Expert: Sean Halliday - 4/15/2008

Question
Hello,

My husbands car dies all teh time.  He thinks it's a vacuum leak.  At a normal idol (1000-1200) it dies when put into gear.  At a high idol (2200 rpm) it runs good but shifts hard.  Any advice?

Answer
It could be a vacuum leak and the only way to tell is get a vacuum tester and see.It may be a cracked hose which there are many on this engine and it may be a leak at the intake manifold.The tester is easily bought at a parts store as they are pretty cheap.It will explain how to use it.If this is not the cause it could be the EGR system.Check the vacuum first and get back to me.As for the hard shifting,this may be a worn transmission or shift solenoid,that will have to be diagnosed by a transmission shop.