93 Grand Am - Missing?

[red93gagt]

Hey everyone,
I was on my way to school this morning, and as I was passing another car, my car felt like it had missed or something. The whole front end of the car dropped and I was actually pressed against my seatbelt. The Service Engine Soon light came on and it like it was missing or something because it was acting funny like it wasn't getting fuel or something. I pulled over and opened the hood and the engine was running fine. I couldn't hear anything and it didn't look like anything was unplugged or not there. I did notice that my exhaust smelled kind of like rotten eggs - like when the catalytic converter breaks down. I figured that there wasn't anything I could do, so I drove to the dealership that I work at to see if a mech. could look at it. When I got there, I put it in park and let it idle, but it couldn't keep a steady idle. It would drop to like 500rpms and then rev back up to like 1500 rpms and then drop again, so I just shut it off. Tom (he's the service manager) said that there really wasn't anything that they could do because they're a Chrylser/Dodge/Plymouth and Ford/Lincoln/Mercury dealer and they don't have a scan tool for Pontiacs. He had me try and start it though so that he could listen to it quick, but after I started it, it just died, so I started it again and tried pressing on the gas when it was running. This kept it running longer, but then it acted like it was getting too much gas and it was backfiring. (Incase anyone's wondering I have a 1993 2dr GAGT with a 3.3L V6) What could be wrong? Is there anything I can do, or should I just have a dealer fix it? I just put new plug wires in it last friday because my number three plug wire was bad and caused my car to run terribly. Thanks for the help, and I will be checking back here throughout the day, so if you have anymore questions, please post them and I will try to answer them as soon as possible.
Thanks
Kurtis
(red93gagt)

[92CamaroRS]

did you change the plugs? that could be it
could be the fuel filter
could be a bad injector
could be a bunch of stuff

kinda sounds stupid that a dealership wouldnt have a scan tool for every common car. i say take it to a pontiac dealer and have them at least find out whats wrong and then do it yourself

[red93gagt]

I replaced the plugs earlier this summer. I just got gas last night at a different gas station than I usually do. Could I have just got a bad tank of gas? I'm sure I put in regular unleaded.
Tonight after school, I went out to my car and tried starting it. It took 5 tries and some babying, but I got it to start. It died as I was pulling into the lot at work, which is like under a mile from my school. After work I drove home and it was running really crappy. It would hesitate and buck, and it wouldn't idle right when I stopped at stops signs and stuff. When I got home, I opened my hood and left my car running. Everything looked alright, and nothing was making noise or anything, but my exhaust smelled like something was burning. It wasn't oil, and it didn't smell like coolant. Also, my exhaust wasn't sticking around... it wasn't making a big cloud or anything. I shut my car off so I could check it over (and not worry about losing a limb in the serpentine belt) and when I tried to start it up and bring it into my garage, it wouldn't start... It would start and for a second it would act like it was going to run normal, but then the tach would just drop and it would kill. I jumped the CDLC (or whatever it's called) and the only code I got was a 12, which means all systems are normal. So that didn't help. I'm about ready to just say screw it and sell my stupid car. Don't get me wrong, I love Grand Ams, but I have had so much trouble with this stupid thing.
Thanks for the reply.
Kurtis
red93gagt

[red93gagt]

I realized that in my last post, I said that I got a code 12 which means all systems are normal. I was mistaken. Code 12 means that the computer is entering diagnostic mode. I got a code number 34, which is a Mass Air Flow (MAF) Circuit problem. I'm going to go and take out my MAF sensor and see if anything is wrong with it... maybe one of those wire/sensor things on the air intake side of it broke.

Thanks for the help
Kurtis
red93gagt

[92CamaroRS]

that would do it right there! even if it looks ok i say replace it its not that hard. where in WI are you?

[red93gagt]

I'm in north western wisconsin, kinda by Rice Lake. What would make an MAF sensor fail all of the sudden? I haven't had any trouble with that ever before today. Weird. Anyways, thanks for the help!
Kurtis
red93gagt

[92CamaroRS]

well usually a maf dont act up it just goes i say replace it and see what it does

[red93gagt]

The cheapest MAF sensor I can find is $206.00 Is this right? All of the part stores I called couldn't believe that it was that much when they looked it up. Should an MAF sensor cost that much? Would it be a bad idea to just get one off of another GA at a salvage yard?
Thanks
Kurtis
red93gagt

[92CamaroRS]

yea they arnt a cheap peice but i say see if you can find one in a junk yard and try it out before you pay for it! if it works pay them for it and take it if it dont give it back and say thanks but no thanks. its really easy to change

[red93gagt]

I think I'm just going to ask at work and see if I can just get it cheaper there. Are there different kinds of MAF sensors that are interchangeable? I know there are different forms of them, but when I was calling around yesterday for prices, I called bumper to bumpr first, and they said they had one for $206. Then (after the shock wore off, lol) I called Napa auto parts and they said they had one for $340. Usually, napa is cheaper. I gave them both the same information (duh) and told them the part I needed, so why was there a $134 difference? Is one looking up a different part? Neither sounded like they sold a whole lot of these. They both knew what they were, but they both sounded surprised that they were that much. So anyways, I guess I'll be paying out the nose for this stupid ass MAF sensor. And soon. I can't drive my car... I guess if the MAF fails, the whole engine shuts down. I never knew they were that important.

Kurtis
red93gagt

[Antalive[DM]]

I know im a 3100 man but i was just reading. And GAguy is right on this one a MAF sensor can reak havoc on a cars idle and firing if it is damaged or Old. Yet they are also a pretty penny. But the reason it does that is it might be reading the air flow wrong which is comon and they will mess the fuel and air mixture ratio up. And cause the air flow sensor to make your engine try to burn your fuel differently. Correct me if im wrong of course. And see gas needs oxygen to burn at all and when a MAF sensor or a whole MAF setup goes bad it will restrict the air flow and cause less burning to go on. Which reults in power loss and terrifying idles. And that smell you smell is (my guess) that unburned fuel that isnt getting burnt due to the lack of air flow. So thats why it smells so bad. So if that helped well and your welcome. And if im wrong well my fingers are tired for no reason. :lol:

[ACoolGuy]

I had the same problem with my 92 gt and it turned out to be one of the ignition coils was bad. I replaced it and the car runs like it used to. They might try to sell you all three coils but I simply replaced the one that was bad and all is well after about a month. Hope this helps.

[Bryman85]

you should try cleaning the maf sensor. If you take the sensor body off the intake there is a screen take the ring off thats holding the screen and pull the screen out. If you look into one of the smaller holes there are two wires that are like the filament in a lightbulb. Get some throttle body cleaner and blow the airborne crap off of them until it gets real shiny and clean the whole thing while your at it. I had similar problems like you did and i tried this and cured it right away. try that to see if it fixes it. also be sure to let everything dry for about 30 minutes b4 starting the car.

[red93gagt]

I have cleaned my MAF sensor before because my car was acting up and was very sluggish. That was last summer. I haven't had a problem with it since then, until like a week ago when it failed on my way to school. Apparently the whole unit was bad.

Thanks
Kurtis
(red93gagt)

[p8ntman442]

Forget the maf sensor the problem is one or more of your coils. The reason you are getting code 34 is because 2 or more cyls arnt burning fuel that is delivered, the maf has no idea what is going on at this point because it is getting different readings from all over. The problem was that when your plug wire went bad, that spark went somewhere, guess where, from one side of the coil over to either another coil, or the other terminal of the coil. Replace all 3 coils at once, do not do just one. you will deffinatly see a performance gain in this as well,as the old coils were not up to par. Good luck, and dont worry about your MAF.

[p8ntman442]

one side note. Get a new set of plug wires first, because I went through this with my 2.5 a while ago (how i found this place) anyways, the coils went bad, so I got the code for the maf and replaced it. no deal MCguiness! So i replaced the plugs and wires. no deal again, so it turned out to be a bad coil so i replaced them. No deal car still ran like shit, afte hundreds of dollars on another set of wires, coils, computer and everything else, I took it to a mechanic. Guess what. One of the Brand new plugs from napa was junk. cost me hundreds I was pissed. Just make sure that the wires you got are not the problem, cause it wouldnt be the first time a parts store sold a faulty set of wires.

[red93gagt]

Originally posted by p8ntman442
Forget the maf sensor the problem is one or more of your coils. The reason you are getting code 34 is because 2 or more cyls arnt burning fuel that is delivered, the maf has no idea what is going on at this point because it is getting different readings from all over. The problem was that when your plug wire went bad, that spark went somewhere, guess where, from one side of the coil over to either another coil, or the other terminal of the coil. Replace all 3 coils at once, do not do just one. you will deffinatly see a performance gain in this as well,as the old coils were not up to par. Good luck, and dont worry about your MAF.

F.Y.I. I replaced my MAF with a new one ($208) and my car is fixed. I haven't touched my coils and my car is fine. The code 34 is for a MAF sensor problem, not a coil problem or whatever.

Thanks for the help,
Kurtis
(red93gagt)

[Bryman85]

Ha I figured that was the problem.