Hey everybody, I was just wondering if yall could help me out. For about year now my 87 GN would start sputtering and not wanting to go and would get worse until I replaced my spark plugs and after I replaced them it would run for about a month or two but it's gotten so bad I'm replacing my spark plugs every 3-4 weeks or less to keep it running good but the last two times I replaced my spark plugs within 2 1/2 weeks from each other and it still sputters. But it will sit there and idle forever. I'm just not sure what would cause this?
PLEASE help! Sputtering
- Thread starter harlie
- Start date
Ok I recently had a problem where mine would sputter and misfire at low rpm/part throttle only and only when cold. Replaced all vacuum lines, plugs and wires....still had the problem. Finally it threw a cam sensor code. Car would restart but it would back fire and sputter and miss but would idle mostly ok. Had the hood open when it was idling bad and just went to move the cam sensor connector and the engine smoothed right out and the problem has never returned! All I can figure is there was a bad connection in the connector. I have owned my car since it was new in '87 and never had any issues like this. I took the connector apart and couldn't see any problems. The sputtering problem was consistent too and it was getting worse. It sounds hokey but it has never come back since I touched the cam sensor connector!
Gotcha that's gotta suck! my dad had one when they first came out but due to circumstances had to sell and finally bought this one about 10 years ago and he gave it to me last year! I love it so much! But it's got quite a few problems but I'm hoping after this it will run good for a while! And I might see if it's the cam sensor and if not I'll just go ahead and replace all the vacuum lines and see if that fixes it. Thanks for the help!
- Joined
- May 26, 2001
What spark plugs are you using?
John Larkin
Sublime Master of Turbology
- Joined
- May 25, 2001
What do the spark plugs look like when you remove them? Can you take a photo of the fouled ones?
m3x1c0
Bad luck Buick
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2014
depending on how white sounds like its running lean. If more brown but your getting oil on the ring you have oil control issues. Start small by looking at PCV system before looking into the rings/ valve seals. Have you done a compression test? Very easy to do and will tell you a lot about the health of the engine.
m3x1c0
Bad luck Buick
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2014
Rent a gauge from your parts store and watch a couple youtube vids. The key is making sure you disable spark and fuel. When I do it I pull the ignition fuse to disable spark. You can hold the gas pedal to the floor I think to disable fuel but I use a different method since I have a different fuel system than stock. Its easy and costs nothing! Definitely let us see those plugs asap though!
This is a picture of one of the recent spark plugs I replaced. It has a little more junk on it then when I first pulled it out because it's been in my toolbox.
And it's not a putt putt kind of sputtering it like shakes back and forth as if it doesn't wanna go I don't know if that will help anymore. I just want it running good again! Thank yall for all the great advice and tips!
And it's not a putt putt kind of sputtering it like shakes back and forth as if it doesn't wanna go I don't know if that will help anymore. I just want it running good again! Thank yall for all the great advice and tips!
Attachments
This is the E3 spark plug I had in it. I replaced these after just two weeks
And just my luck.. It's the only car I own so I drive it to work and I just got gas and went to leave and it died in the middle of the street then wouldn't start! I'm pretty sure it's the starter again because it's making the same really fast click type noise..
And just my luck.. It's the only car I own so I drive it to work and I just got gas and went to leave and it died in the middle of the street then wouldn't start! I'm pretty sure it's the starter again because it's making the same really fast click type noise..
Attachments
Last edited:
