Bogged in 2nd Gear

[meissen]

Alright, so some of you have heard about my car acting up when I was out last night at woodward. Here's the story, form what I tell you, throw some ideas on what you think might be happening.

Thursday:

• First, I took off WOT at a light, and man the car was bogged and took off like shit. I mean it was REALLY bad, Angie and I both were surprised at how slow it was. It was horrible.
• Like a dumbass, when I got to the meeting spot at 12 and Woodward, I revved it really high sounding like a ricer, then threw it into drive without letting the RPMs go back down, so I chirped the gears.
• Angie and I were driving back from the Heritage Museum, I was getting ready to turn onto Ryan Road from 18.5 mile, and I hit the gas pretty good... not WOT but still pretty good. The car made a loud POP noise, I could feel it in the pedal... it reminded me of like if the gas pedal was caught on something and I popped it back into place. After it did that, I had lurked into the street so I put it into reverse and backed up so I wasn't sticking out, then when I had the chance and tons of room, I babied my car the quarter of a mile home. It felt ok, didn't seem to be anything wrong.

Friday:

• Drove the car to work, seemed to be driving ok.
• Drove the car home, seemed to be driving ok.
• Drove the car to Woodward, after about 20 minutes of driving it and making it to Woodward, I noticed that if I really hit the gas, I got a shaking feeling in the pedal and the car was just running like shit... real bogged down.
• When I was talking to Will and revving it trying to get that feeling in the pedal again, it was in park so I don't know if that makes any difference, but DAMN the exhaust was rich.
• My RPMs at idle were at the .5 mark, not even idling at 1 which I thought it used to idle at the 1 line.
• Drove it home, it drove ok for awhile and then by the time I got close to home it started acting up again. Seems like this only happens when the car really warms up. I also noticed that the shuttered boggy feeling is when it's in 2nd gear, once it shifts from 2nd into 3rd and higher gears, it goes away and it seems to drive ok.

John (wasjo) said that it sounds like EGR. He said 3.4s were notorious for EGR problems and that it's the EGR valve sticking in place, and that the popping noise was the exhaust fumes blowing the valve open.


With that said, anyone have any ideas? I tried the paperclip trick for the OBD-I port to get it to blink the codes in the SES light, and it just stayed solid.. no blinks.

[MattODoom]

With that said, anyone have any ideas? I tried the paperclip trick for the OBD-I port to get it to blink the codes in the SES light, and it just stayed solid.. no blinks.

The ECM should flash "12" three times even if there is no codes.

A solid light means the ECM is bad and is in "limp home mode" (AKA: very, very rich)

Does the service engine light stay on while you drive? If so I would believe your ECM is bad.

[GETGONE]

Check your O2 sensors on both manifolds. I had one that melted on my 94 3.4 Firebird and I replaced it twice before a different guy at the parts store told me that there were two of them. Once I put both in the car started acting normal again. 94's were like OBD 1.5 so they have some of the stuff an OBDII car does but not everything. Before I realized it was an O2 problem I had changed the plugs and it was fine for about 2 weeks then back to the same hesitation and weirdness as before. New O2's fixed it and I never had a problem again.

[jjsnyprus]

carprobs

i think you should get rid of it and buy a V8. my car started broke again, good thing i am not able to drive it. turbo will be done in a couple months!!!!!!!!!

Jeremy

[Superman09]

well if EGR on 3.4's is anything like EGR on LS1's then it doesnt mean anything. Hell, i jsut took mine off and now have a code but it runs the same, no effect on driving, just an emissions thing. Could be wrong here however.

On another hand, sounds like the motor is shot, kapish... just order up the LT1 and throw the 3.4 in the garbage Call it an excuse for upgrade.
-its not shotm jsut want you to upgrade, haha. somethings off with your tuning, possibly O2 sensors like stated throwing your tune off. Pig rich and bogging, etc. Ask over on tech too Brian

[SS4Matt]

yeah i would suggest the EGR. i just got a new one for my ranger because it was running a little rough, (at autozone they check the codes for you for free) and my EGR was doing it. was only $35 for an EGR for my ranger, i got 8 new plugs and wires for it, (yes 8! 2 per cylinder...it's weird!)

anyways i also got a can of sea-foam to run through it. i threw half of it in the gas tank, and sucked the other half into the motor via the intake vacuum connected to the brake booster. let it get sucked up, turned off the motor let it sit for a while. started it up 15 min. later let it warm up then drove around to get it all out (while it's in the system it SMOKES like a mofo!)

anyways after the sea-foam my check engine light went off and it runs great and i havent even done the other stuff yet!

[wezeles]

i bet that little rev drop into gear poped something loose... there is ways to check your EGR before you do anything else and buy a new one... i normally just bypass mine but get a dime take off the 2 or 3 bolts on the EGR .... put the dime above the exhuast line and it will completely cover the whole and fit snug and tight blocking off any exhaust gas that might go in to the intake.. this takes like 30 seconds on the 60 degree v-6 really easy check...

your check engine light will be on after about a minute of running but it will not effect the car... its just to let you know the EGR is blocked and not able to release the pressure... but blocking it off will tell you weather or not its stuck open... you will notice pretty much right away it picked back up...

if not could be lots of other little things O2 sensor,loose vacume line, loose sensor switch,bad sensor... ahh isnt technology great protect a 75 dollar part with a 100 dollar sensor and then make finding out that sensor is bad cost about 500 bucks in other sensors...

[meissen]

Well if I could afford the v8 I would get a v8, but that's 100% out of the question. Well... unless I get a 350 block for free. *cough cough, if you were out at Woodward last night you know what I'm getting soon, cough cough*
I'll look into the EGR thing, it only happens in 2nd gear. By the way, the EGR valve replacement for the car is like 150-200.

[SLPSS]

car parts

see if Derrick has the motor left or parts remember he put in a turbo motor in his camaro

[MattODoom]

Well if I could afford the v8 I would get a v8, but that's 100% out of the question. Well... unless I get a 350 block for free. *cough cough,

Getting a free 350 block would only save you about $50. If $50 is all thats holding you back from v8ness then I can loan it to you!

[meissen]

eh, 350 blocks on ebay are going for more than $50. I haven't found any other 350 blocks for less than $200, which granted isn't much, but there's no way I can find an LT1 for that price either.

[MattODoom]

eh, 350 blocks on ebay are going for more than $50. I haven't found any other 350 blocks for less than $200, which granted isn't much, but there's no way I can find an LT1 for that price either.

For just the block??

You can easily get a 350 block for $50 theyre dirt cheap.

For a shortblock with crank, rods, pistons and maybe heads (long block) then youre looking at a couple hundred.

[meissen]

eh, I don't know where you're looking, I can't find any that cheap...

http://motors.search.ebay.com/350-bl...1QQsacatZ33612

There's only one engine block for $50 currently, but it says reserve not met, so even that's not going for $50..

[meissen]

by the way, regardless of what the price of the 350 actually is, I am getting a 350 block for free unless my mom really turns into a ***** in the next week or two. They were ok with it out on Woodward on Friday, now my mom's turning around and saying we don't have room for it. 350 block for free, and being able to just build it over a long period of time is a nice bonus.

[MattODoom]

I just have lots of buddys with lots of crap sitting around.

You know stuff on ebay usually goes for more then whats it worth just dealing with someone in person.

I wouldnt look to ebay for engine core prices you just have to know the right people.