Hard starting?

Car runs but only with “foot” in it.Black(?) smoke(smells gassy)-will not idle.



Disconnected MAS with same symptoms.Slipped timing belt???

Black gassy smoke is from really rich runnning. Really rich running means that there’s too much gas going in for the engine’s “needs”. Think bad injector(s), bad manifold absolute pressure sensor, bad fuel pressure regulator (too much pressure), perhaps a bad throttle position sensor (although the symptoms would be unusual for that), and stuff like that. Check the mass airflow sensor and the oxygen sensor too, but I doubt if one of those alone would cause that amount of richness.

I doubt that the timing belt is slipped. The symptoms point to the fuel metering.

By the way, what year is it and what’s the mileage?

The check engine light should be on. Have the codes pulled at your local auto parts store and list them here.

If it has an OBDII system…

Actually, had I realized the years they made these I would have first asked if it was carburated.

1992 with 107xxx miles

Hadn’t checked “check engine light”. live 4 miles from town and probably never make it in.

fuel injected

sticky injectors usually stick closed, which is why injected engines are more likely to starve for fuel than have too much, as is your case. It could to be in the fuel supply control system. Have you checked for loose wires or shorts in the system? Is this a ca. car or a federal smog car? I dont know this particular car, but can you reach the injector leads? You might try to disconnect one at a time to see if if is just one cylinder or all of them that are failing. If an exhaust valve is warped, or has carbon on the seat and you have poor ignition, that could cause this condition as well. When were the spark plugs last changed? Did this condition come on suddenly or has it developed over time?

Found the air filter blocked.

Thanks for the suggestions
d a v e