Fuel problem.

First let me say I am not good at car repair. If I try to fix something, I
usually end of causing more damage. I took an aptitude test when I was 20,
and looking for a job and the results stated that I should not take any job
that required a mechanical apptitude. Knowing that, I normally take my car
to the local Pontiac Dealer to get work done.

I have an 88 GT that I bought new. I had it repainted two years ago. In
December, the "service needed soon" red light came on. I took it to the
dealer and they hooked the computer upand got an intermitent low fuel
signal. They wern't sure what was causing the problem. I did notice that
the exaust noise no longer had the low rumbling sound. It was higher
pitched. A month later I experienced a loss of power going up a long medium
incline hill. The car started to buck and I ended up putting it in low gear
and flooring the gas pedel until I got up to the top of the hill. I let off
the gas and waited at a stop light. When the signal changed I started up
again and everything was okay. It was below zero that day, so I bought some
Heet to thow in the gas tank, thinking I might have some water in the gas.

Yesterday I drove about twenty-five miles to watch a grand daughter play
indoor softball. I noticed an intermitent loss of power again, but this
time it was on a flat road. If I quit giving it gas and coast for a ways it
would get better. I mentioned the problem to my son, who is the head
mechanic at Crooked Stick Golf Golf Course near Indianapolis (Where John
Daley won his first PGA tournement). We tossed around some of the usual
things, gas filter and fuel pump

Later we went for Pizza and they followed me. We ate and went our separate
ways. Shortly after I got home, he called and mentioned that when they were
following me they noticed a foul order. It got him to thinking that it may
be the catalytic converter and that the symptoms with the smell made that a
possiblity. With just under 80,000 miles on the car I feel that I should
get that replaced. He suggested I take it to a reputable muffler shop (Not
a franchise shop) rather than to the dealer because the cost at the dealer
would be pretty high. I am at the point that I just want my fun to drive
Fiero back.

Has anyone else had their catalytic converter replaced? If you had someone
else replace it what was your experience? Cost? Longivity of the replacement
converter? I have herd others say that they get better life on the GM
replacement parts then other aftermarket parts. Although, even the dealer
is having to get my replacement parts out of the junkyard.

Regards;

Don Bjortomt
Huntington IN

First things first.

If you had the gauge, you could check the fuel pressure, and should. If you
don't want to do that yourself, and do want to try to fix it yourself, then
I'd start by replacing the fuel filter. Your symptoms sound like a fuel
blockage problem to me. The filter is easy to replace, you need just a
couple of wrenches. It's located on the firewall down low on the passenger
side midway between the cutout for the fuel tank and the frame rail, more or
less. A small silver can with a line running in one side and out the other.

If you don't want to do that yourself, take it to wherever you get your oil
changed and have them change the fuel filter when they change the oil. It
should take them about 10 minutes extra, tops.

If that doesn't fix it, then you might want to look at the catalytic
converter OR the fuel pump. The fuel pump is in the tank and if you have a
fuel pressure problem (there's that pesky gauge needed again) with a fresh
filter, then it's probably the pump. The pump is located inside the tank
and an aftermarket pump costs about $100, give or take. It will be a lot
more than that with installation since the tank needs to come out. I can
drop a tank and replace a pump on my lift in my shop in about 30 minutes or
less, but I've done a bunch of them. Figure at least an hour or an hour and
a half at a local shop. I will say that my luck with aftermarket pumps has
not been very good and I use AC/Delco pumps only now, even though they cost
twice as much.

If you need the converter replaced, and the best way to check THAT is with
another pressure gauge that screw in place of the O2 sensor and measures
exhaust back pressure, then I'd suggest getting the one from Rodney Dickman.
Go to http://www.rodneydickman.com/retail_new.html and click on the tab for
engines. He sells a very nice hi flow converter that he has the proper ends
welded on for a clamp on fit. Take the car to a muffler shop, have them cut
out the old converter and put the new one in. Should be fairly inexpensive
for a muffler shop to do and the converter from Rodney will cost you about
$120 with shipping. The converters Rodney sells are stainless, including
the extensions, and will last you a very long time. Rodney sells good
stuff.

Good luck.

John Stricker
"Don Bjortomt" <bjortomtSpamStopper.RemoveThis@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:j4ydncSuB76cRjjanZ2dnUVZ_rSrnZ2d@comcast.com...
> First let me say I am not good at car repair. If I try to fix something,
> I usually end of causing more damage. I took an aptitude test when I was
> 20, and looking for a job and the results stated that I should not take
> any job that required a mechanical apptitude. Knowing that, I normally
> take my car to the local Pontiac Dealer to get work done.
>
> I have an 88 GT that I bought new. I had it repainted two years ago. In
> December, the "service needed soon" red light came on. I took it to the
> dealer and they hooked the computer upand got an intermitent low fuel
> signal. They wern't sure what was causing the problem. I did notice that
> the exaust noise no longer had the low rumbling sound. It was higher
> pitched. A month later I experienced a loss of power going up a long
> medium incline hill. The car started to buck and I ended up putting it in
> low gear and flooring the gas pedel until I got up to the top of the hill.
> I let off the gas and waited at a stop light. When the signal changed I
> started up again and everything was okay. It was below zero that day, so
> I bought some Heet to thow in the gas tank, thinking I might have some
> water in the gas.
>
> Yesterday I drove about twenty-five miles to watch a grand daughter play
> indoor softball. I noticed an intermitent loss of power again, but this
> time it was on a flat road. If I quit giving it gas and coast for a ways
> it would get better. I mentioned the problem to my son, who is the head
> mechanic at Crooked Stick Golf Golf Course near Indianapolis (Where John
> Daley won his first PGA tournement). We tossed around some of the usual
> things, gas filter and fuel pump
>
> Later we went for Pizza and they followed me. We ate and went our
> separate ways. Shortly after I got home, he called and mentioned that when
> they were following me they noticed a foul order. It got him to thinking
> that it may be the catalytic converter and that the symptoms with the
> smell made that a possiblity. With just under 80,000 miles on the car I
> feel that I should get that replaced. He suggested I take it to a
> reputable muffler shop (Not a franchise shop) rather than to the dealer
> because the cost at the dealer would be pretty high. I am at the point
> that I just want my fun to drive Fiero back.
>
> Has anyone else had their catalytic converter replaced? If you had
> someone else replace it what was your experience? Cost? Longivity of the
> replacement converter? I have herd others say that they get better life
> on the GM replacement parts then other aftermarket parts. Although, even
> the dealer is having to get my replacement parts out of the junkyard.
>
> Regards;
>
> Don Bjortomt
> Huntington IN
>