QuestionMy 1.8L has had a history of misfiring. After several instances of the engine light coming on, I had it tested. In response to the light coming on again and again for different codes over the course of the past two years, I replaced the plugs and wires a number of times, (but to no avail), replaced the EGR and PCV valves, as well as replaced just about every vacuum line there is. Alternator has also been replaced.
This past summer, the car would once in a blue moon stall while sitting at a stoplight in gear on especially hot days, but would never overheat. Also, the AC stopped working, and the gear selector would sometimes be in drive, but blink neutral with the drive light lit constantly. These problems went away after a little while, but the AC is still broken.
Here's my present problem. The car is difficult to start and usually either just turns over and over, or starts and then sputters and dies. Pressing the gas pedal while starting helps, but I have to keep it pressed down for a certain period of time, wait for the engine to rev up, and then make sure it stays at a constant RPM before letting off the gas. If i let off too early, the engine sputters and dies. It's an art form.
It smells like gasoline quite awfully, and once I do get it started, it takes me a couple of tries before I can actually drive off. It seems like the car needs to warm up considerably first, and is always difficult first thing in the morning or after sitting for a while in the cold. Otherwise, the slightest touch of the pedal to pull out makes it sputter and die.
Also, I cannot give too much gas while I'm driving. I can only press the gas pedal about 1/4 of the way to get any power. If I give it too much, the car just revs up high and loud, clunks, rattles, backfires (an extremely loud metallic thunk coming from the intake manifold/throttle), and doesn't go any faster. It's an automatic, so since I don't give all that much gas, the car thinks I'm just taking it easy, so it's always in too high of a gear. I have to constantly shift up and down as if it were a stick, making the car rev up really high with very little throttle to get enough power. Since about a week ago, it's begun to rev irregularly while driving. No matter how much gas I give or don't give, the engine reacts erratically, revving all over the place, but still not giving any power. Once i get off the road, turn it off and sit for a bit, it starts up again and drives with the difficulties I explained earlier, but doesn't rev erratically until the next instance.
I recently discovered a leak in exhaust, due to a bad gasket at the cat converter. It looked like it was burned-through. After replacing that, the car drove just a tad bit better, but still very very badly. Now, I've noticed that exhaust is leaking from that same gasket, as well as the one on the other side of the cat. Also, it looks like there's some water dripping from those two points.
I tried using throttle body cleaner, figuring there might be build-up making it choke. It didn't help at all. I made sure the air intake is secure and not leaking. I removed it completely, along with the MAF sensor and started the car with the same problems. I encountered the same issues and even got that same metallic thunk when I'd rev the engine, even without the intake assembled, so I've ruled that out.
My head gasket is leaking oil, as well as from the oil cap itself. I've replaced the cap twice already, but it still leaks. I recently inspected the plugs, and there's oil all over the threading, maybe a little on the tip itself. Could it be just a new gasket that I need?
I went to AutoZone and had the car tested again. They told me multiple cylinder misfire (not a surprise), and EGR valve (which I had already taken care of). I never had that EGR code cleared, so they did it for me. The car still drives like it's dying, and it's become quite unsafe, especially when merging with traffic. What could the problem possibly be?
AnswerHey "D": Have you ever heard of something being a lemon? I would say this car is a large one. I mean look at the things that you have fixed, time and money spent but then with time the car goes right back to the same problem over and over again. I understand the love of a car and even that you might have a loan on this car. But I would fixed it up some and trade it off. Make it someone's else headache. I will try to answer a few of your problems... such as the head gasket the way to find out if it is bad, is the car blowing white smoke out of the exhaust. That would be a sign of oil mixing with water, yes the gasket should be replaced. Throttle body cleaner does not really work on these newer cars and doing that you might have messed with a throttle body sensor which should be replace now. You know don't you that the computer controls everything in that car, to the way it shifts, to the stark, fuel, air when the engine starts well heck to the radio in the car. So what about the computer have you had it tested? The computer might say everything else is causing the problems when it fact it might the computer its self. There is a sensor in the air intake too, using any cleaner on it can be bad news. Did you do that cleaner before you got those readings for all kinds of sensors out or after? Please get the computer tested, some computer are known to have a piece that will leak into the computer and with time kills off the computer. It shows up in many ways, but the fact that the computer controls so much in your car, makes me wonder if a lot of these problems are not from a bad computer. How old is the battery and the cables? Maybe the oil pressure unit is bad and so it is kicking out to much pressure so it leaks through that oil cap. When is the last time you replaced the air filter, look I know I am adding to the list of things but still I can only give you ideas of what might the problems would be. So get the computer tested, still think the crank sensor might be a problem too. But gee, my heart goes out to you with this car, so keep me posted on it too, would you? Hope this helps and God bless: Linda
