gmrulz4u Posted April 25, 2003 Report Share Posted April 25, 2003 Just as I was pulling into my parking lot after driving home from work, I could all of a sudden tell that my 89 Supreme's 2.8 engine was wanting to die! It started as I was inching up to a STOP sign after someone else, it was stumbling and felt like it would die if I didn't step on the gas. On top of this, it all of a sudden started making a fairly noticable noise, the only thing I could relate it to would be "grinding". The tranny was shifting VERY late, I almost thought it wouldn't shift! I pulled into my parking spot, and I can garauntee that if I hadn't put it into Park, it would have died right away. Putting it in Park stabilized it a "little" bit. So I popped the hood and could see the engine vibrating and it was very "shaky". My final clue is the smell...it started to smell like rotten eggs or whatever... I have a lot of less than year old stuff on this, such as: - Cat. converter - EGR valve - Spark plugs - Spark wires - K&N Filter etc...etc... I have a FEELING it's one of three things: - Vacuum leak - Fuel pump - Timing chain I'm going to go back out tonight after the engine is cool and see what happens...I'm also gonna hook-up my AutoXray scanner to see some live sensor data... Any help? THANKS GUYS! PS There is no trouble codes at all!(like always:() Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89oldscutlass Posted April 25, 2003 Report Share Posted April 25, 2003 my 89 did that and it turned out to be a coil pack gone bad.Check and make sure all your plugs are firing.A word of advice if it is a coil pack go ahead and replace all 3 including the module.You can get all 3 coil packs and the module they set on for a $180.00 at Auto Zone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmrulz4u Posted April 26, 2003 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2003 Thanks... I went back out tonight, and can add the following: - The engine DOES start, and run, but is VERY shaky! Also, I can see the lights dimming every few seconds slightly... - Forget that "rotten egg" smell I said earlier, I'm pretty sure tonight when I started it I could smell GAS! - When I revved the engine in Park an extra 200-1000 RPMs, it would shake and stumble quite a bit, and smoothen out as the RPMs got higher - There was a slight, but noticable "putt-putt" sound coming out the exhaust/muffler I'm a little confused about one thing though, I'm pretty sure it's most definatley ignition related, but if so, wouldn't the engine fail to start? I guess I just don't understand how an engine can start, but have ignition problems? THANKS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted April 26, 2003 Report Share Posted April 26, 2003 It sounds like a bad coil. Which wouldn't keep the car from starting. You still have 4 plugs firing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slade901 Posted April 26, 2003 Report Share Posted April 26, 2003 Don't forget to try to remove the Oxygen Sensor and see if the shaking diminishes or the car's idle runs better. It does not mean that you have a new Catalytic Converter, it won't fail early. Cats fails when it becomes poisoned and slowly clogged up due to emission problem. You said you suspect vacuum leak, then get carb/tb cleaner or starting fluid to test for vacuum leak. Get a Fuel pressure gauge to test for fuel pressure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robby1870 Posted April 26, 2003 Report Share Posted April 26, 2003 yeah a coil or ignition control module ( the thing the coils plug into). But, more than likely, its a bad coil. If you have a timing light, you can check for that easily. Robby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luminator94 Posted April 26, 2003 Report Share Posted April 26, 2003 :withstupid: I to think its the coil. The gas your smelling is the 2 cylinders not firing. I had this happen on my older Grand Am GT, and was only running on 2 cylinders! Didn't make it to far either. Aaron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
god910 Posted April 26, 2003 Report Share Posted April 26, 2003 You said you suspect vacuum leak, then get carb/tb cleaner & START A FIRE to test for vacuum leak. FIXED Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89BuickRegalGS Posted April 26, 2003 Report Share Posted April 26, 2003 :withstupid: I to think its the coil. The gas your smelling is the 2 cylinders not firing. I had this happen on my older Grand Am GT, and was only running on 2 cylinders! Didn't make it to far either. Aaron This sounds like what happened to my car kinda, now i am stuck with a car that is only fireing from 5 cylinders..and everyone i spoke to said it was bad coils and ignition controllll Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chronic139 Posted April 26, 2003 Report Share Posted April 26, 2003 if a coil goes bad on these cars you will lose two cylinders not just one. If youve only lost one cylinder you could have a shorted injector. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robby1870 Posted April 26, 2003 Report Share Posted April 26, 2003 Im pretty sure his problem is lack of compression in a cylinder. Valves prolly arent seating right Robby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmrulz4u Posted April 26, 2003 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2003 Well, you guys were right AGAIN! Of course there wasn't ever any doubt that you would be! So yep, it was a BAD COIL! Fixed and running good again... THANKS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted April 26, 2003 Report Share Posted April 26, 2003 Glad it's fixed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmrulz4u Posted April 26, 2003 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2003 Thanks! It's kinda strange, because now EVERYTHING seems better! Even the tranny shifts a lot better! I figure it's because a misfire causes poor vacuum, which in turn, causes poor shifts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted April 26, 2003 Report Share Posted April 26, 2003 Im pretty sure his problem is lack of compression in a cylinder. Valves prolly arent seating right Robby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robby1870 Posted April 27, 2003 Report Share Posted April 27, 2003 Im pretty sure his problem is lack of compression in a cylinder. Valves prolly arent seating right Robby I was talking about 89BuickRegalGS's car. Just to clear things up. gmrulz4u, Glad to hear you got it up and running, now, go drive the tires off it. Robby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted April 27, 2003 Report Share Posted April 27, 2003 gotcha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drache Rott Posted April 27, 2003 Report Share Posted April 27, 2003 hey cronic...I personaly have had just one side of one of the coils go bad so I was running on 5 cylinders....motor was shaking like a fat girl trying to do a hula dance....it took me 3 months to figure it out...I kept putting the timing light on the left plug wire on each coil and it looked good...finaly I asked my freind mike for help and walks over and starts testing on the right side prongs and low and behold my middle coil on the right prong wasn't firing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chronic139 Posted April 27, 2003 Report Share Posted April 27, 2003 first time ive heard of that but okay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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