WTF Is wrong with my car?

[BD231]

I've recently had some work done on my car (83 buick Century, yeah it's a real beast :^&THORN, I got a tune up, new shocks and struts and ehhhhh, guess that's about it.

Here's the problem:

The car has a nasty habbit of wanting to shut off when drive in stop and go situations. When I give it some gas it sometimes will get close to shutting off then BOOM, just take off as if an explosion just went off behind it.

Unfortuneately the asshole down at Chevron (yeah I know, not the best place to take your car, my mom snuck it down there while I was at work one day because of her EXTREME lazieness and need for a car to use while she's waiting for her new one, of course I get stuck with the $1700 in total repair bill

, serious waste of cash), has looked at it three times and dosen't have a f*ckin clue as to what could be wrong.

What makes it worse is that my mother is driving it around in this condition even though it's getting worse! I've told her to stop but she's one of those people who dosen't give a damn about other peoples concerns if effects here comfortable lifestyle.

My first thoughts are fule injection problem, but I have no car repair expierence. Anybody got any ideas?

I think I may just go get a new car......., I'm already close to 2,000 bucks spent on this P.O.S. and I can't afford to be pissing money away on repairs that fix nothing .

Side note: My mom got a SH*T load of soap water in the Gas tank a few weeks back going through a car wash without a gas cap on which she lost and has yet to replace........., it never had this problem till this happend........., My head is about to explode in anger right now......

 

[waylman]

sounds like you inherited some pretty bad genes. bummer.

 

[conjur]

Vapor lock?
Bad spark plugs/wires?
Timing off (bad belt/chain)?
O2 sensor?
Throttle position sensor?
EGR Valve?

Have a dealer run some diagnostics on it...will cost a little bit to do that but you'll have a better idea of what to fix


Mine's actually doing the same, backfiring...stuttering unless I'm above 2500 RPM and it's floored.
AutoZone checked the error codes and EGR Valve is bad and Cylinder 1 was misfiring. I replaced the plugs and it helped some but it's still running roughly. Going to go for a full tune-up. 70k+ miles since a rebuilt engine was put in so I guess it's time.

 

[bunker]

clogged fuel filter?

 

[Encryptic]

Originally posted by: BD231


Side note: My mom got a SH*T load of soap water in the Gas tank a few weeks back going through a car wash without a gas cap on........., it never had this problem till this happend........., My head is about to explode in anger right now......

Sounds like you just diagnosed the problem right there. I imagine the fuel filter/injection system/engine itself got hosed good by getting soap water in it.

I'm not a mechanic, so I don't know if that would even be fixable. (i.e. can the fuel system be flushed out or anything like that?)

 

[notfred]

Cars don't run very well on soapy water.

 

[conjur]

Originally posted by: Encryptic

Originally posted by: BD231


Side note: My mom got a SH*T load of soap water in the Gas tank a few weeks back going through a car wash without a gas cap on........., it never had this problem till this happend........., My head is about to explode in anger right now......

Sounds like you just diagnosed the problem right there. I imagine the fuel filter/injection system/engine itself got hosed good by getting soap water in it.

I'm not a mechanic, so I don't know if that would even be fixable. (i.e. can the fuel system be flushed out or anything like that?)

ooops...need new contacts....didn't read that part!

 

[Gunslinger08]

First off, shoot your mom. Secondly, my car does the same exact thing. I've had it at the local mechanic probably 20 times and he could never fix it. He told me to just wait til it totally dies and then he'll fix whatever's wrong. My dad replaced the PCV valve, which was clogged up, and it seemed to have helped a lot. I only get minor hiccups from time to time.

 

[Ladies Man]

Originally posted by: notfred
Cars don't run very well on soapy water.

water puts out spark... not make it go boom.. and water doesn't compress well

 

[BD231]

Originally posted by: notfred
Cars don't run very well on soapy water.

Yeah getting the water out was a pain, the guy down at chevron told me to put octane booster in which did help out quite while trying to burn up all the water.

Could soap water really damge anything?

 

[notfred]

Water makes things rust.

You're sure it's fuel injected? in 83? Did you go and check whether there's a carburator on it?

 

[waylman]

Originally posted by: BD231

Originally posted by: notfred
Cars don't run very well on soapy water.

Yeah getting the water out was a pain, the guy down at chevron told me to put octane booster in which did help out quite while trying to burn up all the water.

Could soap water really damge anything?

lol

 

[BD231]

Originally posted by: joshsquall
First off, shoot your mom. Secondly, my car does the same exact thing. I've had it at the local mechanic probably 20 times and he could never fix it. He told me to just wait til it totally dies and then he'll fix whatever's wrong. My dad replaced the PCV valve, which was clogged up, and it seemed to have helped a lot. I only get minor hiccups from time to time.

Amen to that.

 

[Thegonagle]

Give her the car. As a "gift." Then buy your own $2000 car, something made in the 90's.

 

[desertdweller]

If its an 83 model, its most likely carburated.

They make an additive that you can buy that is specifically
for getting water out of the fuel system. I don't remember
what its called off the top of my head, but I'd start with
some of that instead of octane booster.


DD

 

[Thegonagle]

Originally posted by: notfred
Water makes things rust.

You're sure it's fuel injected? in 83? Did you go and check whether there's a carburator on it?

It's fuel injected if it's the 4 cylinder engine.

 

[BD231]

Originally posted by: Thegonagle

Originally posted by: notfred
Water makes things rust.

You're sure it's fuel injected? in 83? Did you go and check whether there's a carburator on it?

It's fuel injected if it's the 4 cylinder engine.

It's a V6, no carburator.

Wait maybe there is a carburator, I'm leaning towards yes.

 

[Thegonagle]

Originally posted by: desertdweller
If its an 83 model, its most likely carburated.

They make an additive that you can buy that is specifically
for getting water out of the fuel system. I don't remember
what its called off the top of my head, but I'd start with
some of that instead of octane booster.


DD

It's called ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL.

 

[Thegonagle]

Originally posted by: BD231

Originally posted by: Thegonagle

Originally posted by: notfred
Water makes things rust.

You're sure it's fuel injected? in 83? Did you go and check whether there's a carburator on it?

It's fuel injected if it's the 4 cylinder engine.

It's a V6, no carburator.

Yo, I wasn't sure about the V6. I just knew for sure about the 4.

GM was into the fuel-injection early on, because it's simpler, cheaper, and theoretically more reliable than the emissions-controlled feedback carburetors of their day.

 

[Ladies Man]

Originally posted by: Thegonagle

Originally posted by: desertdweller
If its an 83 model, its most likely carburated.

They make an additive that you can buy that is specifically
for getting water out of the fuel system. I don't remember
what its called off the top of my head, but I'd start with
some of that instead of octane booster.


DD

It's called ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL.

Someone's car is going to be on fire very soon i think