I just got my 94 rs runnin today. (automatic if it matters) the car had set for nearly a year with a broken timing chain (broke when previous owners went to start it) i fixed the timing chain, got the dots lined up perfectly on the gears. when i tried to start it, suprising started right up. but the idle jumps everywhere and makes the car shake very badly. i put some fresh 91 octane in it added some injector cleaner/octane boost in it and change the spark plugs. everything else was fine.
another thing, the car has a really slow shaky take off.
the car has no check engine light coming on.


If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer

still sounds like the timing has to be off. I've never dealt with chains before though, just belts so I'm not sure. But several times I've had to reset my timing due to the same symptoms and well.... I still have the exact same problems, but not constantly. I'm about to do a complete tune up on my car and might reset the timing to see if it makes a difference... that's if I feel like taking it all apart. timing is such a bitch.



Originality and Creativity surpasses Popularity

well i continued to drive it put a total of 5 gallons in it drove about 40 miles give or take 3 miles. and I am now sitting on E. The car evens out after about 35 and is fine. if you put the car in reverse it vibrates horribly and barely moves for about 3 feet then it takes off. It seems as if the car has no power. as i said once you get over 35 it has all the power you would ever need except when it comes to pulling hills then it slows down and you have to put it down in 1st gear to climb.
right before i came home after driving about 30 of the 40 miles it seemed to be doing better (coming to a stop then taking off) but it still shakes violently.


If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer

I have a mitsubishi mirage that did the exact same thing to me a few years ago. still it sits now for about two years. I wish I could tell you what was wrong with it cause it seems like it did the same thing precisely. if I got it over about 30mph it'd be fine, but in order to get it over 30mph it had to struggle and had no power to the engine. It'd sputter often like it was a timing issue. the one thing I can tell you is the reason I was driving my mirage the day it started that was because my bird had just done the same thing. Apparently it all started with getting bad gas (yes, I got bad gas and turned around and took the mirage to the same station within 3 days) and problems crept in fast. I had the bird fixed. I ended up having to replace a bunch of parts.... resetting the timing twice, new oxygen sensor, fuel pump, fuel filter.... the list goes on. I probably ended up spending around $800USD to get it running again. hope it's not as bad in your case.



Originality and Creativity surpasses Popularity

Jeeeeez Arch. I have the same problems as the original poster and I pray that it's just something simple and small.
Timing I can see paying for but I may as well get the water pump replaced while they are taking the timing belt off also.
I'm praying it's a clogged CAT but perhaps the fuel system has gotten a severe clog somewhere vital...


Bad gas eh? I wonder how bad gas does this to cars...damn cheap gas stations.


Dm of mD

Check your fuel pressure. Also try pluckin injectors, one at a time. I was workin on a similar problem with a sunfire yesterday. injecter stuck open. It would idle rough, then pulled connecter on #3 injector. The roughness would fade away for 5-6 seconds while she burned off the excess fuel, then started to starve and bucked again. If you still think it is a timming problem, youll find it on a compressoin test. If your compression is good, try fuel pressure.

Welp, I did what you said and and the injectors and timing checked out fine at the shop.
Fuel pressure is fine as well. Compression testing showed even numbers across the cylinders as well (YAY!!)

The problem however was....

A clogged Catalytic Converter.
They want over 1000 dollars for a CAT-Back system for my Sunbird so I'm looking at just hollowing out the bastard CAT.

Thanks,
Dm of mD

the cat was another item on that same list. damn, sorry man.



Originality and Creativity surpasses Popularity

you're getting screwed there at that shop it cost me 800$ for a a full 2.5 custom job for mine. just a thought,


When in doupt, grub.

Thanks! Yeah, that shop claims that they are putting on "High quality" parts but I can get em a LOT cheaper.

My cousin bought me a cat for 73 dollars. Universal fit but before I install that thing....

My question is this.... How do I straight pipe the exhaust? I looked at the cat and it's got these triangular shaped flanges on it that bolt up to the exhaust pipes and I can't figure out how to make another pipe fit on that set-up.

Any advice?

Dm of mD

Ok. I was driving today, and as I was going to stop, the car started shaking WICKED bad, and then stalled. So, I put in park, start it back up, runs fine, go to put it in Park, and it stalls again. So when I gun it as soon as I put it in park, it seems fine after it shakes again. But it randomly started doing it, and it randomly stopped doing it when I was almost home. You ever drive over those islands with the grooves in them? That's about how bad the shaking was, only it was a stronger magnitude. Like, it was driving fine for like an hour, then all of a sudden it just started shaking super bad and stalled when I went to stop. But I dunno why it only does it when I throw it in Park? If I put it in neutral it's fine, haven't tried the other gears though.

My dad said it was probably the plugs/wires causing a misfire, or a vacuum leak... But do you think it could still be a clogged cat? It also felt like it had no power and it bogged