Engine has the power of 6 starving rodents

[-MACH-]

Once again back with prob and always get great feedback here.O2 I6.Seems have a power issue.Changed plugs 3 weeks back yea i know should of used AC DELCOS but didnt ran fine 2 weeks.Started out getting on the highway and opening it up a bit getting on a onramp like the rpm's stayed up but i could feel the trucks power pulsing alittle back and fouth almost like a fouled out plug.Now it feels like the plug or whatever is not even working like im running on 5 cyl instead of 6.But the engine seems sorta of smooth gets the rpms up but slowas hell to do so.But seems fine when hardly givein it any pedle..no pedle -1/4 on the gas its somewhat ok .any more then 1/4 hell even 3/4 or floored its got no more pick up then 1/4 peddle but you can hear it open up the throttle body and pull air,,now has that bad ass rice burner intake sound..also when slowing down to make a low speed turn like 10mph its not shifting down into 1st gear.You can shift it down urself but wont do it on its own.so at low speed or low speed and pulling upa hill ur doing it in 2nd gear.And the shifts seem to be much harder if ur laying into it.but the rpms climb very slow. and intake is loud as hell but ur not going anywhere. A Few weeks back was gettin a loud ticking was thinkin it was a fuel pump but noise has stopped and same area drivers side of engine when it was cold was squeelin so loud thought i was gonna wake the people in my area but both noises have stopped:suicide:..You guys have been great in the past So please help before i end up walking to work,,lol thanks

[danjag]

Sounds like the problem I've been chasing for a few weeks now. I'm pretty sure it's my fuel filter. I fear I may have one of those 'buried in the gas tank as part of the fuel pump assembly' models. Haven't slid underneath on the creeper yet to see if the filter is inline, like yours should be. I think yours is a$20.00 part and other than cramped location, be thankful it's not a $500 part involving the tank being removed.

You can also try changing the air filter and try cleaning the trottle body, but it really sounds like fuel starvation when you ask it to give you more. Probably NOT an injector issue if it runs smooth otherwise.

Good luck and let us know how you make out!

Dan

[ylab]

If you had a full miss, the I6 wouldn't be smooth, it would be extremely rough. (Would also result in a flashing CEL with error codes for the cylinder mis-firing). What you're describing is EXACTLY what my truck starting doing when the Catalytic started to plug up! Engine would rev, but have no power with lots of intake feedback....just like a rice burner. I'd check for exhaust restriction in one of the mufflers or the CAT. If its the converter, you'll eventually get a OBDII code with the CEL that indicates Converter Performance below expected norm.....but it needs to be nearly totally clogged to get the error! I chased mine for a month, swearing it had to be a fuel delivery problem and it wasn't.

PS: The converter is covered by the 8/80 Federal Emissions Warranty, if that's the problem.

[jesse13579]

Check your cat converter out. I had a problem very similar to yours. I changed the plugs and the fuel filter with no luck. I finally figured out my cat converter was plugged and the backpressure was causing the problem. While your engine is running open your door (radio, ac off) and slightly rev up your engine. Listen after the rev to see if you hear a sound like marbles in a soup can. To get a better listen get someone else to rev it up while you stand behind it. If you get that strange rumble sound while it revs down chances are you have a clogged cat converter. That is if you have a factory exhaust. If you have less than 80000 miles on it, the cat should be covered. If you don't and have to replace it remember to take off the heat shields in order to get enough room to remove the old converter.

[danjag]

If you're going to stand BEHIND it while someone revs it for you, and it IS a plugged catalytic converter, be SURE to at least wear safety goggles. If it decides to UNPLUG at that moment, you could get nailed with the honeycombed bits from the inside of the converter.:m2:

[AlekG]

My 2002 ended up with a plugged catalytic, and it was replaced under the longer warranty.

The service rep told me that it was a common problem for 2002s, GM is blaming it on their parts supplier and a bad batch of converters.

I would take it in and get them to change it no matter what (assuming its still got the warranty).

AG

[-MACH-]

:suicide:Ive found now that driving late at nite when the temps much lower it seems to have more power.Could that just be the cold air thing with the engine running better?Could this prob be something other then the cat?

[ssilicon]

:suicide:Ive found now that driving late at nite when the temps much lower it seems to have more power.Could that just be the cold air thing with the engine running better?Could this prob be something other then the cat?

Colder air is denser air. Same voulume of air taken it but more dense = more oxygen present = ability to burn more fuel = more power. It's natures mild super charger!