My little Chevy is having some problems.
I'll start with the story, to make it easier to explain:
I haven't had the truck long, but it has demonstrated few problems. I was driving along, on a long trip(about 2.5 hours about 120 miles?) back to school from home, it has made this journey before, twice and when I was almost at my destination when I realized that my lane was ending. I had to accelerate and pass a semi (I didn't think to brake) which led my poor little 4 cylinder to about 80 mph or a little over, and shortly after overcoming the semi and changing lanes, we started up a hill. I noticed the spedometer dropping and I thought %26quot;What a steep hill this must be%26quot; -- until it hit 55 and kept dropping. I promptly pulled over and started freaking out. Long story short the Truck was towed a few miles. Point of interest: When the truck was deposited in the parking lot my friend came to check it out. It started immediately and he drove it around the parking lot. We turned it off, I started it and drove it to a parking lot closer to my dorm... no problems at all. (I had jiggled the spark plug wires at my friend's request, but they were too hot to really mess with. I recalled that when changing the plugs one sat a little loose, so I thought maybe by jiggling the wires I had somehow rectified the situation and dismissed it)
A few days pass, and I try driving it around, getting it closer to my dorm, one parking lot at a time (mostly just testing to see that it still works) - No problems at all.
A week after the first incident I decide to give it a better test, hoping to put my worries to rest. I drive about 5-10 miles and park it while I do a little shopping. I come back out about 30 minutes later and it starts up, I'm not worried at all. I start driving and get to a stop light as I emerge from a minor road. After a minute or so I feel the truck start that familiar pattern of uneasiness. Stuck there waiting for another minute the shaking gets steadily worse. By the time the light changes I have little power and make it only across the street before it's out. I milk the engine for a few more feet to get out of the line of traffic and at that point it has nothing left to give. I get out and attempt to mess with the spark plug wires, hoping, praying that that would help... No avail. The truck was towed back to the same parking lot (thank god I bought a AAA membership) and I left it.
I went back today to check it out, my dad hypothesized that the truck has a problem when it gets hot or reaches operating temperature. I started the truck, it started like normal. I gave it a few seconds and it continued to run smoothly. I opened the hood and listened, no abnormal sounds (not that my ear is very trained..) I drove it about half a mile to a better parking lot. It worked fine. What I didn't do was sit and wait for it to get hot. I regret that now but I'm already typing this, and that's something that will always be available upon request.
So yeah. The second incident was basically identical to the first. The truck starts normally, then runs poorly--shaking the whole truck. A few times it died, a few times I gave it a mercy kill because I just can't imagine letting it run like that being a good thing. I didn't try to accelerate all the times it stayed alive, but the few times I did it died as I let the clutch out.
A little additional info: (First a little basic stuff.. The truck's engine was rebuilt a while ago, that's all I know as there is no paperwork, but the transmission has been rebuilt and only has about 20k miles on it) the truck was lowered (improperly.. they just cut the springs and left them.. ugh) when I got it(It had only been so for about three years, during which there hadn't been much driving on it *Probably due to the discomfort*), we replaced the springs and shock absorbers, removed the blocks on the back, and reset it. It took bumps like brick walls, which I've heard is horrible for anything electrical, and experienced - my ac used to go on and off when i hit bumps.
I add that because my dad and a friend of mine suspect that it's something electrical. When I just checked it I looked at the wires coming from the distributor cap and going to the spark plugs to make sure they weren't burned or touching anything hot. They were all clipped pretty well and it looks like they're fine except one that missed a clip because it wouldn't have been able to reach that rests against the ac compressor(I think) but it didn't look like it had taken any damage.
I'm no mechanic, I know very little about cars other than what I've read and what I've deduced from my little time under the hood, so I'm asking you guys for some help to potentially save a poor college student the expenses of going to a mechanic.
A little lengthy, hopefully it won't scare anyone off.
Electrical problem causing misfire?
There is no such thing as too lengthy when describing symptomatics of vehicle failure. The more I have to go by, the less speculation that is in the logical conclusion.
You said a little chevy truck. I dont know about these other guys, but that should be enough for me. either a 2.8 or 4.3 is what that means, possibly a 3.1 if it is newer.
It seems by your explanation that you have a clogged catalytic convertor. This is how they behave, as when the exhaust system gets hot, the pieces blocking the pathway expand and come to restrict the passage of exhaust. If the exhaust cannot exit the motor, the engine will give that strange vibration as it is using and re using the exhaust gasses along with the little it can get of fuel because their is very limited outward flow. if it cannot exit, it cannot enter because there is too much pressure on the exhaust side. the vibration occurrs when the engine piston stroke tries to pump it in but there is no exit of combustion. Drive it to an exhaust shop and have them measure the input and output pipe temperatures from the cat. convtr. you can also get it idling till the engine is at operating temp, then have someone step on the gas as you have your hand over the tailpipe to feel the exhaust flow. if the flow does not increase greatly when it is revved up, and or if the exhaust is minimal, it is probably the catalytic convertor.
He means the spark module below my post. the electronic control module (ECM) is the computer located passenger under dash or passenger kick panel
Still think it's the cat. esp w/ those miles.
NOTE: The loss of power while running denounces an electrical fault, which is sudden dead stop with the exception of weak coils which would make cold stats very difficult. This is not the case.
Your vehicle does not have an electrical problem. Catalytic Convertors especially on a GM TBI engine clogg quickly, like 100 grand and it's clogged. Go to the exhaust shop and you will see for sure.. The song you sang says it's the cat.
Electrical problem causing misfire?
Blah blah blah.How about a year, make , model,
It's very difficult to say what is wrong from your description. It does sound as though there is something being effected by heat.
Does this thing have any gauges? temperature, oil pressure, tachometer, voltage? Knowing the status of some of those things can be helpful.
I'm suspecting a fuel pump, ignition problem (a coil, wires, or module), or even an overheat. Debris in the fuel tank can cause this. There's a number of things that could be wrong. You'll have to do a little more detective work.
What sort of shaking? This happens only while moving?
Make, model, and what it does or doesn't do is what you need to ask about. It doesn't matter where or why you were going.
If only you had told us what it was, besides my little Chevy. From the info. available I would suspect the cat. converter and maybe some other things. Not knowing the year model can't even guess as don't know if obd1 or obd2. You should have a check engine light on, if you have one
misfire is from....
improper timing, spark plug wires in wrong position, distrubitor plugged wrong, valve timing wrong. do an overhaul, redo the whole process, starting from easy(spark plug wires) then to the timing. hard to say man, its better if someone was to look at it.
I'm not a professional mechanic but I have worked in a couple of garages. It sounds like you have a bad electronic control module. It is located in the distributor. Take the cap off, then the rotor button. You shuold be able to see it, kind of looks like a stretched out U. There should only be to screws holding it in. There are also two plugs, one on each end, you can unplug these either before or after you take it out. You might have to wiggle it a little to get out. AutoZone or Advance will test this unit for free to make sure it is bad. Hopefully this helps.
