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**PCGUY112887** · 07-26-2007, 01:58 PM

Floor it in park? Ouch... It hits 4k because that is the rev limiter in park so you don't damage it, otherwise you would damage it. I would not suggest doing that. It bounces because the the cars computer is forcing it to drop back down, and when you hold on the gas it goes right back up, goes down again, etc.

Chances are the lower intake gasket is leaking, like every one of these engines do. After 10 months of leaking your engine may be well on it's way out. Coolant goes into the oil, turning it into a milkshake... and that is no good for bearings or anything. What does your oil look like?

A ticking sound... it is very normal for these engines, happens to almost every one of them. However usually typically happens more when it's cold. Regardless it could be lifters (lifter tick). Can you get a sound clip/video?

As far as it barely moving, could be a ton of things... problems described above plus need of maintenance... if a car is running like poo the worst thing you can do is floor it to get around, you will just damage something more.

**skooterbum** · 07-26-2007, 02:20 PM

Originally posted by PCGUY112887 View Post

Floor it in park? Ouch... It hits 4k because that is the rev limiter in park so you don't damage it, otherwise you would damage it. I would not suggest doing that. It bounces because the the cars computer is forcing it to drop back down, and when you hold on the gas it goes right back up, goes down again, etc.

Chances are the lower intake gasket is leaking, like every one of these engines do. After 10 months of leaking your engine may be well on it's way out. Coolant goes into the oil, turning it into a milkshake... and that is no good for bearings or anything. What does your oil look like?

A ticking sound... it is very normal for these engines, happens to almost every one of them. However usually typically happens more when it's cold. Regardless it could be lifters (lifter tick). Can you get a sound clip/video?

As far as it barely moving, could be a ton of things... problems described above plus need of maintenance... if a car is running like poo the worst thing you can do is floor it to get around, you will just damage something more.

thanks for the reply PCGUY. the oil is fine, no cross contamination at all. the coolant is fine. the intake gasket was changed 15 months ago. by the guy that i bought the car from. it had a lot of oil in the coolant system from that deal. dont think there was any coolant in the oil then but not sure since i didnt have the car then. i agree with the flooring it will only add insult to injury but the funny thing is, this happens more often than not, this morn i started the car it idles rough and sounds like lifters chattering / rattling, i pull onto street and it will barely pull itself so i floor it to get going. i hit a couple red lights so i got to slow down but after 2 or 3 times doing this it starts running great. its like flipping a light switch. no noise at all, no miss, no hesitation. i have had cars in the past that had lifter problems and the noise and bad performance never went away like this car does. i am really wondering if the injectors or a sensor or something else along those lines could be causing this. or do i need to accept the fact that i will be tearing the whole top end off this thing ??

**Backroad Racer** · 07-28-2007, 07:34 AM

Could be several things.
Most likely a coil pack going bad. When the spark is weak in 2 cyl. it sounds like you describe.
Also with it "springing to life" like it did suggests a bad coil "acting good".

**skooterbum** · 07-28-2007, 11:16 AM

Originally posted by Backroad Racer View Post

Could be several things.
Most likely a coil pack going bad. When the spark is weak in 2 cyl. it sounds like you describe.
Also with it "springing to life" like it did suggests a bad coil "acting good".

are the coil packs that you are talking about the things that the plug wires go to on the firewall side of the engine ?? i am mechanicaly inclined although it may not seem that way with this question. i am not familiar with the "new stuff" !!. i want my points and carburator back !!
thanks
ron

**Joseph Upson** · 07-28-2007, 11:38 AM

my 3100 rattles like crazy and it's the piston problem GM had causing it. I don't have a knock sensor on my car but you do. If it is the piston slap issue and it's causing enough racket maybe you are getting knock retard, the noise from my engine is very loud on start up and audible inside and outside of the car but as the engine warms up it gets better. When I have had problems with ignition coils they didn't get better with driving time and fuel consumption increased considerably.

**Backroad Racer** · 07-28-2007, 05:35 PM

Originally posted by skooterbum View Post

are the coil packs that you are talking about the things that the plug wires go to on the firewall side of the engine ?? i am mechanicaly inclined although it may not seem that way with this question. i am not familiar with the "new stuff" !!. i want my points and carburator back !!
thanks
ron

I like distributers and carbs better too, well FI is nice but...

The plug wires run from the coil packs directly to the plugs, thus being dubbed "Direct Ignition"
The old school coils that you are familiar with usually work or dont, but the new fangled stuff has a tendancy to go bad a little at a time.
I have had/seen/heard of Delco Style coil packs cutting out today missing next week running fine next month and so on so on...
I had a car to throw just like yours is and every know it all in the country was telling me this sensor this and that sensor that...I was stumped...I was getting spark in all six cylinders and fuel also...mmm, I thought...I waited till night time and stuck a screwdriver in the front three plug wires and turned her over, clearly getting less spark in #4 compared to #2 and #6...
I put a new coil pack in and it ran great...most likely your problem, although as I said before it could be a multitude of things.

**tractorman** · 07-28-2007, 06:05 PM

You sound REALLY familiar, Skooter. Where are you located?

**skooterbum** · 07-29-2007, 01:34 AM

Originally posted by tractorman View Post

You sound REALLY familiar, Skooter. Where are you located?

hey guys thanks for all the replies !! tractorman i am from the corn state. i live in des moines iowa. been here most of my life. here is what has taken place with this car over the last few days. i have read through hours of posts and compared my symptoms to others and decided that i needed to change my plugs although i did that a little less than a year ago. it seems that these cars are paticular as to what plugs are in them so i went and got the cheapie ac plugs. it was due for an oil change too so i did that as well. when i was changing the plugs i was inspecting the wires and noticed that one of the wires was not right. the metal clip that hooks to the plug was pushed clear up into the boot so there was no way it was making contact with the plug. i am sure it was that way for quite a while. i got the needle nose pliers out and pulled the clip back so it now makes contact with the plug. i also put in a new air filter. so with new plugs, oil change, and air filter replaced this thing is running as good as it ever did. normal rattle at cold start that goes away quick. i still have the coolant leak, hoping its the LIG and not the head. not getting any cross contamination with fluids so thats good. i am really baffled that replacing those things got rid of the noise that this thing had ?? i am assuming that i was getting intermitent spark to the plug so that explains the on and off thing with the performance but what about the rattle / chatter noise that was there ?? anyways i want to thank everyone for there help and all forum members because reading the posts here got me back on the road again !!
thanks
ron

**tractorman** · 07-29-2007, 09:22 PM

Glad to hear that the problem is resolved. I'm also glad to hear that you're NOT from western Kansas... as I sold a '96 Olds to a guy there about 15 months ago.

**skooterbum** · 07-29-2007, 11:17 PM

Originally posted by tractorman View Post

Glad to hear that the problem is resolved. I'm also glad to hear that you're NOT from western Kansas... as I sold a '96 Olds to a guy there about 15 months ago.

i did buy the car from a guy that lives in western kansas !! LOL, just kidding

!! i like the car and have been very happy with it till it started running bad. now i know all about the problems with these engines and am thinking about selling it, maybe to someone in kansas

??

**PCGUY112887** · 07-29-2007, 11:38 PM

The coolant leak could still me the lower intake gasket. Mine started to leak externally (was running down the side of the block slowly) then a few months later it started to pour into the oil. Keep a close eye on the oil.

**skooterbum** · 07-30-2007, 12:06 AM

Originally posted by PCGUY112887 View Post

The coolant leak could still me the lower intake gasket. Mine started to leak externally (was running down the side of the block slowly) then a few months later it started to pour into the oil. Keep a close eye on the oil.

will keep an eye on it for sure. either going to fix it soon or sell it. can see the coolant running down the side of the block right by the head but cant see well enough to tell for sure if its intake or head. figures it would have to be on the firewall side of the engine !! thanks for the heads up pcguy i appreciate it.
ron

**tractorman** · 07-30-2007, 01:28 AM

Chances are very good that it's the intake gasket. You can try the GM stopleak tablets- I've seen them work wonders before. Not as a long-term fix... but that could get you by long enough to sell the car if you don't want (or cant afford) to fix the car.

Be careful driving around with a leak like that. If you overheat the engine, then you're in for even bigger problems.

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