97 GTP looses power going up hill???

gtpgirl1997 · #1 03-25-2009, 01:32 PM

I just had a tune up on my car......spark plugs, air filter, oil change, etc....now my car when accelerating or going up hill feels like it is not getting enough gas or looses power. It has 137+ miles on it 3.8 supercharged 97 gtp works great other than this issue. I changed the fuel filter thinking that it was maybe the problem, which by the way may have been because it was loose and leaking fuel!! But...problem not fixed. I took it to my mechanic who ran a diagnostic and it came back saying that one the sensors needed to be changed. He did, didn't help. Any suggestions?

tblake · #2 03-25-2009, 05:10 PM

Hi, are there any DTC's stored? Is the SES light on?

Disconnect your MAF sensor and drive it like that to see if its better.

Do you rememeber what sensor your mechanic replaced?

gtpgirl1997 · #3 03-25-2009, 05:32 PM

The check engine light is on, we cleared it but it back on again. It was the MAF sensor that shows up on the diagnostic. My mechanic ordered it put the new one in but it did not help.

tblake · #4 03-25-2009, 08:34 PM

What brand maf did he use? And did he clear the code after he replaced the MAF?

Check for power and ground at the MAF connector plug. I think MAF's get full 12.6 B+.

If all looks good I would look into gettting a Delco replacement maf and clearing the code

The MAF DTC should be your first issue to fix with the power loss going up hills (and will more than likely fix your issue)

richtazz · #5 03-26-2009, 09:02 AM

I'm with Tim on the MAF issue. If your mechanic used a Cardone or Standard Iginition branded replacement MAF, it could still be your issue as they are very problematic.

gtpgirl1997 · #6 03-26-2009, 12:56 PM

Thank you for your help!!! I will call him today and determine which one he used and have him get a Delco replacement.

Iron · #7 03-26-2009, 05:23 PM

Hey guys, I'm having a similar problem. When I go up some hills the engine feels like it's ....chugging? (the power is not smooth, it's like I'm stepping on/off the gas real quick). Also, when I step on the gas hard (floored) for about 5 seconds the check engine light comes on (flashing) for about 5 seconds and then goes away. I took the car to my mechanic for an inspection before I bought the car, and he didn't find any problems that would suggest symptoms like this. The previous owner replaced the MAF not long ago.

Also..it may be unrelated but I am losing gas faster than I should be.. at least according to my gas gage. I've only fueled up once so far but I'll do it again to see if the gage just drops faster than normal or something.

Thanks for the help!

tblake · #8 03-26-2009, 06:57 PM

Is this with your camaro or your gtp? Nice car by the way!

A flashing SES light indicates a missfire condition. I would suggest having any codes pulled for free at advance or autozone. Then doing a full tune up if it has never been done (plugs, wires, air filter, fuel filter) Try to stick with delco replacment parts, and dont buy bosch plugs.

BNaylor · #9 03-26-2009, 07:00 PM

Good overall suggestion Tim but I don't think he has Autozone or Advance in Canada.

tblake · #10 03-26-2009, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BNaylor

Good overall suggestion Tim but I don't think he has Autozone or Advance in Canada.

Oops!

I hate these missfire's under load. Unless a person has a scanner capable of running misfire monitors, he's pretty much SOL.

Wish I could snag a tech 2 from somoeone for a good price. (I know I'm dreaming)

Iron · #11 03-27-2009, 12:16 PM

Yeah all my questions here are about the Grand Prix.
There's a place that gives free code checks called Part Source where I live, misfire problem codes show up with regular codes right? Or do they need some special..code reader thing? I'll check it out today.
Also with the gas thing, I filled up today and I worked it out that my computer said I got about 18 mpg, while my actual mpg was about 14.29 mpg(with pencil and calculator). The original poster mentioned leaking fuel, if this were the case, shouldn't it have been picked up in my mechanical inspection? I don't visibly see any fuel on the ground...
Thanks.

BNaylor · #12 03-27-2009, 01:17 PM

They will show up as regular odb-ii DTCs. P0300 is random misfire(s) and specific cylinder DTCs will show as P030X. If you see a P0301 DTC that means the misfire is related to cylinder 1, etc.

You did reset the DIC/Computer after filling up?

tblake · #13 03-27-2009, 04:44 PM

18mpg is on the low side. Maybe you have a sticking injector causeing a missfire and bad mpg?

Pull the vacuum line off the fuel pressure regulator and look for fuel contamination.

Iron · #14 03-27-2009, 07:19 PM

I had it checked for codes and no DTCs appeared. I'll start checking fuel type stuff tomorrow.

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