Update Please Help

okay here we go again
1988 Lesabre 3800 with 118500miles on her shes geen good to me now she wants to be a witch
1) lastnight car was very jerky slow put pedal to floor car had no power
my neighbor took it upon himself without my knowing and sprayed the mass air flow with carb cleaner no help
2) replaced mass air flow sensor car seemed fine drove about 10 miles parked car went to start it wont stay started punched the gas after few times car was erratic and shakey but started okay now the cart convertor and pipes are flame red
3) do I need to replace the cat. I think they gummed it up with the spray
SOrry t bother but single mom with no job and little money needs advice fast only car I have and can afford.
alos car backfires if i rev it up not out tail pipe im engine comp

Ok I straight piped the d*** thing and and it wont stay started it sounds like Sh*t it wont run unless you keep foot on gas and it stalls as soon as you let go when you strp on gas it blows Black smoke and smells very bad idle is very very rough and not right at all. had no problem lastnight until I parked it then went to start it about 1/2hr later and it did not want to stay started(wont) where else could it be clogged any help please. Someone mentioned coolant temp. sensor could that be it?

Last edited by jcamaew3 on 01-05-2005 at 11:38 PM.
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There are only three other things I can think of exhaust wise.
First check to see if someone has stuffed something in your tail pipe.
Then get someone to hold their hand near the tail pipe while you give it a couple of snaps on the accelerator to feel for good pressure.
If there is little or no pressure then disconnect the exhaust at the new straight pipe and see how it runs.
If it was the converter it may be possible that the o2 sensor was burned up and/or possibly some intake/exhaust valves.
Sorry but there are no "straight" answers without a proper and honest diagnostics test.Even then it's not always obvious but has to be searched out.
I hope the exhaust is your problem.

has the car had the basic tune up done?colder weather may have fouled the plugs.

has the car had the basic tune up done?colder weather may have fouled the plugs.

I changed the plugs and wires today no help was wondering if the muffler could be plugged and causing it to stall also could it be a vacum leak?

There may be an 02 problem,a temp switch problem,an egr problem,a pressure regulator the list goes on and on and if you keep allowing people to guess it will cost you a lot a time,money and aggravation.If you can get to an auto zone they might be able to guide you better than guessing by doing a free scan for codes. Good Luck

There may be an 02 problem,a temp switch problem,an egr problem,a pressure regulator the list goes on and on and if you keep allowing people to guess it will cost you a lot a time,money and aggravation.If you can get to an auto zone they might be able to guide you better than guessing by doing a free scan for codes. Good Luck


Ditto, ditto, ditto, ditto.....

There may be an 02 problem,a temp switch problem,an egr problem,a pressure regulator the list goes on and on and if you keep allowing people to guess it will cost you a lot a time,money and aggravation.If you can get to an auto zone they might be able to guide you better than guessing by doing a free scan for codes. Good Luck


Okay car wont stay started to get to autozone changed the o2 sensor. I have a code key no codes are in there to get out. Im now going to change the muffler and the EGR vaslve was just changed on july 16 2004. new plugs new wires new mass air flow sensor. new tpi sensor in July aslo car was fine until 2days ago then it had no power at all floored it and nothing now it just want ot quit if you take foot off gas Im thinking shes toasted and ready for the junk yard.

Okay car wont stay started to get to autozone changed the o2 sensor. I have a code key no codes are in there to get out. Im now going to change the muffler and the EGR vaslve was just changed on july 16 2004. new plugs new wires new mass air flow sensor. new tpi sensor in July aslo car was fine until 2days ago then it had no power at all floored it and nothing now it just want ot quit if you take foot off gas Im thinking shes toasted and ready for the junk yard.
clogged fuel filter, or, I had old chev (carburated) the choke shut off vacum was shot and would do the same type of thing

clogged fuel filter, or, I had old chev (carburated) the choke shut off vacum was shot and would do the same type of thing

okay fuel is getting to the fuel rail so things are not clogged up to there Im now thinking fuel pressure regulator. that is the last thing Im gonna change. I coded it with the key and get 1flash (pause ) then 2flashes the list I have has nothing for 12 no number or anyhting its either good or bad and cant findout. Fuel filter was replaced about 8mons ago. she is getting flooded so I thikg as I said the regulator is shot and letig to much gas into the injectors and she is flooding her self out. There is gas in the oil so its flooded or could be a leaky injector(but car would start with that)

okay fuel is getting to the fuel rail so things are not clogged up to there Im now thinking fuel pressure regulator. that is the last thing Im gonna change. I coded it with the key and get 1flash (pause ) then 2flashes the list I have has nothing for 12 no number or anyhting its either good or bad and cant findout. Fuel filter was replaced about 8mons ago. she is getting flooded so I thikg as I said the regulator is shot and letig to much gas into the injectors and she is flooding her self out. There is gas in the oil so its flooded or could be a leaky injector(but car would start with that)
has your timing chain slipped a notch, not to familiar with 1988 model, crankshaft sensor etc. but if your spark and fuel aren't in sinc you would be getting fuel but its not burning right or at all. if you have no check engine light on this seems less likely. computer gone south?the 12 code on diagnostic read out is just saying"i'm in diagnostic mode" will flash that twice then another number if indeed there is one

I hear that the mass air flow sensors are a pattern failure with these models. Unplug it and see how it runs. If it runs ok then you know what it is. If it is the sensor, there is a eprom kit that bypasses the maf. GM charges like $400 cdn for a new maf, so there is an eprom that's a bypass for about $80. Good luck.

Of course you are wasting time and money replacing parts without a proper diagnosis, but your problem sounds very much like a bad crankshaft sensor. See if the one you have looks worn at all, or as though the plastic where the pulley goes through has been damaged at all.

Remember the first rule of auto repair: always try the easiest and most obvious thing first, and then progressively move to more difficult potential causes. In your case replacing the muffler seems way down the line of potential causes for your problem. An exhaust line that is not right will generally cause rough running, but not NO running (unless the line were blocked--which while possible is a very rare occurance). I would ignore the exhaust and move back to the basics:

1. Do a general tune up.
2. Check for engine codes (it flashes 12 first three times to indicate "all is well in the code reporting system," THEN flashes any other codes it stores three times each as well, then after the last stored code goes back to 12 three times and keeps repeating like that.)
3. Check for obvious things like fuel pressure, spark, and timing (pay a garage to do whatever you cannot--owning a car is not free, you simply have to expect to invest in maintanance and repairs, even if you have to beg, borrow, or whatever from whomever to get it done.)
4. If all checks out, do an engine compression test (a wise test to perform on any old car--if your test shows a poor-conditioned engine, then your entire process is flawed because the car is junk and you'd be better off scrimping together $1500 and buying a 92 LeSabre or any other inexpensive car you could find a way to afford.
5. Only after all other tests check out as okay do you start to suspect esoteric causes like a crank sensor, faulty injectors, distributor coils, wiring, car's computer, exhaust system, timing chain, etc. etc.