88 Bonney Power Loss

[J Lazy H]

Need some input (HELP) My 88 Bonney is sick. I have lost a good deal of power and my gas mileage went down to about 7mpg. It idles and runs like it isn't hitting on all 6. I have checked for vacuum leaks and it's good. It also acts like the choke is stuck 1/2 way closed but these cars don't have a choke do they? It starts fine but the idle is ruff and the power loss is substantial. I know there is a zillion sensors to check but I don't know what to look for 1st. I would start with timing in a car with a distributer but this has that electric distributer so I can't check the timing. I don't know this engine very well so I really have a clue where to start looking. I have replaced the air filter and put in new plugs.
Any suggestions and help would greatly be accepted.

[GTP Dad]

There can be several issues here. The first thing is the O2 sensor. This can account for the loss of mileage and the poor performance. I would go ahead and change it, especially if you haven't changed in awhile. The second thing is to change the plugs with new ones, a new PCV valve, air filter and etc. These are all normal maintenance items. Finally, if all of this fails check the cat. It could be plugging up due to age and may need replaced.

[Jrs3800]

Does this engine stumble all of the time?

[J Lazy H]

Yes pretty much so.

[J Lazy H]

How do you check the ohms on the coil pack?

[Jrs3800]

If this is a Coil issue and you have a bad coil, You could have 2 cylinders down... If this is the case the ECM( Cars Computer ) will see the extra Oxygen in the exhaust stream and the ECM will add more fuel to the mix to try and correct for the Extra Oxygen... So a couple of dead cylinders will throw off the ECM in a bad way...

I will PM you the Testing info

[C man]

With a coil pack you can test it by taking off the spark plug wire from the coil, with the engine off, the shock hurts, and if it arcs orange the coil is bad, If it arcs blue its good. do this with each wire. I had an experience with a bad coil pack. The coil pack was bad when I bought the car and took a year to notice any side affects. My car started stumbling like it wanted to cut off and the 'idiot' light was on. It clogged up my EGR valve, the stealership wanted to charge me $400 dollars for a new EGR valve and labor. Well I changed the bad coil pack, not before paying the stealership $110, and the problem cleared itself up later that night. Sorry for the long story.

[J Lazy H]

The coil pack was bad. I replaced it but that didn't fix the problem. I was going to change the PCV but this car doesn't have one. It just has a tube that runs from the valve cover to the throttle body. Anyway I am lost on what to look for now to even out the idle and regain the lost power. I replaced the plugs and the 02 sensor. Could it be a pluged up gas filter? Or?

[C man]

Did you just do all this today. Becuase when I changed my coil pack I drove about a whole day or two before things cleared up after my coil pack had went bad. I was on the interstate and the check engine light just went off and everything was smooth again. I don't know much about the 88 3.8l but I'm pretty sure it has a PCV valve.

[J Lazy H]

Somebody needs to do some splaining to me. LOL. For days I have been looking for the PCV on my Bonney and had no luck. Today I figured it out. Where the PVC goes there is just a pipe (no PVC) that runs to the TB. You can see in the picture what it did. The end with the rubber hose went to the TB and the tube end went into the valve cover, NO PVC, just the tube. I went to the parts store and picked up a PCV and ran a new hose to the TB. Why would there be no PCV? That can't be good!

[Jrs3800]

Sorry I didn't get here sooner... That just a Crank Case breather....

The PCV is located under the alternator and can be a major PITA to change out.. So the PCV is located on the belt end of the lower part of the intake under the alternator... I think once you yank the alternator you'll see the PCV..

Has the " Service Engine Soon " light come on at all?

[J Lazy H]

Originally Posted by Jrs3800

Sorry I didn't get here sooner... That just a Crank Case breather....

The PCV is located under the alternator and can be a major PITA to change out.. So the PCV is located on the belt end of the lower part of the intake under the alternator... I think once you yank the alternator you'll see the PCV..

Has the " Service Engine Soon " light come on at all?

No engine light. The only light that stays on is the seat belt light for some reason. I just wanted to change the pcv trying to find out why this thing runs so ruff. I am getting 5 to 7 miles per gallon now and no service lights come on. I'm lost.

[Jrs3800]

When you say running rough... Is it like a double cylinder misfire? Like the engine is stumbling all of the time?

Or is it so rough that you can hardly drive it? Does it ever stall out? Fail to start?

[J Lazy H]

Originally Posted by Jrs3800

When you say running rough... Is it like a double cylinder misfire? Like the engine is stumbling all of the time?

Or is it so rough that you can hardly drive it? Does it ever stall out? Fail to start?

It's like a double cyl. misfire. It always starts, never dies just a lack in power and outragious gas milage. Could it be the cat. converter? Maybe a vaccume leak? I checked the vac leak thing pretty well and don't seem to find anything. All the fuel injectors sound good through a screw driver handle.

[Jrs3800]

well here is the thing... If the car is missing on 2 cyliners( more or less dead ), the ECM( Brain Box ) will see the extra added oxygen in the exhaust stream and with the ECM trying to correct for that problem it will add more fuel to the mix... If the converter is not bad now it will be if we don't get to the root of the problem..

I am not sure if I can say ICM... But it could be possible the Coil Pack you bought may be bad... By Chance was the Coil pack a Wells or a Duralast?

If this is a new coil pack check it and see if it has a bad coil... I have seen some of these bad out of the Box, or fail shortly after...