My car is a P.O.S!!

[Ineedhelp101]

Hi!, All right, check this out...My 96 5spd cavalier died on my on Thanksgiving Day. Yeah, I know it sucks. Anyway, the thing is..when I go to start it, its not dead-dead, I mean...the radio/lights still come on, BUT the engine DOESN'T want to start.(After I drove it to seattle and back, which is like an hour drive, the next day the engine light turned on. When I went for an oil change, the guy checked (tried to) what was wrong and he didn't know. Since then, it started to sputter or jerk when switching gears, to the point where it would want to lose power.)It is not the starter, because when I turn the key, the engine whats to turn on, but it doesn't have that EXTRA LINK that it needs to actually run. Im wondering that it may be the fuel injectors or the cylinders..because I believe the "P.O.S." was already running only on TWO of the FOUR cylinders when I got it. ("Don't ask me how it got like that because I don't know.") Anyway, if anybody knows what I am trying to say or been in this situation, may you please respond. Thanks-J.S

[GMMerlin]

Well lets start with the basics, do you have spark, fuel pressure and injector pulse?
Does the SES light come on when you turn the key?
Did you have the codes pulled from the computer?
Did you fix the running on 2 cylinders befroe this happened?
Why do you think your car is a POS?

[inatalonIXLR8]

My advice would be to get the engine codes read. Running on two cylinders? Sounds to me like your spark plugs or wires. One simple test is to take the car out at night to a dark area with no street lights and lift the hood to check for shorting out wires. Also rev the car under the hood with the throttle body or have someone do it from inside the car. You may only see it short out at certain RPMs. Another thing, if your car has been running like this for a long time your catalitic converter will probably be all plugged up.