My '99 Z24 has felt really sluggish the last few months. From a stop, it seems like every single car out on the road takes off quicker than mine. I know it's just a Cavalier, but when a Geo Metro is faster than me off the line, something has to be wrong. No I'm not trying to race Geo Metro's, and I'm not putting the pedal to the floor, but the car just seems way too slow even for normal driving.
I can remember when I first got the car used back in 2001, it was really quick from a stop during normal driving. Now it almost feels like the car is sucking in air through the intake & then it doesn't know what to do with it. It kinda hesitates & almost seems like it doesn't know exactly when to shift(I have an auto). I just installed a new AEM intake after getting rid of my Ractive intake......I was hoping that would solve the problem, but it hasn't.
Also, say I'm driving 65 mph on the highway & get stuck behind someone doing 55. When I'm able to go around them & try to go from 55 back to 65 mph, it seems to take forever & it's like the engine is stressed just trying to get back to the speed limit. Someone was telling me that it sounds like I have a clogged cat. At first, I thought it could be some sensors or something that need replaced, but the car idles fine. Does this sound like a clogged cat?
How long has it been since youre car has had a tune up?. How many miles on youre engine?. Could have a plugged fuel filter or Youre coil packs could be weak.
Good Luck.
125,000 miles on the engine. I've never taken it anywhere for a total tune-up. The fuel filter was replaced around 20,000 miles ago, but the car was doing the same thing before & after it was replaced. I change my oil every 3,000 miles, and I replaced the spark plugs(I used the same AC Delco's from the dealer) at 70,000 miles even though they're supposed to last 100,000. I replaced the spark plug boots at that time, too.
When my mum (a million years ago) had a '92 Pontiac LeMans
the cat got clogged and it just lost power more and more until it literally couldn't accelerate. You could rev the engine, but put it under load and it just protested by not accelerating.
Sounds like you got an excuse to poke a big hole through your cat...
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We all drive in a yellow Cavalier...
Maybe this will give me an excuse to do a whole new cat-back exhaust instead of just replacing the cat.........because it's pretty expensive to replace just the stock cat, isn't it? I'm pretty sure you can get aftermarket hi-flows for around $100 before install.
go to summit racing and they have universal cats for around 65 bucks, got one on my fire and it helps you pass inspection but basically has four or five times less restriction. i think its a bang for the buck.
Get ahold of Never Enough Auto Accessories. They sell Cats on their website pretty cheap. www.neverenoughauto.com My car recently was dogging really bad and i found out that it was the cat. I called Never Enough and ordered a high flow cat.
I found the Magnaflow/Car Sound cats on summitracing.com, but I'm not sure which one I need. I think a while back someone said the 93500 series were the ones to get? I think they're oval though, and our stock cat is round......does that matter? I found the Magnaflow 93500 series on eBay for about $90, but I couldn't find these models on Summit's website.
Would
this one work?.....it doesn't say it's OBDII compliant though. Does there have to be a hole for the o2 sensor to plug into? Or would the exhaust shop just cut out the cat & leave the sensor in the pipe that follows the cat?
Never Enough Auto didn't have prices listed on their site.
That one is a 2 inch, isn't our exhaust a 2.25 inch?
Other than that it should work. The O2 is behind the cat, not in it.
Before you go and drop money on this, I suggest you try and confirm this is the problem. Go out to your car and crawl under it, give the cat a swift kick and see if it rattles. If it does, it is shot. Tonight, go for a nice spirited drive and stick your head under and see if the cat is glowing. Either of these is a sign of it being clogged.
"The Blue Bullet"
I thought our stock exhaust is 1 3/4".
Take your car to a muffler shop and have your cat tested... most will test for free... It would be a waste to replace it if its not the problem...
When was the last time you had a fuel system tune up. a complete fuel system tune up includes: Gas tank treatment, Throttle body cleaning, and cleaner ran through the vaccum lines (needs a special tool to administer)
Its recommended every 12000 - 20000 miles or once a year to do a fuel system cleaning
