I have stock tires and no aftermarket lift or anything on it. The speedometer is only like 1mph off (if the State Police's speed sign is correct haha). It has P205/75R/15 97S tires on the front and on the back. I was going to replace it with all of those if I can find them.. (if not then is putting 215/70R/15 close enough like I saw someone else say?)
Furthermore when looking up spec on this I actually saw that is called for the 205/75/15 on the front but then 195/75/15 on the back. Mine's the part time 4x4 so the rear does the pushing. (I understand what the letters numbers mean: Passenger vehicle, 1st # being width in mm, 2nd # % of width the sidewall is high, Radial, then rim size and the number 97 after is the rating for it--- but was always under the impression that if you did have different sized tires on the back, then larger? or am I mistaken? i definitely though it odd to see a slightly narrower, shorter tire on the back.)
I do need a Service Manual and I'm going to spend my day off today pouring thru your site, thank you for the shortcuts! Cat is not visibly damaged or rusted. When I get the hoses, I am also going to get a small piece of tubing so I can listen like you have described! I followed every single bit of both of these replies and I'm re-reading it after I read the relevant manual for each part that you have made- to make sure that I'm not missing anything.
thank you so much for the advice and the tips/tricks and the time you've spent replying! I'm nowhere near a trained ear or tech but still with the info I gave you, via the net, you were able to cast a wide net and give me ALL of the information that I need to get me going down the right path or at least keep me busy for a little while replacing things that are definitely bad while diagnosing other things that may be.
I can literally feel myself becoming smarter every time I talk to you because I find myself looking at the inside of the car differently (I'm identifying things that I didn't know before like MAP vacuum hose, hose leading into throttle body for example is GRITTY to the touch and absolutely has to have some small cracking in there somewhere even though I didn't see it) Point is? Im replacing some hoses FOR SURE.
I also don't want to say too many more symptoms that I'm experiencing (I got most of them but the problems kind of evolve. If I notice it one day it will still run but the problem will just slowly get worse of course until I fix it. This car WANTS to run!! I swear it does because it gives me subtle, then not-so-subtle warning BEFORE something goes bad AND i'd even swear that this car is giving me the time to get the money together it seems!) But the point is that until I replace the list of things that I know need replacing already then I may continue to say something like "i smell exhaust when I let off of the throttle" and then later on realize I should have said "exhaust is generous to call it. it smells more like a mixture of raw fuel, exhaust, and slightly light burning plastic when I let off of the throttle". and once I have those other things fixed then we will know what it is not at least for now..
from what you've told me, and it's not this simple I am sure as there are multiple things that need replacing that could be causing just part of the total "not running right" (expertly worded lol) condition... but it sounds like:
1) I definitely have a bad o2 sensor.
2) I definitely have fuel pressure issues (low) likely caused by a clogged filter, but it could also be a failing pump. I lose RPM's going uphill so I get into the throttle more which I feel like may be sending raw fuel out of the exhaust when I, then, let off of the throttle going back down hill? Is it possible that the way I am having to drive to compensate for the clogged fuel filter may be causing that fuel-rich exhaust smell?
3) something likely downstream of the o2 on the exhaust may be bad (since there is already a new muffler) I'm thinking dead cat. I'm going to check it out for sure how you told me and if THAT is the problem then I will be fixing it first thing.
thank you for the advice on this as I literally got on here this morning to tell you that I suspect you're right bout the CAT and it's clogged/melted or at least failing OR that something else wrong is causing exhaust-smell symptoms.
I'll get on the filter and o2 sensor first as well as the hoses and I'll check the catalytic converter/downstream exhaust PLUS check capacitors on the ECU for damage. Again, thank you so much especially for the trick on unplugging O2 sensor for now to fix the condition, or erm well to fool the ECU by changing the 0v condition. i definitely understood that! my dad, luckily, taught me to think outside of the box so I am pick up on little hacks/tricks and understand the system as a whole, at least)
Josh
P.S. I found a 2dr 8v parts car 5sp (unsure of 4x4 or 4x2), someone warped the head on it but it has a new timing belt and new tires (plus the full sized spare that I need) $400 for the whole thing. I was just about to get a new set of tires anyways ;-) So luckily I am in a position where I will have access to the "hard to find spare parts" you have listed unless of course they're out on both vehicles lol. Neither is rusted badly but.. you know, hedging my investment with a parts car haha :-)
if I didn't have access to your site.. I would not be able to do this. Thank you again SO MUCH. You help regular people like me. I'm a home health nurse actually: help keep people home and out of those horrible nursing homes. I don't do it for the cash, that's for sure, so you help me a lot by being able to work on my vehicle. Before this I had only ever worked on the 3800 series GM engines. These pre-96 kicks are much so much more simple and the parts so much more cheap- but you are the missing part. so thank you for what you do for us all!
Furthermore when looking up spec on this I actually saw that is called for the 205/75/15 on the front but then 195/75/15 on the back. Mine's the part time 4x4 so the rear does the pushing. (I understand what the letters numbers mean: Passenger vehicle, 1st # being width in mm, 2nd # % of width the sidewall is high, Radial, then rim size and the number 97 after is the rating for it--- but was always under the impression that if you did have different sized tires on the back, then larger? or am I mistaken? i definitely though it odd to see a slightly narrower, shorter tire on the back.)
I do need a Service Manual and I'm going to spend my day off today pouring thru your site, thank you for the shortcuts! Cat is not visibly damaged or rusted. When I get the hoses, I am also going to get a small piece of tubing so I can listen like you have described! I followed every single bit of both of these replies and I'm re-reading it after I read the relevant manual for each part that you have made- to make sure that I'm not missing anything.
thank you so much for the advice and the tips/tricks and the time you've spent replying! I'm nowhere near a trained ear or tech but still with the info I gave you, via the net, you were able to cast a wide net and give me ALL of the information that I need to get me going down the right path or at least keep me busy for a little while replacing things that are definitely bad while diagnosing other things that may be.
I can literally feel myself becoming smarter every time I talk to you because I find myself looking at the inside of the car differently (I'm identifying things that I didn't know before like MAP vacuum hose, hose leading into throttle body for example is GRITTY to the touch and absolutely has to have some small cracking in there somewhere even though I didn't see it) Point is? Im replacing some hoses FOR SURE.
I also don't want to say too many more symptoms that I'm experiencing (I got most of them but the problems kind of evolve. If I notice it one day it will still run but the problem will just slowly get worse of course until I fix it. This car WANTS to run!! I swear it does because it gives me subtle, then not-so-subtle warning BEFORE something goes bad AND i'd even swear that this car is giving me the time to get the money together it seems!) But the point is that until I replace the list of things that I know need replacing already then I may continue to say something like "i smell exhaust when I let off of the throttle" and then later on realize I should have said "exhaust is generous to call it. it smells more like a mixture of raw fuel, exhaust, and slightly light burning plastic when I let off of the throttle". and once I have those other things fixed then we will know what it is not at least for now..
from what you've told me, and it's not this simple I am sure as there are multiple things that need replacing that could be causing just part of the total "not running right" (expertly worded lol) condition... but it sounds like:
1) I definitely have a bad o2 sensor.
2) I definitely have fuel pressure issues (low) likely caused by a clogged filter, but it could also be a failing pump. I lose RPM's going uphill so I get into the throttle more which I feel like may be sending raw fuel out of the exhaust when I, then, let off of the throttle going back down hill? Is it possible that the way I am having to drive to compensate for the clogged fuel filter may be causing that fuel-rich exhaust smell?
3) something likely downstream of the o2 on the exhaust may be bad (since there is already a new muffler) I'm thinking dead cat. I'm going to check it out for sure how you told me and if THAT is the problem then I will be fixing it first thing.
thank you for the advice on this as I literally got on here this morning to tell you that I suspect you're right bout the CAT and it's clogged/melted or at least failing OR that something else wrong is causing exhaust-smell symptoms.
I'll get on the filter and o2 sensor first as well as the hoses and I'll check the catalytic converter/downstream exhaust PLUS check capacitors on the ECU for damage. Again, thank you so much especially for the trick on unplugging O2 sensor for now to fix the condition, or erm well to fool the ECU by changing the 0v condition. i definitely understood that! my dad, luckily, taught me to think outside of the box so I am pick up on little hacks/tricks and understand the system as a whole, at least)
Josh
P.S. I found a 2dr 8v parts car 5sp (unsure of 4x4 or 4x2), someone warped the head on it but it has a new timing belt and new tires (plus the full sized spare that I need) $400 for the whole thing. I was just about to get a new set of tires anyways ;-) So luckily I am in a position where I will have access to the "hard to find spare parts" you have listed unless of course they're out on both vehicles lol. Neither is rusted badly but.. you know, hedging my investment with a parts car haha :-)
if I didn't have access to your site.. I would not be able to do this. Thank you again SO MUCH. You help regular people like me. I'm a home health nurse actually: help keep people home and out of those horrible nursing homes. I don't do it for the cash, that's for sure, so you help me a lot by being able to work on my vehicle. Before this I had only ever worked on the 3800 series GM engines. These pre-96 kicks are much so much more simple and the parts so much more cheap- but you are the missing part. so thank you for what you do for us all!