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Loss Of Power

1K views 11 replies 5 participants last post by  '9445 
#1 ·
So out of nowhere today ... its REALLY hard for my car to get going in 1st gear

i have to put it at 2 grand and hold it there until I gain enough momentum to go ... I'm attributing it to a bad clutch ...

any other input would be great thanks :?:
 
#4 ·
the only problem i'm relating to the clutch is the difficulty of actually getting going. It's like i have to hold it at 2000 rpm and slowly let off the clutch ... like crazy slow until i get to about 5-7 mph and i can fully dump the clutch. It's made city driving a complete hassle. Other than that its like my whole car just got REALLY tired. It just doesn't pull like it used to.

Another problem arose recently, as in yesterday ...
[I'm figuring an alignment?]

Anyways, my steering wheel wobbles like crazy @ 60 mph ... anything more or less is just fine ... but at 60 its just ridiculous ...

And one more :D

My steering just became like jelly ... its super easy to turn my wheel right ... but its still normal turning the the left ... and its also started pulling to the left

thanks a lot and sorry for the long post :)
 
#6 ·
That steering issue is just strange... The only thing I can recommend is get the front end in the air with the wheels off, and see if anything has any play in it. Check for any loose components and make a note of anything that seems unusual. Have a friend turn the wheel while you watch the suspension. Are your CV joints clicking when you turn?

The wheel vibration could be as simple as unbalanced wheels & tires, or as difficult as a bad wheel bearing.
 
#7 ·
well actually i know [well ... pretty sure] that my wheel bearing is bad on my passenger front ... i can move the wheel when its in the air ... like push the top in and the bottom of the tire comes out ... get me? Or would that be a ball joint?

I replaced my CV axles about 7,000 miles ago and the ball joint on the passenger side was a pita to get off, I'm not really sure but is there a chance that I could have damaged it? [I used the wrench method in the How-To's]

Any input on the 1st gear issue?
 
#8 ·
stnapycnaf said:
well actually i know [well ... pretty sure] that my wheel bearing is bad on my passenger front ... i can move the wheel when its in the air ... like push the top in and the bottom of the tire comes out ... get me? Or would that be a ball joint?
That'd have to be one of the ball joints, last time I had that particular symptom it was the upper ball joint.

On the first gear thing, what happens if you don't keep the revs up when you're trying to get moving? Does it just stall? If so, it's unlikely to be a clutch problem ... sounds like you have no power below 2000 rpm, is that a good description?

As for what could cause that, I'm kinda stumped (mine's never done that). Maybe badly fouled plugs? Usually it won't idle either if the plugs are the problem though. Anybody know if cam timing being off a tooth or two would cause this?
 
#9 ·
'9445 said:
On the first gear thing, what happens if you don't keep the revs up when you're trying to get moving? Does it just stall? If so, it's unlikely to be a clutch problem ... sounds like you have no power below 2000 rpm, is that a good description?

As for what could cause that, I'm kinda stumped (mine's never done that). Maybe badly fouled plugs? Usually it won't idle either if the plugs are the problem though. Anybody know if cam timing being off a tooth or two would cause this?
If I dont keep it above 2000, i think it will stall i dont think its that i dont have power, because sometimes i can launch without having to let the clutch catch [you know what i mean?]. I havent tested letting it drop completely ... but if i do dump the clutch before it full catches [say halfway or maybe 3/4] it fishbites really hard and jumps back up to 1500 or so ...

I changed my spark plugs a week and a half ago ... but my dizzy wires are real poo ... i pulled one out to day and the whole cylinder stayed in there and only the cap came off ... so I'm purchasing new ones verrrry soon ...
do you think i should replace the whole dizzy or will new wires suffice?

thanks again
 
#10 ·
stnapycnaf said:
If I dont keep it above 2000, i think it will stall i dont think its that i dont have power, because sometimes i can launch without having to let the clutch catch [you know what i mean?]. I havent tested letting it drop completely ... but if i do dump the clutch before it full catches [say halfway or maybe 3/4] it fishbites really hard and jumps back up to 1500 or so ...
Still trying to understand your terminology here ...

fishbites: I'm visualizing the clutch grabbing suddenly while you're letting it out, resulting in the whole car lurching and maybe stalling it unless you push the clutch back in quickly. Does it jump back up because you pushed the clutch back in?

Does it ever slip when your foot is off the clutch? Is this a stock type clutch or something else?
 
#11 ·
in my terms, a fishbite is where it acts like it stalls once the clutch is fully engaged [rpms drop really low] and then there's a surge of power and it kicks REALLY hard and jumps back up to 1500/2000 rpm ... like when you're fishing and a fish bites your line out of no where and you're jerked forward ...

no it never slips when I'm in gear and the clutch is engaged ... no other gears are like this ... if I'm rolling down hill at all, say at a stop light, there's no problem at all ... its only if I'm standing completely still or on an upward incline ...

My clutch is OEM type, atleast that's what the guy who I bought it from said.

I just changed my oil and used some stuff called Restore ... my step-dad said he believed it worked so I might as well give it a try ... its supposed to restore compression by mending my cylinder walls and reduce oil consumption due to burning ... sounds good to me ... especially if it works for $7 ...
 
#12 ·
OK I'm going to conclude that your clutch is not the problem, or at

What happens if you're rolling along in 1st at 1000-1500 rpm and you floor it? Does it pull immediately or is there a lag where it stumbles and then you get a surge?

Are the motor mounts all intact? If you open the hood and give the top of the valve cover a good shove or pull does it move more than about 1" or so?

I'd start with the stuff you already know is bad news (the plug wire that came apart, the bad ball joint) and then see where you're at. Ignition problem could cause a stumble under sudden load, which could be made worse by excessive driveline windup (soft motor mounts, play in CV joints, etc).

Another thing you might check is that the throttle plate isn't getting stuck due to carbon buildup. Remove the intake pipe from the throttle body, hold the throttle open, and use a rag and some carb cleaner to scrub the throttle body where the edge of the throttle plate closes against it. If it's sticking a little bit that can make it difficult to modulate the throttle when you're trying to make a smooth start in 1st. Throttle plate sticks, you push a little harder, it pops open more than you expected, etc.
 
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