i have a 1994 buick park avenue non supercharge. I replaced the harmonic balancer because it was split all the way around. ok then i start having low fuel pressure. it was at at 22psi so i got the fuel pump, strainer and filter replaced i also notice my cat was turning red. I also got the cat replaced and part of the new one is starting to turn red. I am experiencing poor acceleration …my car shakes but shakes more when im in drive and foot on the brake…i can tell the difference in the acceleration from when i put the new cat on…it picked up a little bit but its not how its suppose to be. I also notice two of my coil packs have a slight crack across the top by the numbers…
If the new catalytic converter is overheating just like the old one, that indicates that your engine is running on too rich a fuel-air mixture, and that unburned gas is getting into the cat. This is a sure way to ruin the new cat converter, as well as to possibly start a fire, so I would suggest getting this resolved before driving for anything other than very short distances.
The items that you should focus on in regard to unburned gas in the cat include the following:
A fuel pressure regulator in need of replacement
Spark plugs that are overdue for replacement
A thermostat stuck in the open position
A defective temperature sensor
A bad ECM
and…possibly even something as simple as a gummed up PCV system
First things to check are the simple things. Ensure your secondary ignition components (plugs, wires) are in good shape and wires are properly routed. A severe misfire can cause poor acceleration and the converter to glow red, as can crossed plug wires. Another possibility is an overly rich condition, which can cause these symptoms. Check to make sure your fuel pressure regulator is okay and the diaphragm is not ruptured. To check this, pull the vacuum line off it at the regulator. If there’s fuel in the vacuum line, the diaphragm is ruptured and that’s where all the extra fuel is finding its way into the engine. If that’s not it, check to make sure your fuel injectors are not leaking down or sticking open.
It’s not the fuel regulator nor the injectors…one thing it does is start right up when I turn the key…I don’t know if they can lower my possibilities or what… Egr valve is good
Does the engine run smoothly and have good power? Your post is titled “poor acceleration” but you have not alluded to any running or driveability problems. How well does the engine run, and how did you determine the problem has nothing to do with the fuel pressure regulator or fuel injectors?
I checked the regulator and fuel injectors…when I’m in drive and foot on brake it shakes kinda bad…when I’m driving the speed decreases when I go up a hill I have to press on the gas kinda far to get it to pick up…
How did you check the regulator and injectors? Checking a regulator is actually pretty easy, especially if you have a fuel pressure gauge. Checking injectors is not so easy.
Is the car getting all the way up to temperature? Or does it stay cool (low on the temp gauge / not great heat?)
You must have a check engine light, yes? If so, pull the codes and post them.
What about the plugs & wires? I would actually be worried about those cracked coil packs.
The last time I saw this set of symptoms (rough idle, lack of power, glowing red cat) it was caused by crossed plug wires. I also see you updated your post and have noted a crack in one of the coil packs. This could probably mimic crossed plug wires (crossfire), so you should get that replaced too, regardless of whether or not you find crossed plug wires. Either way, ignition crossfire is probably occurring for some reason and that will definitely cause what you are experiencing. If it’s not crossfire, it’s a dead miss dumping fuel into the cat. Your previous cat was probably melted down due to overheating (hence the pickup of power), and if you don’t fix this soon you will melt down your new converter and have to have it replaced again.
I don’t have a check engine light…n the temp gauge stays below halfway. It rises from cold though…I’m gonna Try to pull some codes tonight
Autozone could not pull any codes it read no link
If the check engine light never came on then chances are there wouldn’t be any codes to read.
Just found out coil pack 1/4 is not firing
I replaced the coil packs and 1/4 still does not work
Yes it was the module…i just put on another one and its riding smooth …I guess I will kno tonight if the cat is still turning red hopefully it won’t cause I got all my power back…thanks guys
Your cat should be fine as long as you did not drive too much with the engine running like that. If you did drive too much, it’s melted down like the first one and you will have poor power and acceleration and limited top speed, and will need to replace it again. Keep in mind for next time that an engine that is running poorly can cause damage not only to itself but also to other things as well, such as the catalytic converter. As for your cause of this problem, coil packs and ignition modules are fairly common failures on GM vehicles of this era. I have owned several GM cars from the late '80s through the early '00s, all using the same coil packs and similar ignition modules, and over the last ten or twelve years, have replaced probably three ignition modules and six or seven coil packs (I actually have half a dozen or so good coil packs in the garage for these cars, pulled from cars I have junked, just in case I need them later, and three or four ignition modules). If you had a mechanic looking into this problem, I would be surprised if they didn’t think of these potential issues, as common as they are. If you are the person working on the car, this stuff is good to know and to learn, so you know for future reference. Glad you got it fixed.