3800 Engine Problems

Ok,

I have a 1991 Buick regal with an unknown amount of miles, odometer stopped at 59,000, title says 159k.

Anyway, I bought it a little while ago and noticed it was leaking oil. I never got a chance to look at it, but i lent it to a friend for a week or two so she could move..

I guess she let the oil run dry once or twice, and the car had been gradually losing power.

So i got it back, and the car had very very very little power. The engine made a loud hissing noise upon acceleration, and couldn't take uphills at all on the way home. I can feel it shifting, so im sure its not the tranny.. It stalled several times on the way home (about 6 miles) I filled the oil as soon as i went to pick it up.

It stalled about half way from my house and wouldnt restart, so i pushed it the rest of the way.


Now it cranks, and fires, sometimes runs for a few seconds, but stalls. Just wondering what sort of damage im looking at, and where to start

forgot to mention, ever since i got the car it had a strange idle.

at idle, usually in park sometimes in drive, the engine would slow down to where it almost stalled, rev back up into a normal range, and repeat, sometimes stalling. usually turning it off and back on would fix it, sometimes not.


thanks in advance.

If it has run out of oil as many times as you state it is probably damaged beyond repair. I would look at a replacing the engine with a used one from a wrecking yard. Check car-part.com or cherry-auto.com as they can help you find an engine appropriate for your vehicle. I have to ask if you ever found where the oil was leaking from, this sounds like a rear main seal was out to lose oil that fast. As for the idle issue sounds like a bad IAC motor.