Last night I started up my car just because i hadn't started it up since early the day before. anyways, i dont know if it was beause it was raining (been pooring for like almost 2 days straight with my car outside) but it was making this whistling noise from the engine compartment, very subtle and seemed to go with the rpm (after 1000 it stopped or was too high pitched for me to hear). anyways, i took it for a ride around the block today and everything was going fine. i kept it at 1000 or lower until it warmed up. then hit 1500 and everything was fine, i could only hear that whistle i was speaking of in park (exhaust note and road noise from big tires). anyhow, i was taking a turn and the wheel got stiff...I noticed that the car was off. i started it back up and it started to rev it self to about 550 from 250 every second, it was up down up down, then stalled out. tried two more times same thing. so, i just kept it alive by giving it gas and went the short distance home. there was a slight burning smelll inside the car too (i had the vents open). when i opened the hood (finally under something, my carport) it was pretty hot (even though the gauge said it was at like 120, and smelled a little bit. every like 10 seconds this little sizzling sound would happen. now i know my car leaks a lot and the hood is aligned quite right, but i checked the filters and ducting for water and there was none. however, i have been told that i might have a slight vaccum leak from a couple of my other problems. do you think water got into the engine from a vaccum leak because the car was outside for 2 days straight in pooring rain? do you think its more serious? if so, what do you think it is? and of the possibilities, how bad are they, and how hard are they to be dealt with? thank you so much and sorry for the long thread. (I am actually trying to change my intake to lt1 or carb like next week or very very soon).

 

might try plugging those vaccum leaks. You can always replace the thermostat for cheap insurance in case the sizzlinge sound you heard was boiling coolant.

I'd go from there but, theres a good chance if it's ideling up and down bad and you don't have the power that you should it's usually a major vaccum leak. Check all of the vaccum lines over and replace any cracked or damaged hoses, plug anything that's disconnected at the least.

 

im pretty sure the sizzling was just water dripping off the hood onto the engine. it was just one quick tss. its like when you drop a drop of water on a frying pan. im am pretty sure however that there is a very small vaccum leak but neither my friends nor mechanic could find one. anyhow, that other stuff is gone. i took it for a couple more rides and its acting normal. weird. plus i think its still at the same amount of power. im not pushing it, cuz its really wet outside and i spin at about 1500 rpm, bt it seems fine now. thanks for your help. how could i find this vaccum leak myself. es87iroc told me it could be a dirty iac. how could i fix that as well?