when ever my car worms up and goes several miles it no longer wants to accelerate. i hit the gas and it just cuts back and then goes for a millisecond then cuts back again in rapid susetion (wash rinse repeat). if you then keep pussing it it will just cut off when you hit the gas and might start up again but might need a cooldown period before it will. i do not know the history of this car i just bought it about two months ago. can anybody tell me what could be doing this? it just got a full tune up cap and button included, yes it was doing this before the tune up!
Hmmm…You had both the “cap and the button” replaced, and it is still doing this?
;-))
I really think that, given the unknown history of this car, you need to have ALL of the required maintenance listed in the mfr’s maintenance schedule done before anyone can really assess the situation properly. It is possible that this car had very little maintenance for many years, and that definitely takes its toll on performance.
My best guess is that you need a new fuel filter, but if that doesn’t resolve the situation, it is also possible that the fuel pump is failing. A new fuel filter is part of the maintenance that you should have performed on the car.
I would also suggest that you go to a different shop for this maintenance. If the shop that replaced “the cap and the button” returned the car to you in this condition, it certainly doesn’t say much for their work ethic. Just be sure to AVOID chain operations like Midas, Meineke, Monro, Sears, AAMCO, etc.
No shop doing this with hubby in front yard we have done fuel and spark to the best we can think of including filter and pump. all maintenance done is like i said tune up, oil change, timing belt, fuel filter and pump assembly with strainer, all filters and all now hoses.
sorry i forget to say thanks for answering. i appreciate the reply and if you have any more you think might be helpful please do share it. i am about to give up and junk the car if i cant figure out what in the world this car is doing.
Don’t give up just yet!
There are some people on this board who have had personal experience with these cars, so they may be able to give some advice specific to Chrysler products of this era.
Actually, I think your car might think it’s a Camry, not a Rabbit.
Had an '85 Camry that did a less severe version of what you desribe: when demanding a lot from it (read uphill on the highway), it would lose power, knock, and eventually stall out if one didn’t back off the power.
Tom+Ray actually termed this “Toyota Camry Syndrome” a while back and credited it to sticky valves. Might not be such a bad idea to dump some sort of “cleaning solvent” into the tank…
I think your car has fuel injection. Does it? Even if it doesn’t, check the hot air tube that connects to the air cleaner. Look for frayed wires on that thing in the distributor if you have vacuum advance. Carb to manifold gasket can be broken.
Vacuum advance might be stuck or leaking. MAF sensor could be bad. Sensors that screw into the intake manifold might be frazzled. You could have cracked vacuum lines. Ballast resistor could be fried (can’t remember if your car has one).
If your distributor has an external condenser, disconnect it and see what happens. I fixed a Ford and a Chrysler once by doing that. The cars would quit after a few miles and wouldn’t start. Ignition module could be too old.
Use this link to retrieve diagnostic codes http://www.allpar.com/fix/codes/index.html
High suspect things are Fuel filter, Fuel pump, Throttle position sensor, and hall effect sensor.
Post back any codes that you retrieve from the link.
Good Luck