boxxed

I was letting the car idle for a few. Then I kinda heard the engine sounding rough.. I tried to drive the car but the engine runs very rough, sputters and no power at all to make it go.. Not sure why all of a sudden it started this.
Also, the battery LED on the dash goes up and down wildly.

Another side question: What plugs and wires should I get to tune up the car? Should I just stick with OEM? Everything is stock on the car.

Jersey89GTA

iTrader: (1)

Any codes from the SES light ?

EGR valve or solenoid - I'd start there
Check for Vac leaks, wire grounding out, if lights flickering, could be regulator / altenator - any charging issues ?

MAF - if code is thrown

IAC - pull and clean

TPS - check voltage/reset/replace ?

OEM plugs always get best results.

rick90gta

iTrader: (3)

few things to check:
battery light on sounds like you could have an alternator problem. check that you have around 13-14 volts at the alternator stud and at the battery with the car running. low voltage would cause poor idle/no power

fuel pressure. i've lost 2 (ACDelco!) fuel pumps and several fuel injectors in my GTA. pressure should be around 40-45 PSI

last, and least likely since it just suddenly started doing it, is ignition. check to make sure no spark plug wires are resting against the exhaust, and pull the distributor cap and check the condition of the cap and rotor. a little bit of deposit inside the cap on the terminals is normal but yellowish or greenish tinge is ozone from cross-fire and burnt/worn out rotor is pretty obvious. i've had great luck with acdelco tune-up parts (i fix cars for a living) and i believe they are sold OTC at autozone of all places, so skip the dealership.

also not out of the realm of reason that your catalytic converter(s) could be plugged. not at all uncommon on older GM's or anything else for that matter

beyond that, you could have any number of sensor or mechanical issues, but those are a few simple things you can check relatively easily with cheap tools and a few extra minutes

boxxed

Thanks for the tips.. I will see what I can find out this weekend.. The MAF and the cap and rotor have been replaced. The car has 65k on it.. But you guys pointed me in a good direction.

Thanks

boxxed

What is the SES light? I didnt see anything obvious.

rick90gta

iTrader: (3)

SES is service engine soon light. would be blinding yellow lol. you can check the fault codes with a paper clip at the data connector, i believe there are youtube videos that illustrate how to get the code then all you have to do is look it up. but the code itself doesnt always tell the whole story

CamaroRS_92

SES is service engine soon light. The battery light sounds like a voltage regulator issue (in the alternator) . Sometimes my 92 RS's batt gauge fluctuates with the turn signals at idle. But bear in mind voltage fluctation can be from an older battery not wanting to accept a charge anymore. Weird things can happen too if a cell shorts. I'm a chrysler tech and I once fixed a stalling problem on a dodge dynasty with a battery (after an independent threw every other part known to man at it) food for though. Good luck!

CamaroRS_92

I've seen in the tool catalogs at work, snap-on or matco, they make a thing that looks like the ignition key that u stick in the terminals to jump em too

boxxed

Thanks for the input. The issue ended up being the plugs and wires. I guess after 25 years the original wires were shot. So I my buddy put in new plugs wires cap and rotor. Now the car seems to run fine.
This car came from my dad and only has 65k miles on it. He has every maintenance record of all things the dealer ever did.

Once I get it detailed I will post pics.