91 Acceleration issues?
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
From: Lombard Illinois
91 Acceleration issues?
Hey everybody, about a month ago I received a 1991 vette as a gift from my father. The car ran beautifully until about 2 weeks ago, I let my girlfriend's dad borrow it to drive to work. Within the next few days I noticed that it was rather sluggish in first gear, and didn't seem to have the power that it did beforehand. I also found what looks like burnt rubber on my rear qtr panels. What could be the problem, and would burnouts cause this?
Thanks.
Thanks.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 305
Likes: 2
From: Epfenbach BW
Is your car an automatic? If so, the burnouts could have of couse damaged the transmission.
Please describe your problem in more details. Is it only in 1st gear? Always at the same rpms? Does it feel like a misfire, hesitation, lack of fuel, slipping trans?
Best regards
Benjamin
Please describe your problem in more details. Is it only in 1st gear? Always at the same rpms? Does it feel like a misfire, hesitation, lack of fuel, slipping trans?
Best regards
Benjamin
Racer
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 305
Likes: 2
From: Epfenbach BW
Btw, as said before: No 1 lesson when you own a Corvette: DO NOT LOAN IT OUT.
Some people think driving a Corvette means driving like you stole it.
That pleasure should be reserved for the OWNER only, as HE has to pay for repairs resulting from driving style.
I also let me friends drive my car, but ONLY with me on the passenger seat....
Anyway, also check all your fluids, especially transmission. Any changes at your gauges? Running hotter/colder than before? Oil pressure?....
Some people think driving a Corvette means driving like you stole it.
That pleasure should be reserved for the OWNER only, as HE has to pay for repairs resulting from driving style.
I also let me friends drive my car, but ONLY with me on the passenger seat....
Anyway, also check all your fluids, especially transmission. Any changes at your gauges? Running hotter/colder than before? Oil pressure?....
Racer
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 460
Likes: 1
From: Oliphant Ontario
Can you offer substantially more detailed info on what it does? Hesitates then goes, goes right away but is just soft/slow, is jerking, misses/backfires, goes great from X-rpm up, goes good until X-rpm..
Need a ton more info and you'll probably get help..
Need a ton more info and you'll probably get help..
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 951
Likes: 3
From: Placerville CA
Pull the trans dipstick and examine the fluid. If it is pretty black and smells sour or burnt instead of oily you probably have a fried transmission.
And then get a new girlfriend. If her old man is irresponsible enough to beat a borrowed car she may have inherited the gene.
And then get a new girlfriend. If her old man is irresponsible enough to beat a borrowed car she may have inherited the gene.
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Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
From: Lombard Illinois
First off, thanks for the insight.
It's an automatic. Doesn't feel like a misfire or slipping. No backfires, no jerking. A bit of hesitation, but the shifts are very quiet and smooth. Feels like the fuel isn't reaching the engine in time, if I punch it, it has slow acceleration for about half a second before heavy acceleration (still not as fast as previously though).
Tranny fluid is still pink and smells fine. Oil is good too, both at perfect levels. The coolant is a little low, brownish with age I'm assuming; It has a slow leak but I'm not sure if it was already there since I recently got the car.
It's an automatic. Doesn't feel like a misfire or slipping. No backfires, no jerking. A bit of hesitation, but the shifts are very quiet and smooth. Feels like the fuel isn't reaching the engine in time, if I punch it, it has slow acceleration for about half a second before heavy acceleration (still not as fast as previously though).
Tranny fluid is still pink and smells fine. Oil is good too, both at perfect levels. The coolant is a little low, brownish with age I'm assuming; It has a slow leak but I'm not sure if it was already there since I recently got the car.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 305
Likes: 2
From: Epfenbach BW
Sounds like a fuel problem, but you will have to check fuel pressure to confirm. The best would be to mount a fuel pressure gauge in a way that you can read it while driving.
This way you can check fuel pressure while accelerating.
The low coolant has no direct connection on acceleration, but if you have a head gasket leak, this could of course alter engine performance.
I´d check fuel pressure first, but keep an eye on where your coolant goes.
This way you can check fuel pressure while accelerating.
The low coolant has no direct connection on acceleration, but if you have a head gasket leak, this could of course alter engine performance.
I´d check fuel pressure first, but keep an eye on where your coolant goes.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 951
Likes: 3
From: Placerville CA
Glad to hear that the tranny fluid is in good shape, because the alternative means big buck$. Maybe the girl's old man put in El Cheapo gas? That would cause the timing to become retarded and affect performance, although it seems unlikely to have such a large effect.
