Hi, I have a 91 3.1L V6 firebird. I started it up today and it was in the mid 90s and I noticed it was sputtering and I smell gas. Last weekend I put in premium gas and thought this was due to sediment in the gas getting in my tank. When I let the car idle, it idles rough between 400-500 RPMs when I try to drive it and give it any sudden gas it dies. This has happened before last summer but it seemed to clear up and ran fine unless I drove it very hard. It seems to run a little better at night when the temp cools down but I wondered if the reason why I'm smelling gas is because an oxygen sensor is out and it seems around here anyone with a code reader can't read cars older than a 96. I need my car and I can't seem to get it to smooth out and stay running. What do you guys think?

BTW, where can I find a code reader that can trace this down if it's not bad gas or someone who has a code reader (such as a dealership, etc.)?? Any help I sure would appreciate, thanks guys.

 

the obdII system started in 96 what you have is and obd1 so you just need to go to anyparts store and buy an obd1 code reader which what it will do is make the check engine light flash in a pattern and you need to decode that pattern i think they are in chilton manuals im not positive and also try adding some lucas fuel injector cleaner of that doesnt work try cleaning your throttle body and/or idle air motor

 

You don't need a code reader for obd1...take a paperclip or wire and stick it in the 2 upper right hand jumpers on the obd1 socket and turn your key on. The sea light will flash a code 12 3 times then it will start flashing any error codes it has.

 

Okay, I will try that this morning. Suppose there is more than one code/problem, will it flash the first code and then pause and flash another or will it only flash one problem code at a time?

 

Okay, I did the paperclip trick and these are the codes the car flashed back:

13. Oxygen sensor signal stays lean during warm engine cruise

33. High voltage (low vacuum) at mass air flow sensor (or MAP sensor)

What should be done now? Where should I go from here?

 

Check for and replace cracked and broken vacuum lines and replace your O2 sensors

 

actually, fixing the vacuum leak MAY fix the O2 issue...

 

Well yeah, that's true. I'd go ahead and replace them all the same. They're probably stock.

 

If it was a vacuum line wouldn't the car die regardless of whether it was hot or cold? The car only seems to act this way when it has warmed up.

I believe they are stock, but I think I had them replaced in late 2008.

 

You may as well do a search here on the forums, using your codes as the keywords and see if other people had your problems and how they fixed them

 

I appreciate your help guys, thanks.