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car suddenly sputtering and no power


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fcopr
User

May 22, 2012, 2:22 PM

Post #1 of 14 (6824 views)
car suddenly sputtering and no power Sign In

 My 1996 Olds Acheiva 4cyl 100,000 plus miles. (2.3 L?) was running fine with no engine noise, etc. All of a sudden it started to sputter and losing power. Went to a muffler shop and they said it was probably a CAT Conv. Drove car to mechanic who said it needed a major tune up with new coil pack, etc. When done it did the same thing. Then he said he disconnected the CAT and he said it was still the same. He said 2 cyls only read 90lbs pressure and other 2 had 160. He believes that it now has bent valves due to jumpt timing? Says needs to have engine replaced. Used engine and labor, $2000.00. Now, the mechanic says it won't start at all. Does all this make any sense? Thanks very much.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

May 22, 2012, 2:45 PM

Post #2 of 14 (6794 views)
Re: car suddenly sputtering and no power Sign In

A bad timing chain is very possible but it may not have bent valves yet. Someone would have to do a leakdown test to determine that.



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fcopr
User

May 22, 2012, 3:04 PM

Post #3 of 14 (6784 views)
Re: car suddenly sputtering and no power Sign In

I don't know what that is. A leak down test, but I thanks you very much.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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May 22, 2012, 3:28 PM

Post #4 of 14 (6775 views)
Re: car suddenly sputtering and no power Sign In

If your tech has any idea what he's doing, he will know what it is.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



fcopr
User

May 23, 2012, 9:01 AM

Post #5 of 14 (6729 views)
Re: car suddenly sputtering and no power Sign In

If the valves are O.K., what is the average cost of replacing a timing chain on the 2.4 achieva?


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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May 23, 2012, 9:11 AM

Post #6 of 14 (6725 views)
Re: car suddenly sputtering and no power Sign In

It's 6 hours flat rate plus parts if you change the water pump too which you definitely should do. At $80 per hour, that's about $480 in labor. You will also have to replace all the plastic guides which is what actually wears more than the chain.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



fcopr
User

May 23, 2012, 9:30 AM

Post #7 of 14 (6718 views)
Re: car suddenly sputtering and no power Sign In

Thank you again very much. Frank


fcopr
User

May 23, 2012, 6:38 PM

Post #8 of 14 (6693 views)
Re: car suddenly sputtering and no power Sign In

Took the car somewhere else and they put it on some very expensive machine and determined it was the coil pack and some wire problems in the rail? It now runs fine. Thanks again for your help.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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May 23, 2012, 6:45 PM

Post #9 of 14 (6689 views)
Re: car suddenly sputtering and no power Sign In

You still haven't resolved the low compression issue.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Discretesignals
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May 23, 2012, 6:56 PM

Post #10 of 14 (6685 views)
Re: car suddenly sputtering and no power Sign In

I'd like to see what the compression numbers are now just out of curiosity.





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fcopr
User

May 24, 2012, 8:17 AM

Post #11 of 14 (6667 views)
Re: car suddenly sputtering and no power Sign In

The new mechanic said they checked the compression and it was very good. No problems with it at all.
Thanks again for your help and concern.


fcopr
User

May 24, 2012, 8:20 AM

Post #12 of 14 (6666 views)
Re: car suddenly sputtering and no power Sign In

I didn't ask him the numbers, but it still runs like a bear. Lots of power!


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

May 24, 2012, 8:40 AM

Post #13 of 14 (6663 views)
Re: car suddenly sputtering and no power Sign In

So apparently it was the first mechanic that didn't know how to perform a compression test or just lied.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



fcopr
User

May 24, 2012, 8:47 AM

Post #14 of 14 (6653 views)
Re: car suddenly sputtering and no power Sign In

Thats correct. Also 2 bolts were broken off the manifold to remove the exhaust to the cat. Conv. It is working now with jut 2 bolts and has a minoe leak at that point. I have to bring it somewhwre else to deal with that. Any suggestions? Thanks again.






 
 
 






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