This car is a 1991 Z28 with the 305 TPI engine. Until today, it's been very good to me. Not the wrench-magnet my 1984 HO was .

On the way home today, it started to bog down when I applied throttle. It would idle, but barely. Sometimes it dies at lights. I can only feed it gentle amounts of gas. It takes me about 20 seconds to reach 40 mph. Vacuum is low. I can tell because the brake pedal is heavy. The engine makes a low moaning sound when I apply as much throttle as I can get away with.

I do not currently have a persistent check-engine light. Does that mean that I have no "outstanding codes"? Also, how exactly do I check the codes in this car?

Any ideas?

Thanks!

Erick
1978 Z28 (first)
1984 Z28 HO
1991 Z28 (current)

 

What has been done to the car recently?

I've had some similar problems with vacuum leaks; if you can get the engine to idle you might try going under the hood with something flammable like carb cleaner and spraying it around the intake to see if the engine races. If so, you found a leak.

To check the codes you put a paperclip in the upper two right terminals of the ALDL, the female computer connection near your right knee and below the steering column. It may have a cover over it saying something like "diagnostic link," or not. The paper clip connects the upper two right terminals, side by side. Once this is done and you're sure that they are making good contact, turn the key to put the car into accessory mode. Your cooling fans will turn on and the check engine light will begin to flash. Count the flashes. Flash flash flash blank flash means 31, you should get a 12 at first, that is normal.

 

Check the large vacuum line from your intake manifold to your power brake booster as well as what rezinn has stated above.

 

It ended up being a plugged catalytic converter of all things. I have heard of this in the past, but never experienced it myself.

Thanks very much for the replies!


Erick