I bought an 88 Cavalier 2.8 5spd, for a work car but i also heard they can be little monsters with some tuning
well not in i was wonderin if anyone knew some of their common problems cuz it some like a misfire like hell
i mean it sound like a lobing mustang the guy said it was gunna need a cat, but i mean could it also be coil packs? injectors? O2 sensor?

If you just bought the car, the first thing you always want to do is to give it a good tuneup.
Change the oil, plugs, the plug wires, dist. cap, rotor, tranny fluid, while checking out the brakes completely for wear and tear, drivetrain, and generally making sure the car is going to be reliable for you.

Not doing the above will surely give you problems down the road.
Buying something used can sometimes mean that you will be getting someone elses problems.
Buy the service manual for the car and start to read through the basics.
The more you learn about your ride, the more knowledgeable you'll be in fixing it, modifying it, and having a car that will be ultra reliable.

Why your car is running like it is, can 't say.
You really didn't give much information about the situation.

Good luck with it.



Misnblu.com
Newbie member since 1999
Thank you Dave and JBO!

check all your vacumme hoses read a post earlier tonight about someone with a bad idle they fixed a vacumme line and it runs perfect again i also agree with msnblu chance the oil/plugs/wires/dist cap./points and condenser "inside the cap" not hard 1 screw for points 1 screw for condenser/tranny flush/brakes "just look at em so u dont have rotor problems incase their ran down to steel on steel/grease all grease all the grease zerts


check all nuts and bolts for tightness bought my 94 and i probaly coulda took every bolt on that damn motor out by hand no tools what soever haha

check for water in oil or oil in water


after all that hopefully she'l be problem free for...as long as it wants to be haha


just my 2cents later