MorganS13
01-15-2003, 02:11 PM
as of the last week my car has been acting a little strange... i've replaced my fuel filter, o2 sensor within the past 3 months and my spark plugs within the past year. its not a problem 100% of the time but its happening more and more often as of lately. i'll be engine braking or starting to accelerate and i'll have a strange power loss (always somewhere between 2500-3000rpm, but not always the same point). The car still runs smooth, maybe a LITTLE jumpy, but feel like its running on 3 cylinders or something. then once i give it a little gas it will stutter for a little while then jump and i'll have all my power back again by about 3200 rpm. my initial thoughts were spark plugs (like i said, i replaced them within the past year at the dealer, but its still a possibility) or maybe spark plug wires (never replaced when i've had my car for 4 years, but look to be in good shape and car still idles fine when i shook the wires to check for loose connections). also i have not replaced the distributor cap/rotor recently but that is next on my list... also the car smells like it has been running a little rich lately so that is another reason i suspect these items. is there anything else i can check or test before purchasing all of these items (money is kind of tight right now, i'd like to just get rid of this problem at its source if possible)? thanks, i would go outside and check my plugs and stuff right now but the temperature is in the single digits with windchill so i'd rather know what exactly i needed to do BEFORE i freeze my ass off, thats is why i want some ideas :)
p.s. - i don't know if it matters but i just had a header installed recently and did not attach the EGR tube, it is just dangling in my engine bay, would it make a difference if i detached this and/or just capped it off (i've been meaning to do it eventually anyway)? i had been running with this tube open for about 1-2 months with no problems so i doubt thats my problem now...
p.p.s - i'd also suspected MAF sensor but i'm praying its not that as i know they are not cheap, how can i test this?
p.s. - i don't know if it matters but i just had a header installed recently and did not attach the EGR tube, it is just dangling in my engine bay, would it make a difference if i detached this and/or just capped it off (i've been meaning to do it eventually anyway)? i had been running with this tube open for about 1-2 months with no problems so i doubt thats my problem now...
p.p.s - i'd also suspected MAF sensor but i'm praying its not that as i know they are not cheap, how can i test this?