My 1997 LSI Auto Tracker is Looseing power on hills.
and at Take off cold.
the Crank was redone New crank put in and the Bolt is tight that was redone like 15000 KMs ago.
Done by Pros who Knew what was wrong right away.

Goes like a scolded dog on the flats once it gets going.
Could it be my Catalitic Converter being Pluged. It looks Orignal the tracker has 220000KMs on it.
Theres a Sensor in front and behind the Cat.
Its really goten bad lately in the last few weeks today i hardley got up a steep hill even shifting the Auto shifter down.
The transd aint slipping id hear the engine rev i figger 
the thing runs like new Idles perfect no warning lites on just not as much power on steep hills and on take off cold.
 Seems worse when the tracker is cold but im not sure.

Could use some advise please.
 it will do 60 Miles per hour no trobles but its sure looseing power somewhere on hills.
engine Dont burn any oil and trans is perfect leval of fluid.

Is it stuttering?

Mine stutters when its colds, and when I need it, I.E. up hills and taking off. I know its the fuel pump dieing, there is good spark and the injector pulse's its just not getting the pressure any more.

Try sea foaming it, could be a clogged injector.

Is the transmission downshifting? Or is the motor just not pulling?

Bryce

Hi Nope runs Ex and shifts fine to.
But is suddenly Guttless untill ya get speed up to a run at a hill, its any incline makes it slow down and at take off like its shifting outa frist to soon into second its Fricken weird.

Im gona try buying a fuel filter. Sounds Dumb but the filter looks orignal  
So thats the Cheepist start!
Also took out the Air filter no Diffrence.
No ebngine lites comeing on.
Just power on the take off is gutless Blahhhhh.
Once its up and going its not bad but from a dead or almost dead stop on a hill its very gutless.

Id say the motor is not pulling. Auto shifting seams fine. i had it up to 100 Kms on the flat and the passing gear kicked in the revs jumped for 3500 to 3900 then back down thats all working great.
My Wifes 2 door tracker spins the wheels its got a smaller engine but way more torque and its aauto as well but the little 1600 Motor.

My motor was great up till the last week ive noticed this problem.
Man i hope its the Fuel filter.
Its Dead slow as you hit the Gas
I did put sea foam thru a tank of gas awhile ago soim pretty sure the injectors must be Ok. Thats good stuiff.
Anyother ideas.
New Fuel filter going in tomorrow!  

Theres so many sensors and crap on my Tracker im at a loss looking under the hood.

I would NEVER run seafoam through just my gas. 1/3 in the crank case, 1/3 in gas, and 1/3 through the intake manifold VIA the brake booster is simpleist.d

There are a number of things it could be, I'm hoping mine is the filter as well, just havent gotten around to replacing it. Exact same symptons, except mines an 8V and 5spd manual, downshifting into 2nd to get up hils! lol it is being starved of fuel.
If its not the injector, and fuel pump's usually just die (unlike mine which is not giving up just not giving good fuel pressure) then it must be a sensor.

Bryce

I hope your Right.
I only put about a 1/4 of a can of seafoam in my gas tank when i filled it so that shouldnt of hurt anything.
Im getting the filter in today.
If its not that gota hook the thing up to a OBD II
(I should just buy one there only $200 for a good one in town.)
Beats paying $70 at the garage everytime.

I will post my Results later.

I would NEVER run seafoam through just my gas. 1/3 in the crank case, 1/3 in gas, and 1/3 through the intake manifold VIA the brake booster is simpleist.d

Bryce

Isn't that contradictory?

Not at all. a WHOLE can of seafoam through your gas tank is going to be pretty hard on the pump, lines and injector. its pretty much 100%petrolum etc.
Its must better to do it the 1/3 method, and then change your oil right after.
Engine light is not on, should be no codes....

Bryce

Well its not the fuel filter. 

New one is in No diffrence.
Next im gona undo the Joint where the Exhust and cat are Joined behind the Cat converter and bash drill somehow get holes theu my Cats honeycome as everyone thinks its Plugged.

On a Side note my Wifes 1991 LSI Two door 8 V Tracker goes like stink i looked underneath it guess what ......No Cat at all.
I bought it off a Heavy duty mechanic so he musta known then Cats just slow ya down and if they get plugged there Horible.
I dont give a rats ass about Polution controll around here in the West coast of B.C Canada where all the school busses are Deisel.
My engine lite will come on but id rather have power.
I could spend $200 on a New cat but this one must be Pluged.
Maby i should try undo the joint infront of the cat frist to see if letting Exhaust gas escape before the Cat Helps with my Lack of power.
I need a New Exhuist system anyway so pokeing a hole in a cat with 220000 KMs on it aint gona be a big deal.
A Mechanic i know did this to his and it ran like a scolded dog after he bashed out the cats guts.

Anyone else care to coment on pluged Cat converters and power loss.

If it were the EGR Valve or a O2 sensor the Engine lite would come on.

cut it out, and and put in piping, easy fix. That would do it.

Mines pretty much open header, as its all blown holes and leaking horribly, im hoping its lack of back pressure.

Bryce

Its Not the Cat convertor i had the joint in front of the Cat open so exhust could escape so thats 3 Strikes.
Air Filter = No diffrence
Fuel Filter + no diffrence
Cat Coverter not pluged so it aint that.
.
Ya cant cut out the Cat theres two O2 sensors one in front one Behind.

now im thinking MAF sensor or just needs a tune up. I will have to let the guys in town figger it out.

My 1964 Ford Falcon was a better car to work on than anything 1990s and newer  

I dont give a rats ass about Polution controll around here in the West coast of B.C Canada where all the school busses are Deisel.

You do understand a gas engine with no catcon will pollute FAR more than a diesel engine right?

Anyone else care to coment on pluged Cat converters and power loss.

Clogged catcons suck, but they're rare.

If it were the EGR Valve or a O2 sensor the Engine lite would come on.

Not necessarily. 1) Some failures (especially 'near failures') don't trigger a code. 2) The engine light is... well... a light. And, lights fail. It's rare - but it's also bad to assume anything electrical will work 100% of the time.

now im thinking MAF sensor or just needs a tune up.

It's possible. A manual will tell you how to test it with a $10 multi meter... along with most of your other sensors.

My 1964 Ford Falcon was a better car to work on than anything 1990s and newer  

Maybe, but a Ford Falcon won't get 25 MPG and climb up the same trails a Suzuki will  

Check the ground wires behind the driver's rear tail light. That's where the fuel pump grounds out, and it's a common source of failure for the fuel pump. Timing being off a few degrees will also cause huge power loss. It's important to do a basic tuneup & compression test before trying to troubleshoot a problem. MOST procedures for testing ASSUME you've already done a basic tuneup.

Quote from: dingus on June 12, 2009, 12:51:54 PM

I dont give a rats ass about Polution controll around here in the West coast of B.C Canada where all the school busses are Deisel.

You do understand a gas engine with no catcon will pollute FAR more than a diesel engine right?

Quote from: dingus on June 12, 2009, 12:51:54 PM

Anyone else care to coment on pluged Cat converters and power loss.

Clogged catcons suck, but they're rare.

Quote from: dingus on June 12, 2009, 12:51:54 PM

If it were the EGR Valve or a O2 sensor the Engine lite would come on.

Not necessarily. 1) Some failures (especially 'near failures') don't trigger a code. 2) The engine light is... well... a light. And, lights fail. It's rare - but it's also bad to assume anything electrical will work 100% of the time.

Quote from: dingus on June 12, 2009, 07:52:04 PM

now im thinking MAF sensor or just needs a tune up.

It's possible. A manual will tell you how to test it with a $10 multi meter... along with most of your other sensors.

Quote from: dingus on June 12, 2009, 07:52:04 PM

My 1964 Ford Falcon was a better car to work on than anything 1990s and newer  

Maybe, but a Ford Falcon won't get 25 MPG and climb up the same trails a Suzuki will  

Check the ground wires behind the driver's rear tail light. That's where the fuel pump grounds out, and it's a common source of failure for the fuel pump. Timing being off a few degrees will also cause huge power loss. It's important to do a basic tuneup & compression test before trying to troubleshoot a problem. MOST procedures for testing ASSUME you've already done a basic tuneup.

Thanks Jeremiah 

I will check them Grounds at the back drivers side Tail light right now!
I should do a Comp test tomorrow before i go in for that Tune up monday and i can check ALL my plugs not just one.

Im booked for a full tune up ECT on monday.
I love this little tracker its been a good reliable little truck for me and is still roaring around the power loss is just frustrating.
Checking out the Cat and exhust like i did was a good thing to do as i now know the cats not the troble.
Could be the Rear $270 O2 sensor tho.


In second grear once i get the RPM up it still has lotsa power and i think after a certin RPM that back O2 sensor is by passed.
I had a Problem with a O2 sensor on a VW Syncro 4x4 van and it ran great as long as you were flat out high RPMs
Anyway thanks for the Extra tips.
I been useing the Air conditioner abit the last few weeks that wouldnt cause any trobles eh?
i did stop useing the Air latley tho.
as running it with this power loss made it way Worse.

if I'm not mistaken the rear o2 sensor is gut to read the converter, have you checked the maf, Iv seen them get a little dirty and then the car will have a loss of power. you can get mass air flow cleaner spray and try it

OK How do you Clean it 

Just spray in the part where the air cleaner is?
Im scared to touch the MAF as there so expensive.
I can see its in a box right where the air filter goes.

The power loss is low end RPM not hi.
 it goes like stink till i have to start from a stop sign or on hills if i dont get a run at em.
Thanks to everyone thats tryed to help.