Dear Previous Owner: Ever heard of.....

[RareGMFan]

A TUNE UP?!?!?! I got around to doing the plugs finally a couple weekends ago. I knew it needed it, but until it was done, I didn't realize just how badly. To my surprise (and yours too if you had seen some of the ghetto rigging on this car), they must have been done at least once, since there were Champions in there. But I get the feeling that they were done ONLY once in its 14 year existence. On a naturally aspirated 3.1, the plugs are supposed to be gapped at 0.45. On the turbos, 0.35 to 0.40 tops. Well...

 

 

....most of these came in at a gap of 0.60+!!!!! Jesus, people! It's not that expensive! Just do it! Changing the plugs has almost completely eliminated the cut-off issues I was having at WOT (the boost must have been blowing out the spark due to the enormous gap). Now it kinda' stumbles when it hits full boost, but then sort of...."breaks through" for lack of a better term, and I can keep my foot on the pedal instead of having to back off. It still isn't accelerating full force like it should, and it just now started having some idle issues. It idles at 2K RPMs in park and nuetral, and around 1,500 in drive. It's not a steady idle, either, as it goes up and down a bit while backfiring lightly. I've already done plugs, wires, ICM, coils, and the TPS. I'm going to change all the fuel related things first (FPR, cleaned injectors, fuel filter, etc), which will also mean new intake gaskets if it's an issue of them leaking. Hopefully that will take care of drivetrain issues, so I can get to the fun part.....exhaust!

 

Anyways, just showing how piss poor some people take care of their cars. Why is it that these types of rare cars always manage to find their way into the hands of people who don't care about them? Then, after they're done beating them to oblivion and ruining them, people who actually do want them have to go through hell undoing their damage. Bastards. If you don't care about cars, BUY A BASE MODEL SUNFIRE!!!

[stlunatics2oo3]

hell i am havin them same idle problems

 

 

so when ya figure out which fixes the problem let me know so i can fix my cutty

 

 

 

thanks

Jeremy

[DiscoStudd]

Well at least your old plugs still had somewhat of a center electrode. When I tuned up my Regal after I bought it, the center electrodes on all of the plugs were worn all the way down to the porcelain! I think some people take the whole "100,000 mile tuneup" interval that GM started in the 90's too literal...

[Bruticus]

I remember changing my plugs at 110,000 miles they were the original plugs they still said AC Delco and were shot to hell.

[vegaslumina]

:shock: yea i'd say it was about time to change the plugs

[WhiteOut]

Bastards. That always happens to me too. Everytime I buy a car the person is all like "yeah, she's never given me any problems". Then you buy it and a week later your left trying to figure out how that could possible be true as the car falls apart.

[mrdarkside2k3]

When I bought my 93 CS I new it had some problems with it, but damn, my dude never did anything to this car, the plugs look ok....wires needed a changing, the Fuel Filter was original, the PCV valve was original, the oil is as black as hell, and it took me 2 hours with a Shop Vac to clean it out.

[god910]

Yeah, I had the auto TGP at the track soon after I bought it, the p/o told me he took great care of the car, yada, yada, yada. Was running really crappy, thought I'd just give her a tune-up even though he said he kept up on all that. The plugs were destroyed. the electrodes were burnt, and the tips were shaped like |\ instead of |-| you get the idea. Anyhow, gaps were from .060 to .075 (4 of them in the .070's) :shock: No wonder it was running like shit. Last time I take a p/o's word for it.

[KING JOKER]

when i got my 92 cutlass the owner was a friend of my fathers and said he took immaculate care of it. it just had a small crease in the front bumper and he said it was caused by hitting a car lightly ....... well that was kinda true. i later found out that this was not the original bumper but a junkyard bumper and the header panel and bumper support was all tore up so now i get to replace the parts so my cutlass looks liek it should

[midnight rider]

I know the feeling on this one. My lumina needed brakes on all four corners. The guy swore he maintained it well. I guess brakes aren't part of the maintence in his world....lol

[Brian P]

can't say I ever had this kind of problem. I did a full tuneup on the '95 "just because" and the plugs that came out had maybe 15k on them. Shit, I haven't even done brakes on it yet! And the thing is I kinda WANT TO.

[dsgrntld187]

Jesus those plugs look worse than the 20 year old plugs we have in our Snapper push mower

[Stevo]

When I bought my 93' International a few months ago and changed the plugs and wires. They were the original ones. DEFFINATELY NOT in the best shape - ESPECIALLY after 11 ****ing years. =\

[conley3.1]

When I got my Lumina, the air filter had never been replaced, and worst of all, at 205,000 miles and 11 years old, the P/O had NEVER changed the trans fluid or filter. The trans filter was still the original 92 style (they restyled them soon after) Bunch of morons.

[kanwisch]

You guys brightened my day. I've always managed to be able to buy new (family discount), but my next one won't be, probably. This give me something to look forward to

[dsgrntld187]

My car had a tuneup at 93,000 miles, which was 3 years before I got it, so they weren't that bad.

[Stevo]

I find cars that are 'dealer' maintained to be the WORST.

 

Now we have tuneup technology that allows for longer periods between maitenance schedules. Just an excuse to not take care of the vehicle.