Running rougher and rougher...
 

Last week it was just running really slow all through the rev range..no rough spots or flat spots, just runnin really slow...now however it's running even worse, but it sounds like it's suckin air...really loud...
It's only doing it on acceleration and maintaining speed, I can't hear it at idle, and when I'm movin down the road,if I let off the accelerater,the rpm's stay up but the air sucking sound goes away...I've already visually went over the engine and can't see anything,broke,busted or disconnected...

Anyone feel up to maybe helpin me out? I really miss the way my car was runnin :(

*shaking my head at myself muttering...what an idiot*

It's an 88 se and as far as I know..completely stock...

RETed suggested last time Iposted that my cat may have failed...how in the heck do I check that?

if I'm being to vague, just ask me anything specific, I'm really not sure what or where i should be looking for/at to fixx my car...

if a cat fails, you might notice a sulfur smell after you shut off the car. That's if it's clogged. If it has a hole in it, you'll hear a loud exhaust sound that changs with RPM. Sounds like you probably have an intake leak though. Check the whole intake tract, try bending the rubber hoses (SLIGHTLY so you don't break them) with the car running and seeing if there's any change. If there is, it's probably leaking from that hose, and it needs replaced. If you can, try to track down where the "sucking" is coming from by starting the car, then getting underhood and pulling the throttle cable a little bit. That might give you a clue of where the leak is. Good luck tracking it down, but it does sound like a "simple" (but hard to find) vaccum leak.

I spent a little while under the hood doing exactly what you suggested...I can't located the sir sucking sound because with my head in the engine compartment it is so loud i can't pin point it..it sounds like it is coming from everywhere all at once :(...
I will try to move vacuum hoses around though...god i hope it something that 'easy'...

and there is no sulphur smell or loud exhaust note that changes with rpm...just the loud air sucking sound....

sure someone didn't slap a turbo on and you hear the compressor spinning :D Sounds like you're on the right track, and if all else fails, spray carb cleaner on suspect areas and see if it bubbles and/or changes the way it's running. good luck

*grabbing the carb cleaner*..Forgot about that trick....I'll let you know how it goes...

and i just checked again...damn it..nope..no clandestine anonymous turbo install...maybe next time :)

ok...I soaked the motor down with carb cleaner..and the end result...my engine is cleaner but I found no signs of any vacumm leaks...i also moved every hose i could my fingers on and the same result..i still haven't found anything broken....BUT!....

I'm gonna try and post a pic of something interesting I did find...the piece circled in red is attached to passenger side of the motor..it sits just above what I am assuming is just the heatshield on the exhaust..the little plunger thing in the top moves in and out when I rev the motor..the loud air sucking noise is in total conjuncture with the little plunger thingie..now for the hard questions...

What the hell is it?...Is it responsible for making my beloved car run and sound like a steam driven air compressor circa 1890's?...And if it is responsible, How do I fixx it?

Anyone?

Help?


Please?

That plunger jobber is the rear aux port actuator. Looks a bit different than on my 86/87 cars though. Should suck into the actuator when at high revs. That means its working. You should have a front one also. Does it suck in also. Should.

fuel filter clogged?
how many miles are on the car?
my car had a rag in the intake for 5 years (was sold to me like that). check the intake tubing and filter

Fuel filter is definetly not clogged...flooding out a lot...ALOT...I've been all through the intake stuff...right now none the intake is completly off up to the butterfly valves...

Start the car and feel the exhaust pressure coming out of the tailpipe. Have a friend rev the motor and see if there is an apparent increase in flow out of the pipe. If not, you probably want to take off the cats and visually check that they are ok. Or you might want to do it anyway, just to make sure. Buy some gaskets and stainless bolts/nuts/washersto reassemble everything, though.
I started loosing power one day and by the end of the next day, it would hardly accelerate or go above 40 mph.
Took off my cat and checked it. The catalyst itself wasn't clogged, it had actually shattered and the chunks plugged the rear outlet.