Significant Power Loss, never seen anything like it. Ideas?
 

Having an interesting issue with an 89 S5 GXL. Searched, and I've never encountered anything like this before.

Details on the car: Bone stock, 171k, makes good compression, new air filter, new plugs, new wires, new v-belts, oil changes every 3000km w/ non-synthetic, factory omp functioning, tps just reset.

The car, as of a couple mornings ago just lost all traces of power. It's GUTLESS righ tnow. Revs extremely slowly, has great difficulty climbing to WILL NOT go past 6k RPM. If I go to WOT it actually loses power and bogs out, but doesn't feel or sound rich. No smoke, no exhaust pops or backfiring.

The car was flooded a few days ago and upon getting it unflooded a friend said he saw pieces of hot cat flying out the tailpipe, I think one of the precats just hollowed itself out. Not sure if this would be enough to perhaps clog the main cat, resulting in this power loss? Or something else altogether? Ideas?

I was thinking to tell you to check the tps , until I read the end of your thread. I think you answered you own question. Check the cats, and let use know if that was the issue.

It cant breath!

check ecu codes just in case

all clear.

yeah, i think i shall do that.

Sounds exactly like my car felt when I unplugged the leading coil and forgot to reconnect it. The engine ran very smoothly at half it's normal power...

Hmmm, just got a whole lot worse. Engine barely revs to 3k now and has a hell of a time getting there at anything except about 25% throttle. Have to literally let it creep up in RPMs, if I open the throttle any more it bogs. Try to go above 3k it bogs. Idle is rough and struggling with foot on the brake and perfectly smooth when off the brake (yet a LOT quieter than usual), but the alternator is still putting out a constant 13.5-14v so it's not that... grrrr....

clogged cat I'm betting.

^^^I'm with him on this one. It happened to me once, I couldn't get above 55 on the interstate. It sucked. The more I read the more it sounds like a clogged cat.





James




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I would say aux ports and VDI, but now that it's not doing anything at all I'd check the cat and ignition...

had a bum AFM do that to me once also

Sounds like when my cats plugged up.
Power loss was enormous, i was quite surprised how big a difference the exaust could make.

Does the exaust sound different at all?
Does it force exaust out the mufflers like normal? When mine died i could start it up and while warming up at 3k rpm the exaust was just floating out and up. Now its healthy and forces it out and well away from the car.

If they are clogged you can gut that bitch out for no money easily.
Dont rev it hard untill you do fix it. Gas mileage will be terrible and excess backpressure could cause you more prblems (possibly).

pull off the cats inspect all of them....

now are you positive it has good compression?? did u test it after this problem arised? just because u had good compression a week before this happend doesnt mean something didnt go wrong since then....

Definatly sounds like the cats. I had a jeep once and was driving around and heard an explosion and suddenly massive loss of power. Never seen a v8 barely able to make it up a tiny hill. Pulled off the cat and sure enough a very large portion of the honeycomb had exploded and landed sideways blocking all the exhaust. Took it out and now it sets off car alarms about a block away. (this was in washington. No emissions testing)

You're all correct. It was the #1 pre-cat. COMPLETELY clogged.

I need a downpipe (manifold to cat), anyone got one?

if precat 1 is totallly fubared, just take a large screw driver or pry bar and a hammer and punch out all the insides,

Mom and pop muffler shop could prolly fab one for about $50 depending on where you are in the world. Don't expect anything fancy tho - just down and dirty get it down! ~rich

gut it for now and just buy a nice RB downpipe

yup, its the cat if ur friend saw some of it flying out the back. same thing happened to my integra, it wouldnt accelerate above 5k, just sounded like i had a ricer intake reving. the cat is probably clogging ur mufflers so you prolly wanna check that out.