is running too rich - too much fuel. Blue smoke is oil getting into the combustion chamber. White smoke is coolant getting into the combustion chamber.

Answer 2

Where is the smoke comming from, exhaust or engine compartment. Is it overheating at all, is it a carb or fuel injected. It could be a head gasket, blown head, cracked block, and all this can be determined by the location of the smoking and the color of smoke. A bad plug would cause lost power, but would just throw gas out the exhaust, loss of power could be a compression problem caused by a cracked block or head, an the oil is getting into the combustion chamber. If it is overheating to, I'd say a head, or at least a blown gasket.

Answer 3

THE 1ST THING I WOULD DO IS CHANGE THE DIST CAP AND THE ROTOR AND CHANGE THE WIRES AND PUT IN NEW BOSH TRIPLE SPARK PLUG.S THEY WORK GREAT TOO I KNOW I HAVE THEM IN BOTH OF MY VEHICALES AND IT MAKES A BIG DIFFRANCE TOO AND IF YOU REALLY WANT TO BE SHURE ITS NOT A VERY SERIOUES PROBLEM YOU CAN ALSO CHECK THE COMPRESSION BY TAKEING THE SPARK PLUG OUT FROM THE NUMBER 1 CYLENDER AND THEN YOU GO TO NUMBER 2 AND 3 AND 4 AND SO ON AND YOU WILL NEED A COMPRESSION GUAGE TO CHECK THE COMPRESSION AND IF THE COMPRESSION GAUGE GOES BELOW 105 0R 125 THEN THERE MIGHT BE A SEAPAGE INTHE COMPRESSION RINGS OR THE OIL RINGS TOO AND IF THE SPARK PLUG HAS OIL ON IT AND IS BLACK THAT MEANS ITS BURNNING OIL AND YOU CAN CHECK THE TAIL PIPE TO SEE IF THERES BLACK RESADUE INSIDE THE OPENNING OF THE TAIL PIPE IF THERE IS THEN THERE IS PROOF THERE THAT THE VEHICALE IS BURNING OIL AND IF THE CAR IS FUEL INJECTED THEN YOU MIGHT CHECK THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM SOME TIMES THEY LOOSE POWER BY HAVEN POOR INJECTORS SO I HOPE THIS HELP THANKS AND I AM A 16 YR MECHANIC AND THESE ARE THE THINGS WE LOOK FOR WHEN A VEHICALE COMES IN FOR REPAIRS AND HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS YOUR DOES THANKS AND I HOPE THIS HELPS.......................

Answer 4

Yes, it could be...if you have a distributor with a removeable "cap" on it, either the cap could be cracked, or just worn out. Maybe a bad plug or plug wire. That's one possibility.

What color smoke? black, or real dirty brown color, it is one or more cylinders not burning the gas...blue, or bluish, and there is oil getting in the cylinders somehow.

Then again, if it started suddenly, rather that progressively, it could be a bad vacuum leak too...does it idle real rough, but smooth out a bit with more pedal?

Answer 5

White-blue smoke = oil burning= piston, rings, head gasket

black smoke = gas burning = bad spark plug

Answer 6

examine out the Kelly Blue e book on the information superhighway. which will truly inform you what the motor vehicle is nicely worth at present. It would not sound as no count if this is great subject, so while that web site asks with regard to the subject, i could positioned honest, then once you hit enter it is going to inform you what the motor vehicle is nicely worth. Being a 'ninety six i do no longer think of it may be nicely worth plenty extra advantageous than $800.

Answer 7

Check your oil level, check your coolant level make sure it's all topped off and make sure you have enough transmission fluid in there, always make sure your fluids are topped off...
But in this case it sounds like your getting bad combustion so check your spark plugs make sure they aren't badly corroded or your engine isn't gonna burn all of the gas in your engine and your cylinder walls and pistons will warp... Distributor maybe but more then likely check the spark plugs...

Answer 8

change the spark plugs, worn out spark plugs really lower performance and mpg.

Answer 9

if car has a carburetor check and make suure choke plate is opening. if plate stays closed it causes symptoms you describe