Car Starts, idles, coughs/sputters/no power

[SavageATL]

Ok. I have an '87 GN, stock except for a Poston's chip, and it has an alarm and a Ravelco anti-theft device.

The car starts fine. It idles fine. When I push the throttle, especially uphill, it sputters, runs roughly (like it's dieseling) and coughs and tries to die. It has no power and I can't get it to go anywhere.
After a great deal of effort (those tabs pull off of the coil pack! And so do the connectors that go onto the coil pack) I replaced the coil pack saturday.

No better. Could it be the fuel pump? What should I do?

 

[SS/GNX]

Check the spark on each cylinder. Pull one plug at a time, hook up to spark plug wire, rest against block for ground and see if you have spark, repeat for all cylinders. Then you rule out ignition.

Do you have a fuel pressure gauge? If not, go pick one up, they are cheap and a necessity. Put it in, and check Fuel pressure.

my 2 cents.

 

[hrhoward]

Do you have a fuel pressure gauge? If not, go pick one up, they are cheap and a necessity. Put it in, and check Fuel pressure.
my 2 cents.

If you rule out spark, you also might try replacing the fuel filter. But I would still get the guage.

 

[GullsGN]

Stock MAF? Give it a good tap with a screwdriver with the car running. If it stumbles replace it.

 

[ESP Products]

The MAF sensor is a good start. The problems you are describing sound exactly like a MAF. Changing the Fuel filter can't hurt. If you have a fuel gauge, you should see it drop if you have a fuel problem. 9 times out of 10, the MAF is the culprit, by your description.

Hope this helps you.

 

[SavageATL]

Ok. Can anyone fedex me one by tomorrow?

 

[hrhoward]

If money and time are available, you might want to consider a MAF translator set-up. Stock MAF's are getting rather pricey.

 

[SavageATL]

Y'all don't think it could be the fuel pump? Because it is much worse when the car is pointing even slightly uphill and the car won't go at all.

 

[GullsGN]

Did you do the tap test???? Going uphill puts more of a load on the engine and this is when a MAF needs to work.

 

[ESP Products]

Y'all don't think it could be the fuel pump? Because it is much worse when the car is pointing even slightly uphill and the car won't go at all.

Fuel Pressure test. If the pump is weak, your pressure will be low. if your filter is clogged, your pressure will be low. "...when the car is pointing even slightly uphill..." you are in a load condition and the bad MAF will act as you described.

Hope this helps you.

 

[TurboDave]

Y'all don't think it could be the fuel pump? Because it is much worse when the car is pointing even slightly uphill and the car won't go at all.

Your symptoms are classic of a MAF failure.

 

[SS/GNX]

Ok. Can anyone fedex me one by tomorrow?

Where do you live, maybe somebody local can let you borrow theirs for a quick test, then you know if you need one or not.

BW Jones on this board has a stock MAF sensor if you end up needing one.