Took my car out for a spin tonight, and I did one very quick small pull as I pulled into the parking lot where my friend was I went to rev the engine a little bit, just blip the throttle and my exhaust didn't sound right. So I pulled through and started to drive it home, the car has like half the power it used it like it pulls in lower rpm's but once I start to hit higher rpms it loses it get up, I am really worried I blew an apex seal. I will say that I hit a pretty big bump/pothole right before this all started happening, but can anyone confirm or deny my biggest fear from this description? Like it says in the title I am on the verge of tears right now because of this because my car is my baby, not only that but I need it to get to school but need my money to pay for school.

 

so kinda 1st gen you got carb or FI
have you tried pulling the plugs, diconnecting the fuel pump and turning over the car on both the front and rear housing to see if you have 3 strong puffs sounds from each.
could be cap and rotor , fuel , another spark issue, plug wires could have come loose,

 

Haven't tried that yet as it is 3 in the morning, but will definitely do that tomorrow. I have a carb'd 1st gen, I am really hoping it is something else because it happened so suddenly and that bump which shook the car enough to shut off my stereo happened right before.

 

Big bump could have shaken something loose. Check all of your plug wires also. It could be as simple as a loose one.

 

That's the first thing that happened to me when I went for a long drive then ran over rough railroad tracks. I didn't know jack about the car, so I just took it to a shop and it was something in the carb that got clogged. Maybe one of the jets? I just remember it had to be disassembled and waited a day for the shop to get new gaskets.

A blown rotor would be the car dying after start up and not wanting to idle without giving it some gas. Then if you floored the accelerator it wouldn't go pass 4000 rpm and your top speed would be about 50 mph with pedal to the metal.

 

Does your car still have a catalytic converter? Maybe it's clogged? Not sure if hitting a big pothole would jar something loose, but when you said the exhaust didn't sound right and you couldn't get anything out of the higher rpm's....that was my first thought. Also check the usual suspects....fuel filter (perhaps your bump jarred some crud loose in the gas tank....pretty easy fix), plugs, wires, cap, rotor...
Good luck

 

A failed apex seal will seriously disrupt your idle & low end, as well as high-end - - think of it like a V6 with two bad valves. A failed apex costs you 2 of your 6 working chambers.

So I think you can probably relax in that regard.

 

I'd check the exhaust first - sould like a classic broken cat. As patmac stated this was my first thought. Normal low end power and bad top end power is a typical sign the cats are clogged or the exhaust pipe might be crushed.

Then check plug/wires - a coil could have gotten disconnected with that kind of jolt.

 

+1 more for checking plug wires.

If your on the stock exhaust the cat idea is a good one as well.

 

Rather than making guesses, just start with the basics:

1. Verify that you have spark on all plugs.
2. While the plugs are out, perform the "ghetto compression test" (if you aren't familiar with this, then search using that terminology).
3. Visually check for loose or burnt wiring. The big bump might have either knocked something loose, or caused something to come into contact with something it shouldn't have. Is your battery firmly mounted?
4. Check the condition of the cap/rotor to make sure it didn't get knocked loose.
5. Check the level of fuel in the float bowls (front and rear). They should be at the halfway mark.

Those are most of the simple things to check, and the answers to those questions will greatly cut down on the time spend troubleshooting. Post back with answers to as many of those items as you can.

And most of all, MAKE NO ASSUMPTIONS! When I say to visually confirm that you have spark on all plugs, then do that. Nothing is worse than trying to help somebody, only to have them come back and say "I'm sure that's not the problem".

Anyway, answer those questions and we'll be 90% of the way to getting your car back in order. Good luck.




.

 

Alright thanks for all the tips guys, about to go out and start searching for the issue. Yesterday just couldn't have gotten much worse, found out my aunt has lung cancer, then I take my baby out just to have this happen, oh well I guess that's all part of life.

 

How does the car idle?

 

Car idles fine, it's just really quiet when I accelerate and doesn't have as much get up and go.

 

Don't sweat it man, this is nothing serious. Just start working through that list I gave you, and we'll find out exactly what is wrong.

 

It's not the engine then. You probably have an electrical issue or it could even be a carb problem. Check and make sure you are getting spark and then if you are go to the carb.

 

Man this has clogged exhaust written all over it.

 

If you have a 12a (cant tell from your post or profile), factory rats nest, emissions box, and shutter valve, then check the shutter valve to make sure it is not stuck closed (blocking fuel to rear rotor).

Actually there is a stinking little fuse (2A ?) next to the drivers knee that is near the little emissions box that controls the shutter valve and when it fails, you only get fuel to the front rotor rotor! Ask me how I know, thought i blew my motor. Hopefully it is just that... And let there be no more tears!


Scott

 

@Scott: is it the left knee or the right knee? is it in the fusebox? I'm having the same problem, but none of my fuses in the fusebox are blown, and my shutter isn't stuck open. :-/

Edit: I also have gutted my cat for the time being. it was super-clogged, and the car definitely ran better after I did so. Just wanted to throw that out there.

 

Does your shutter work? Should close upon release of throttle (at RPM) if I remember correctly then opens up at idle - mine would stay shut at all times when the fuse went and thus felt like running on 1 rotor - cause I was.

It is in a separate fuse holder (inline type fuse - round cylinder - white or red) near the emissions module off the left knee. But it only fixes the specific symptom I described.

 

Looks like they might be stuck. . .they didn't move when I had my friend feather the throttle and I was looking down into the carb. . but I replaced a few vacuum lines that weren't looking too hot, backfired, and blew my muffler apart!!