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Car Sputters/Engine Noise
I have a 99 Camaro 3800, 5 speed, that had a somewhat upper engine rebuild in Aug. '09. New Comp Cams Camshaft 76-800-9 (110.0 Lobe Separation), Comp Cams Valve Springs, Comp Cams Lifters (OE style). Only Royal Purple and Shell middle grade gas has been run in it since rebuild. I often run Lucas fuel injector cleaner every couple fill ups. Around 12,000 well taken care of miles have been put on it since.
Lately, with daily driving, it's has had an occasional sputter here and there. I noticed it when it had been raining or is raining. I changed out the air filter with K&N, which came with a new gasket for it. It seemed to of cleared up the sputter in the rain. But more and more often, it still had a sputter or a slightly rough take off, then be fine. But then some days Id be going highway speeds and need to speed up, it acted like it struggled at first, then be on it's way. Yesterday, it did it with almost every take off. I couldnt take off hard if I wanted to. It was sputter and buck at take off, then be alright. I was almost home, driving on my curvy back road I live on, and had to slow down very fast. I put it in second to get around a stalled vehicle. When I did, all it did was sputter and have no power. I coasted the rest of the way home. Once home, I got out to listen to it. First, I noticed a burning smell (reminded me of when a vacuum cleaner's belts burn up), I could hear the sputter in the exhaust. The motor had some noise as well. Sounded like a ticking maybe. My husband came out to look at it. He claimed it sounded fine (I swear he's deaf sometimes!). I had him get in and I tried to back out the driveway. The car had absolutly no power and about died. The ticking got louder and sputter worse. He seems to think it's a lifter gone bad because the rockers and push rods are stock. Or possibly a fuel injector gone bad, since afterall, it had the occasional sputter every so often. There are no engine lights on and gauges are all normal.
Someone told my husband that it could have a clogged Catyletic converter. But mine was replaced with MagnaFlow High-Flow as of 7/08 with resistor sensor overriding O2 sensor. Three years ago the cat clogged. When it did, I was driving it. Only thing it did was not go anywhere. I had to keep downshifting, thinking it just had no power. No engine light was on. Motor and exhaust (being stock at the time) sounded normal.
Does anyone have any ideas what it could be?? I don't have the money today to fix it, but will shortly... I really dont want to drive it anywhere to get it looked at, it's unsafe and could damage the motor. Will have to be towed. Thank You so much for any info anyone could have!! :-) Give me a call at 859-445-7975. Thanks Again! -Tonya
Lately, with daily driving, it's has had an occasional sputter here and there. I noticed it when it had been raining or is raining. I changed out the air filter with K&N, which came with a new gasket for it. It seemed to of cleared up the sputter in the rain. But more and more often, it still had a sputter or a slightly rough take off, then be fine. But then some days Id be going highway speeds and need to speed up, it acted like it struggled at first, then be on it's way. Yesterday, it did it with almost every take off. I couldnt take off hard if I wanted to. It was sputter and buck at take off, then be alright. I was almost home, driving on my curvy back road I live on, and had to slow down very fast. I put it in second to get around a stalled vehicle. When I did, all it did was sputter and have no power. I coasted the rest of the way home. Once home, I got out to listen to it. First, I noticed a burning smell (reminded me of when a vacuum cleaner's belts burn up), I could hear the sputter in the exhaust. The motor had some noise as well. Sounded like a ticking maybe. My husband came out to look at it. He claimed it sounded fine (I swear he's deaf sometimes!). I had him get in and I tried to back out the driveway. The car had absolutly no power and about died. The ticking got louder and sputter worse. He seems to think it's a lifter gone bad because the rockers and push rods are stock. Or possibly a fuel injector gone bad, since afterall, it had the occasional sputter every so often. There are no engine lights on and gauges are all normal.
Someone told my husband that it could have a clogged Catyletic converter. But mine was replaced with MagnaFlow High-Flow as of 7/08 with resistor sensor overriding O2 sensor. Three years ago the cat clogged. When it did, I was driving it. Only thing it did was not go anywhere. I had to keep downshifting, thinking it just had no power. No engine light was on. Motor and exhaust (being stock at the time) sounded normal.
Does anyone have any ideas what it could be?? I don't have the money today to fix it, but will shortly... I really dont want to drive it anywhere to get it looked at, it's unsafe and could damage the motor. Will have to be towed. Thank You so much for any info anyone could have!! :-) Give me a call at 859-445-7975. Thanks Again! -Tonya
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