strange behavior from 92 lesabre -fuel filter or computer?

[carley]

I started having a problem with my 92 lesabre in Sept. When I start out in the morning with the engine cold, the check engine light would come on, the speedometer wouldn't function and I'd have a hard time accelerating (like engine not getting nearly enough gas). After 5 minutes or less, it would then function normally. No problems at freeway speed or anything. I took it to a mechanic who changed the fuel filter and cleaned the speed sensor connections. He said if that doesn't solve your problem, it may be the computer. It was fine for a week and then I went on vacation. No one drove my car while I was gone for a week. About midway through my first week back, it started happening again. Didn't happen every morning, and then sometimes after leaving work in the afternoon it would do it too. My fuel gauge is messed up, the needle goes about the distance of a quarter tank past the full mark, so I don't trust it. I don't generally let it go much below 1/2 tank. However, since I filled my tank the last time, I haven't had this problem with the engine. And I'm starting to wonder, could there just be a heck of a lot of gunk in my tank and my fuel filter's already getting plugged again? I trust my mechanic to listen to me and not fix things that aren't broken. But I just noticed the coincidence between full fuel tank, less problems at cold start.

Thanks.

[LeSabre97mint]

Originally Posted by carley

I started having a problem with my 92 lesabre in Sept. When I start out in the morning with the engine cold, the check engine light would come on, the speedometer wouldn't function and I'd have a hard time accelerating (like engine not getting nearly enough gas). After 5 minutes or less, it would then function normally. No problems at freeway speed or anything. I took it to a mechanic who changed the fuel filter and cleaned the speed sensor connections. He said if that doesn't solve your problem, it may be the computer. It was fine for a week and then I went on vacation. No one drove my car while I was gone for a week. About midway through my first week back, it started happening again. Didn't happen every morning, and then sometimes after leaving work in the afternoon it would do it too. My fuel gauge is messed up, the needle goes about the distance of a quarter tank past the full mark, so I don't trust it. I don't generally let it go much below 1/2 tank. However, since I filled my tank the last time, I haven't had this problem with the engine. And I'm starting to wonder, could there just be a heck of a lot of gunk in my tank and my fuel filter's already getting plugged again? I trust my mechanic to listen to me and not fix things that aren't broken. But I just noticed the coincidence between full fuel tank, less problems at cold start.

Thanks.

This sounds like a bad ground somewhere. The fuel guage, speedo, and the computer. Check your grounds, clean up up every gound you can find under the hood. Check your ground wires to see if they're corroded and are not conducting and giving your components the proper current to function.

Others may have anothers have other ideas.

Regards

Dan

[stuzman]

Originally Posted by carley

I started having a problem with my 92 lesabre in Sept. When I start out in the morning with the engine cold, the check engine light would come on, the speedometer wouldn't function and I'd have a hard time accelerating (like engine not getting nearly enough gas). After 5 minutes or less, it would then function normally. No problems at freeway speed or anything. I took it to a mechanic who changed the fuel filter and cleaned the speed sensor connections. He said if that doesn't solve your problem, it may be the computer. It was fine for a week and then I went on vacation. No one drove my car while I was gone for a week. About midway through my first week back, it started happening again. Didn't happen every morning, and then sometimes after leaving work in the afternoon it would do it too. My fuel gauge is messed up, the needle goes about the distance of a quarter tank past the full mark, so I don't trust it. I don't generally let it go much below 1/2 tank. However, since I filled my tank the last time, I haven't had this problem with the engine. And I'm starting to wonder, could there just be a heck of a lot of gunk in my tank and my fuel filter's already getting plugged again? I trust my mechanic to listen to me and not fix things that aren't broken. But I just noticed the coincidence between full fuel tank, less problems at cold start.

Thanks.

Since you're having multiple symptons, it does sound like a high resistance connection, possibly a ground. As LeSabre97 says, that would be a good starting point. Do you have any idea what code was thrown? That may give you some more insight into the problem.