# Starts but won't stay started

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/starts-but-wont-stay-started/74930>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** ninety-eight, oldsmobile\
**Created:** [October 11, 2012, 7:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/starts-but-wont-stay-started/74930 "2012-10-11T07:21:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Watts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e99b99/32.png) [@Watts](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Watts)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 7:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/starts-but-wont-stay-started/74930/1 "2012-10-11T07:21:23Z")

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Hi, I have a 1989 Oldsomobile Ninety-eight. A couple weeks ago I drove it around town, running various errands, and it ran fine - no indication of problems. Then, just the other day, I had trouble starting it. After a few tries, it started, but then backfired and died immediately. I noticed an unfamiliar odor that seemed to be coming from the exhaust. My first thoughts were, “Somebody has put something in my gas tank, because the last time I drove it, it was fine.” This issue was totally unexpected. All the same, I drove it to the grocery store anyway. As long as I kept giving it gas, it would go, but it died at every stop. In order to take off from a stop, I would have to slam it into gear. It ran fine once I got going. Any ideas as to what could be causing this?