Well, I've just about had it with my Monte.. I've got an '02 SS with 132K on it and for the last couple years, it's been randomly misfiring. some times it'll go a while with no issues. but most of the time, it'll buck and choke and the speedo drops down like i slammed the brakes and then pops right back up like i was KITT in turbo mode!

Reverse is the worst.. can't back up without stalling out.

I've gone through multiple MAFs, ECTs, and even just recently had put in new plugs and wires. At the time, my mechanic asked if i had the original intake still around because i put a K&N cold air intake on it and he thinks it's been messing with the MAFs. Problem is, i had that K&N on it for a couple years before this ever started.

I love this car, i really do, i've had it for over 5 years and it served me well. Bought it in late '06 with only 39K on the clock.

Well, this morning on my way to work, it just wouldn't get up and go.. no power, multiple stalls, then it'd kick in like i resuscitated a dying man and gave me all the power like before... for about a mile.. then it'd choke like Mama Cass on a turkey sandwich .

and die again.

for 25 miles to work... barely made it. Now i'm afraid to drive it.

Please, any advice??? i've been told that it might be the transmission sensor (via Another 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS issue - YouTube ) but i already poured almost $2K into the recent tune-up which included 3 new wheel bearings.

and even after the wheel bearing replacement, i was getting a "service traction system" error message, and the mechanic replaced it right away (no charge, thankfully) and it came back once, and then has disappeared.

I wish i could keep this car forever, but it's looking more like this car is giving up the ghost and i'm starting to lean towards getting a '96 Volvo 850R station wagon..

help!!

 

Have the Catalytic pressure tested.

Also I would suspect a fueling issue for the random misfires. If you fix the plugs and wires and it's still random, I go to fueling next. An injector could be sticking, the pump could be failing, the filter could be clogged, the Fuel Pressure Regulator could be going bad. Etc.

 

Thanks, i'm going to get the cat checked first thing next week.

 

you should also get the lower and upper intake gaskets changed if you haven't already done so

 

Sooo.. local shop took a look at it.. seems as the wiring harness had some wires where the wire jacket wore through to the copper.. right where it's been rubbing against the K&N! swift performance of Norwich CT. Says it's running good now! time will tell!

 

Glad it wasn't nothing major. Did they fix it so it won't happen again ?

 

Well, it didn't quite clear this problem.. came back with the MAF code again, and is randomly choking.. it died twice this morning.

But at least it's running better than it did before and that's one less thing for me to check.

Yes, it's a K&N, and no, i can't find the original intake. I still wonder if it could be either the Crank positioning sensor, O2 sensor, or maybe even something happened in the ECM when it was shorting the wires?

 

so i hooked up the scanner to record data while driving in case it bucked on me.. it did.. MAF never deviated from 1.34 grams per second.. however the timing advance had been running low 20's during normal operation, but bumped to 33 degrees when it bucked and the rpms dropped. once i let off the gas, the timing went back down.

 

That is a major problem. Idle should be ~4 g/s. Cruising at 30-40 should be 25+ g/s. And it should be constantly moving, never staying at one reading.

 

Could still be a plugged cat if the MAF reading is low, should just mostly be powerless. MAF is probably no good too if you didn't buy an oe sensor I would.