This started a few months ago. I was coming home and mashed on the gas pedal and the engine lost all power. I could not go over 20 mph and the car barely made it the last 2 miles home. I had to keep it floored to go 10-20 mph and when I got home the cat was glowing red and caught the grass in my yard on fire. The next day the car started right up and ran like there was no problem except it was slightly down on power. Since then it has gotten worse, now to the point that the car runs like a 3cyl Geo Metro. The car idles rock solid and steady, but if you floor it from a stop it accelerates slowly and once it reaches 4000 rpm will not move and bucks. If you let off the pedal it will start to slowly accelerate again. Is the cat bad? It's a 96 with only 51,000 miles on it. I changed the fuel filter, spark plugs and air filter with no luck. The spark plugs look fine. Could it be an ignition problem?
The second thing is I was driving one night when I heard this noise that sounded like
cellophane being crumpled. Immediately after that I heard an upper engine ticking noise. It does the "tap tap tap" at idle and increases at speed with the engine rpm. Did my timing chain tensioner go or is this a lifter tick?
My immediate concern is the power loss as it is getting dangerous to drive in traffic and I have to take this car on a 150 mile trip in the next week and need to try and get the power back.
Sounds like a possible plugged cat. Your engine can't breathe.
Rob
Sold 2/2/05
If it helps there is no CEL.
I 2nd the plugged cat.
I had that problem with my '86 Cav with similar symptoms. No matter how far I'd push down the gas pedal, it just wouldn't go faster! Going up hills just angered people behind me! Also, mine wouldn't shift unless I let off the gas and pushed back down again, similar to what you described.
yeah, its definatly a clogged cat. I belive it is also still covered under the emissions warrenty. I would call your local dealer and check on that
I had this same problem. It was the coil packs going bad. The #1 and #3 spark plugs weren't firing. Replaced the coil packs and everything under the IDI cover. Not sure what the ticking noise is though.
I'm going to get the entire upper coil cover with coil tomorrow from a lower mile wrecked Sunfire in a pick your part place. If that fixes it then fine, but if not I will try to replace the converter. It has to be one of the 2 I figure, so I am going with the cheapest first.
one of the catalyst elements broke lose in the cat and is now clogging the cat, sorta like a rubber plug in the sink full of water. My sisters 95 had the same problem.
