Pls help me diagnose a problem with wife's Regal

[blackbuick87]

1996 Regal with 3100 SFI engine

Runs fine in the morning on her way to work, when she goes to leave she hears a noise and smoke comes out from under the hood.
I get there and try to start it and it fires right up, backfires and dies. I start it again, it fires immediately, but wont idle. It surges and sputters. I manage to get it in gear and nurse it home, depsite the fact that it also has no power brakes. I really dont understand that part, the brakes. After two pumps (the vacuum reserve) the brake pedal was hard, and would not recharge.

Anyways I have no SES light mad and it runs fine at WOT. I am thinking stuck EGR, but that doesnt explain the brakes.

Help!

 

[bandwidthpolice]

Cracked vacuum line is my guess, possibly to the fuel pressure regulator. The backfire is the reason for my guess.

 

[blackbuick87]

It would have to be a fissure to make the car run this bad

 

[bandwidthpolice]

Only reason I say this is a lady's car died in front of our house last week. Her husband showed up a few minutes later and I went out to help. Her FP regulator line was toast and the car would start and die. It could be limped a bit but it sounds very similar to your situation. Once he replaced the hose (from my stash), it was fine.

 

[pat83t]

My wifes Toronado did the same thing when she took it to wal~mart mad: ) to have it serviced. I went over to check it out and they had knocked the vacuum line to the booster off. Hooked it back up and no problems. Problem with hers is that fact that the tranny dipstick is right next to this line.

 

[blackbuick87]

Thanks for the help guys, you were right. I didnt see it in the dark last night but the vacuum hose from the manifold to the booster was knocked off. Runs fine now.

Thanks