where do i start??? okay my car is very hard to start then when i finally get it to started it idles up and down then it will stall.. when i try to drive it has no power..when i mash down the gas pedal i go nowhere then it will kick in for a second then bawg back down.. it get alittle better when it warms up but not much.. my ses light doesnt come during this well it came on like one time and stayed on till i got back home... please help i really need my car


92 rs camaro 305 tbi

 

Go buy one of those cheap scanners at wal mart or something. You need to see if there's any codes. Sometimes there are even if the SES light doesn't come on. Also check the basics, cap, rotor plugs wires and timing. I would also take a can of carb cleaner and with the engine running spray all around the the intake where it bolts to the heads and base of the tbi unit. Also check all vacuum lines. I hope this at least helps to get you started.

Jason

 

lanespice,

I'd start by cleaning the throttle body and especially the IAC, as J suggested.

That "cheap scanner" is actually a jumper wire or paper clip. Here's how:


First, you'll need to acquire a GM OBD I ECM Diagnostic Trouble Code Retrieval Tool (commonly known as a paper clip to TGO members).

With the engine and ignition turned off, locate the ALDL connector under the dash, just to the right of the steering wheel in the driver's foot well area. There should be a small rectangular cover over the access hole in the lower dash trim.



Insert a tool as described above (paper clip) into the 'A' and 'B' terminals on the ALDL connector:



WITHOUT STARTING the engine, turn the ignition to the "RUN" position. Watch the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) - it will begin to flash. This is also commonly called the "Service Engine Soon" or "SES" lamp. The first code will flash three times, and will usually be a code '12'. This is encoded by one flash of the lamp, a brief pause, then two successive flashes of the lamp. Each code will repeat three times, so you should see a "Code 12" flash three times. Any other error codes will follow in numerical order, and each code should flash three times. After all codes have been displayed three times, the "Code 12" will again flash three times, then all other codes will follow as described earlier. This cycle will continue until the jumper is removed or the ignition is turned off.

After you have made a note of all error codes, turn off the ignition and remove the jumper immediately. If you forget to remove the jumper and attempt to start the engine with it in place, you could damage the ECM. For this reason you should remove it immediately.

Once you have a note of all error codes, check this file for the decoding:

GM Error Codes.pdf.

(You'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view/print the file.)

 

i did the jumper wire thing and i got number 44 which is o2 sensor running to lean would that by itself be causing all of my problems?? and thanks for your responses

 

That could very well be the source of all your troubles. Now the fun part is diagnosing exactly why you have the lean condition. I have heard that sometimes an old or faulty O2 sensor can cause this. I don't have alot of experience dealing with lean/rich conditions on fuel injected cars. If you had a good old fashioned carb I could help more.

 

i disconected the o2 wire and the car ran exactly the same . i dont if that tells me anything. i also changed the cap and rotor which both were torched ... car does start alot better after i changed the cap and rotor but still has bad power loss and it still idles up and down when cold but when hot it idles fine..spayed the intake base and it appears to be fine...going to change the fuel filter today oh yeah i did find a vacuum hose that had a hole in it so i replaced it but with no real effect on the performance

 

How many miles do you have? If you have at least 60k or so I would replace the O2 sensor. I think they supposedly go bad around that mileage, I'm not sure though. You might want to put up another post title something like "TBI running rich". People who may have had the same problem will see it. I'll do some digging on my own though and see if I can't come up with something.

Jason