QuestionQUESTION: Hi Tod
I've had some problems with my Fiero and haven't been able to figure our the excact problem. I've read an answer you gave to another Fiero owner 10/25/2007 with a similar issue but I'm not convinces that it's the same problem.
the whole problem started off as a sudden lack of power for just a second and then all seemed fine. a couple of miles later another surge and then another. theese loss of power occured mostly when accelerating afer a full stop or at low speeds. The engine was fast getting worse, we're talking minutes before it was clear to me that I'd be lucky if I was to get the car home without gettin towed. finally it died out 200 yards from my front door.
First off my theory was that the fuelpump was about to die. But I've ruled that out since the engine will start but after a few seconds it will choke it self. I then thought it might be a problem with some of the vacuumhoses but they also seem to be fine.
Then you mention the "Idle Control Valve" wich seems to be a good sugestion. But since I live in Denmark the wait for new parts like gaskets and such are substantial I need to know if I'll have to buy replacement parts when trying this theory. Or maby you have another sugestion that might be the sollution. I hope the description has been precise enough for you to understand the problem and that it's not been too long. my appolegies if that's the case :o)
thank you for your help.
Jonas Arnkjaer
Denmark / Copenhagen
I must admit I am a bit of a novice when it comes to cumbustion engines but I do understand the workings of it and know my way around mechanics.
ANSWER: Hi Jonas:
well it could be an idle control valve but you will only notice a problem with that at IDLE. for the most part the valve doesn't do anything while cruising down the road. If the idle is erratic or surges it's either a bad valve or a vacuum leak your right about that. the problem is trying to find wich one it is... You can use a can carb cleaner and spray it around an vaccume hoses or the intake manifold and see in the idle picks up if it does you found a vacuum leak. What has me puzzled is the "it chokes it's slef out" It could be an idle control valve issue.. try taking it out and clean the very end of it the "pintel" and also clean the throttle body and throttle plate if any or all of thme are carboned up badly it will idle very badly. In that answer I belive is outlined how to re learn the idle after a replacment valve was put in.. Good luck :)
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QUESTION: Thank you very much for the quick response. I really appreciate it.
Thinking back to how the engine was behaving the day it happened is a little hard as it was about a month and a half ago... the car has been sitting there for a while and I've been looking for answers all over the net and my Haynes book without really finding an answer I could use due to the lack of interaction.
If I start the engine and just before it dies turn the ignition on again it will continue running as if something is reset at that time. I can throttle up but it kind of jumps and before it dies completely it sounds like it's not running on all cylinders. But I can't make out if it's a lack of air or fuel. I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with the distributor or coil as it starts on the first turn of the starter. If I was to try and start it up and rev it up to 3000 RPM and keep it there and it still dies out do you have an idea what it might be then?
On a more personal note it is so nice getting a response from some one with hands on experience of this car. In Denmark it's not the most common US car you'll find. But in my opinion one of the most fun.
Thank you so much once again
Jonas Arnkjaer
AnswerIf it dies out even holding it at 3,000 Rpm's and it doesn't sound like it's running on all 6 cylinders I would look at a fuel or park issue More spark. Get your self a spark checker and put it on the coil wire on the distributor cap and see what's going on? If it's loosing spark it could be a ignition module or pick up coil in the distributor. It could be a lack of fuel as well. Put a fule pressure gauge on this and see what's going on there. That engine needs approx 35 PSI or so to run. See which one your loosing.
