Problems...HELP!

I just wrote this post out, it was very long, and it made me go page back and lost it all.

I need some help. I have a 2000, V6, Camaro.

When I accelerate the car will not go. It's gets very jerky and it takes a while to get up to 40-45.

I've had it at 2 shops, hooked up 2 times, both said #5 was misfireing, but could not tell me what. One places said it might be a fuel injector.

In the past 2 weeks I have...
Put in a new battery.
Changed the fuel filter.
Had the alternator checked-it was fine.
Put in new spark plugs.
Put in new spark plug wires.
Had the fuel injection system flushed(thats what they called it).

Oil change-4 weeks ago.
Changed the belt-3 months ago.

The car idles at 1600-1700.
When at 2000rpm and under, the car was jerking badly, even when I was stopped. When it jerked, the lights would dim. After changing the spark plugs, the car doesn't shake/jerk like that anymore. But, now it is jerking badly when I accelerate. I can barely get the car up to 40-45 mph, it takes so long. When I push on the gas to go, the car jerks and doesn't hardly pick up speed. But if I don't have my foot on the gas, it does not shake.

We can not figure out why it's doing this, and if anyone has any ideas, please post them. I'm planning on taking the car to the shop tomorrow, and would love to have a few ideas before I go, i'm tired of getting ripped off by these guys.

My cars history:
Never wrecked.
Not had any engine problems.
Not had any transmission problems.
I've been the only owner, I drove it off the lot brand new.

Only thing ever had to be done:
Tires--duh, thats normal.
Part of belt drive (I think) changed, its the part the belt is on by the alternator.
I had to get the catalytic converter changed because 1 1/2 years after I had the car it collapsed.(It's acting like its it again, but not sure)
The stock ACDelco battery lasted up untill 1 1/2 weeks ago when we changed it, we didn't know it was getting bad, it didn't act like it, and the green light still showed)

That's really it..

please help me if you can.

Thank you in advance!!

~Stephanie

-Forgot to add....The car started getting a rattling noise about 4 months ago,and it has slowely gotten worse. I'm not sure what it is. Also, sometimes after driving and idling, the car has a hum to it, sounds like it's from the back.

-The "Service Engine Soon" light has been on for 2 weeks. Sometimes it flashes, but it never goes away. It either flashes, or stays on.

Sounds like your throttle position sensor..

Since they say #5 is misfiring - and you just recently replaced plugs and plug wires . There is where i would start looking. Check the plug wire - it may be a bad one. Just because they are new doesn't mean anything. check the spark at the plug. Is it nice and blue?
were the plugs properly gapped when they were replaced or just put in right out of the box.

What condition is the rotor button and distributor cap in? some of the misfire problem may be there

if that doesn't fix - next i would have someone to VERIFY the out put of the fuel pump (volume & pressure) If its not getting the right amount of fuel it will fall on its face upon acceleration.

I'm not sure what a V6 idle speed should be set at but 16-1700 is quite high
should be closer to 750 - 1000 range. This could be an indication of vacuum leak (s)

As for the cat. converter - that can definately rattle as the guts of it break off and into pieces bouncing around in there. and if it is getting clogged up that will definately cause problems accelerating due to back pressure

ditto on the tps and vacuum leaks. And did you say that the catalytic was rattle or something in the engine?

o2 sensor maybe? iac? my cavalier did that and it ended up being those two things.

I chased a similar problem around on a Lumina that kept saying a misfire in a cylinder, it ended up being a cracked EGR tube that feeds off the manfiold right by that cylinder. Anybody with her motor know where the EGR is at?

I would say maybe an injector, but not when the thing idles as high as you say it does.

All I can say is check the TSB 02-06-05-004A - Emissions - Catalytic Converter Damage/Misfire Codes Set. Sounds like that could be your problem.

don't rule out a burnt plug wire, perhaps came in contact with the exh. manifold.

Hey, thanks for replying. I'm about to take it to a shop.

I know it's not the spark plug wires or plugs, they were just put in yesterday, and we really looked at them and checked the gaps before we put them in. Now, the idling jerking has stopped. One of the old plugs had rust on it, so i know that was probably #5, but now this problem. When I acceletate it will not go. I'm about to go insane guys... It's jerky and hesitates to go when I push the gas....

Thanks!
~Stephanie

check the maf... my 96 did that and all it took was cleaning it out by spraying i think it was air or some kind of cleaner into it... it was weird

Most of the time we can say "try this" and it works but, you already replaced alot of stuff that I was guessing like tune-up, fuel filter, cat. conv. Once you get past some of that stuff you're just better off to take it somewhere and have them hook it up to their computer. If not, you'll just be chasing the problem and spending money on parts you don't need.

I'm back home now, without my baby. I don't like not having here here with me. My car is at the dealership. Automatically the guy who walked up to my car said it counds like the cat. converter and he could hear it. And to my suprise, it's under warrenty(the muffler, cat, conv. and something else, i'll have to ask again). So, they are replacing the cat. conv. since it'll be free anyways. Yay for a new part, even if thats not it, it can't hurt to get a new one. He is supposed to call me tomorrow around noon. I let me dad drive my car to the dealership, I followed in his truck('04 silverado). While I was following him, when he was checking it out..as he pressed down on the gas smoke was comming out of the muffler. grr. I guess i'll be back tomorrow with whats going on with it...
~Stephanie

im about to pick ,y car up from the dealership. the cat. converter was going bad, and coils 2 and 5 were bad. So, all in all...everything decided to go wrong at the same time. But, i'm glad it's fixed..or, almost fixed. It's being worked on right now. The cat. was under warrenty, so thats cool, but I hate to think what they are going to charge for changing the coils... ack.:eek2:

Ok. I got my baby. She runs PERFECT, just like the day I bought her in 2000, almost 6 years ago.

Coils 2 and 5 were bad, and the cat. converter had to be replaced because it was comming apart.

I feel like I went on a goose chase untill I took it to the dealership. I know where to go first from now on.

The man told me that those coils had been going out for quite some time now, and it also effected the cat. converter and whatnot.. I'm just glad to have her home. One night was too long for me.

So, that's my update!