Expert: Rob Painter - 8/31/2010

Question
QUESTION: my car not running right it just started when i go to get on it it gets to spitting and not wanting to go like it not getting gas also when i go around a ben it dies

ANSWER: Hello,

I need to know the year make, model of the car. Is there something that brought this on? Any lights on in the dash? Is this problem with cold or warm engine?

Any recent service on engine?

Is this spitting and stalling only with the A/c on?

Is problem worse when headlights and accessories are on?

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: evrything does not have be on only when its warmed up it start doing that it a 1992 caddy seville 4.9 not thing has been done to it

Answer
Hello,

The more you tell me, I can only help you eliminate one item. It is not at this time a catalytic converter issue. If it was you would have no power with a cold engine as well.

You may have fuel delivery problems like a bad fuel pump or plugged filter.
The problem with computerized cars is it is not like the old days. In the old days, you would have a symptom and a technician would know exactly where to go.

In your case, the fuel pump is mounted in the tank making it difficult to change.
You have a number of computers in the car with hundreds of sensors.

All too often these days, people don't have the money to get the car looked at by a technician, but unfortunately, our government epa mandates and the manufacturers trying to make cars more fuel efficient, make it darn near impossible to diagnose the car without physically being with it and running the testing equipment on the vehicle.

Here is the problem: You asked if the problem could be a bad cat. What if I wasn't familiar with failed cats and told you to replace it? The car would not be any better and you would have wasted hundreds of dollars replacing a good part.

There are far too many people that think technicians are magicians and maybe years ago we were.

There are just too many components that have to be considered before replacing parts.
I call this chasing ghosts.
You would be much better off and pay the $100 or less for diagnostics to find the exact problem. This way you are not guessing and wasting money.

I am very good in my field however Clint Eastwood said it best in "Dirty Harry": "A man needs to know his limitations", and I do.

One other problem: It is very difficult to find information on a car that old or even to find parts. As I explained to others, when the vehicles got to be five years and older, I had to start getting rid of the old information to make room for the new.

Some service centers still have the information on older cars through Mitchell and other sources. They can find the actual problem.

Make sure you take the car in acting the way it is.

Good Luck!