3800 Engine Problems

[caddyman379]

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

[caddyman379]

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.

[GTP Dad]

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.