Okay guys, anyone got any ideas on this one?

I was driving yesterday and the car was kind of stumbling from 1000-2000 rpm (done this once before, but it cleared up in two days- moisture in the opti?) then it drove fine- no problems at all. So last night it just dies when I am pulling up to a light. Then dies when I'm driving. Then it wouldn't start. I got it started and it runs fine if you lean into it a little bit, but it won't idle. This is a hit and miss problem as when I got it home it started up and idled just fine.

Could this be anything besides an opti? Maybe a coil, fuel pump relay? The car has an MSD if that makes a difference. Hell I don't know.... It almost feels like there is a loose wire somewhere since it happens sometimes and not others. It didn't throw a code, so I don't have any clues on where to start. Has anyone run into this before? If not, any suggestions on where I could take it in Houston that wont charge me a zillion dolars to tell me what's wrong?

 

Sounds like you h20 pump is pissing on your opti. I bet it runs fine when cold and as it warms up the car stumbles? There is a great guy to do work in SA I belive look up AHART (Ryan) he'll take care of you.

Joe

 

Does it try to die when you get off the freeway? If so then I bet it is your EGR.

 

Id did die when I was geting off the highway. Not sure about the water pump. The car has a faint smell of antifreeze, but doesn't really ever get low and that might explain it. The car has always had the antifreeze smell and just started doing this. The last time was only about a month ago. So you think start with the egr?

 

So this morning the car drove fine, just stumbled from 1000-2000 a little, nothing major. Last time this cleared up in a day or so. Still don't understand why it was dying. The car idles like it was brand new now. Is there something that would mess up occaisionally??

 

i've had a coil wire act up on me did similar to what you described but only worse

also check for a loose vacume hose if it couses that much of a prob. it'll be a main hose. (but vacume usually wont be that erratic(sp)

bad wires can be intermitten depending on temp. and engine load

 

Thanks for the idea, I'll check them this weekend.

 

Jeremy - Do you have headers? Sounds like a plug wire or MAF sensor to me.

I have a plug wire that you could have to trouble shoot with .

I also have a MAF sensor that we could throw in and see what happened.

Ryan

 

No headers on the car and it's got a set of taylor wires on it. The coil wire sounds like a good possibility (good excuse to buy an aftermarket coil anyway). What get's me is that now it's running fine, but it stumbles from 1000-2000 every now and then. It's happening less and less which makes me think it might be water in the opti again. I'll try the coil wire today and see what happens.

 

THIS GOD *&^*$&&* CAR! So the car leaves me stranded last night. Go to get it this morning and it's still screwing up, but I make it home. I put a new coil wire on it hoping it might just be a bad wire- uh, no. Now the question is where to tow it to find out the problem. Dealership? is there a scan tool I can get for an OBD 1 car to figure this out? The SES light hasn't come on yet. Suggestions besides torching it?

 

Stupid OBD1 and 2 will not throw codes for opti-related problems (at least mine never did).

If it's running that poorly and it's all-of-a-sudden with no other motor work recently, I'd say it's probably the opti/waterpump.

Time to dig out your wallet no matter where ya go. (unless you know someone on the inside)

 

Ahhhh- the opti my worst fear. Let me ask this- if Iwere to take th car to a dealer, could they test it or will they just replace each piece one at a time till it gets fixed. I don't mind trying to do the opti, but I want to be sure that's it first. Thanks for the info guys.

 

does anyone have a suggestion of where to take the car to have the problem diagnosed??

 

Why don't you refer to the second post in this topic.

 

I agree Mine is doing the same thing, and he is gonna take care of it