'89 SIdekick - Intermittent "Low Power" and Lots of Smoke - please help?

[salshoes]

Hi all - 

I've got an '89 Sidekick, manual, 4wd, 1.3l engine.  It is something of a beater - what I use in the woods to get firewood and haul other materials.  Over the last few months, it has started, intermittently, to run, but seemingly on very "low Power," almost like only 2 cylinders are firing and getting power to the transmission.  When this happens I have to totally floor the gas pedal to go anywhere.  Most of the times it has happened over the last month or so, it will finally get itself "right" again, giving me full power.  Today I struggled with it for 1/2 hour, just trying to pull it back into my garage - I'd have to rev it, then slowly let off the clutch, maybe move five feet before it almost stalled out, or did.  Finally, after about 10-15 minutes of that, and after I really floored it, it came fully back to life, a lot of smoke coming out of the exhaust - but almost like by giving it so much throttle i had pushed out some sort of blockage.  

I am not super-proficient with engines, so I'm really unclear as to what I should do.  I was going to do a compression test after reading some other posts about somewhat similar issues.  I was also thinking I should do something of a tune-up with new plugs, wires, and a fuel filter.  

It didn't seem like it would be a timing belt issue, since eventually it does seem to run on all four cylinders, but, again, i am no expert.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[fixkick]

Hi all - 

I've got an '89 Sidekick, manual, 4wd, 1.3l engine.  It is something of a beater - what I use in the woods to get firewood and haul other materials.  Over the last few months, it has started, intermittently, to run, but seemingly on very "low Power," almost like only 2 cylinders are firing and getting power to the transmission.  When this happens I have to totally floor the gas pedal to go anywhere.  Most of the times it has happened over the last month or so, it will finally get itself "right" again, giving me full power.  Today I struggled with it for 1/2 hour, just trying to pull it back into my garage - I'd have to rev it, then slowly let off the clutch, maybe move five feet before it almost stalled out, or did.  Finally, after about 10-15 minutes of that, and after I really floored it, it came fully back to life, a lot of smoke coming out of the exhaust - but almost like by giving it so much throttle i had pushed out some sort of blockage.  

I am not super-proficient with engines, so I'm really unclear as to what I should do.  I was going to do a compression test after reading some other posts about somewhat similar issues.  I was also thinking I should do something of a tune-up with new plugs, wires, and a fuel filter.  

It didn't seem like it would be a timing belt issue, since eventually it does seem to run on all four cylinders, but, again, i am no expert.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

wow a carb car still running , hold my breath wow. (carbs love to fail, and get gummed up inside for sure not driven 20 miles a day or with fresh gas every month)
ever do a tune up. full.?  60k mile listed things,?
bad spark  makes burning fuel impossible,   
is spark is good (and new spark wires HV)
then the carb is messed up
or that nasty distributor that is pure mechanical is bad. (advance failing or ignitor)



the 60k check is a new timing belt too.  and make  sure that 17mm bottom pulley bolt center is at 94ft/lbs torgue if not, ? kiss off the key and crankshaft end.

a car this old  31 years old, is like wow it runs at all , when is the last time you saw any car this old run, 99% do not,  (restored cars sure)
a full 60k is first.
id make sure the distributor is not bad. I if spark dies 100% or is intermittent this is it.
then clean the carb.
and tBELT.  timing belt. (if a belt is super bad/loose it can jump around and be ok 1 day not the next as it JUMPS wildly) we inspect them carefully.


I just saw a running 95 sidekick at walfart yesterday,  1st one this year seen. running. (I wanted to buy,it, yes I am sick)

This car is great offroad  2000 lbs is light and light wins offroad.  as does LOW CG. (and both wow) and it huge packed up snowed in roads. wow.2.(and fun)

[salshoes]

 So i'm about to do my compression test, but am not sure which fuse or relay is for the fuel pump, which I need to pull to do the test, right? The under-dash fuse box on my Kick has no cover, and i'm struggling to find the info online. DOes anyone have the fuse box layout for an '89 Sidekick 1.3l engine? Not the one in the engine bay, but under the dash on the drivers side. thanks!

[fixkick]

 So i'm about to do my compression test, but am not sure which fuse or relay is for the fuel pump, which I need to pull to do the test, right? The under-dash fuse box on my Kick has no cover, and i'm struggling to find the info online. DOes anyone have the fuse box layout for an '89 Sidekick 1.3l engine? Not the one in the engine bay, but under the dash on the drivers side. thanks!

this car, 1.3l books, omg yes,. now books. newly planted... lucky you. get it and keep it.
ah but  sticky post #1 for books has  link to your car, sees 1300cc 1989 supplement.
the 1.3 is carb fueled engine, no TBI here, no fuel pump controls no FPR no fuel pump relay, nor ECU controls to any pump?
there is an ECM that modulates the CARB , in a very crude way. via ID11 page 11, mixture solenoid.

https://geo.pink/?fbclid=IwAR2k4wtqVBZt7...W_iTQmf8Q8

wow the first link is 1300cc sidekick supplement gee what can be better?  IDK, let me look now. wow nice book there, never better. real too;


page 105 shows it all. carb back.
there is no electric pump on this car,  none in tank either.
the pump is old skool  pure mechanical pump seen as ID #4, page 105.. and page 48 see pump facing head, rear left corner of head. (passenger side rear of head)
the filter is external and front of tank.
the pump is on the engine. page 107 shows removing it off the engine, cam driven I think.

Just defeat spark, pull the ignition coil center spark wire out of coil, or pull IG coil fuse.best.

compression test. page 45 is the compression test.
there is no way to stop fuel the carb float fuel bowl is full of fuel;.  but warm engine, reduces the flow. wow 199 PSI possible at sea level, same page

[fixkick]

the coil fuse is blk/white wire, fuse. the 1 year newer car fuse is marked on cover, IG-COIL, not sure on 89 G13, the book I have the photo is too small to read.

[salshoes]

 So i'm about to do my compression test, but am not sure which fuse or relay is for the fuel pump, which I need to pull to do the test, right? The under-dash fuse box on my Kick has no cover, and i'm struggling to find the info online. DOes anyone have the fuse box layout for an '89 Sidekick 1.3l engine? Not the one in the engine bay, but under the dash on the drivers side. thanks!

this car,   1.3l books,  omg yes,. now books. newly planted... lucky you. get it and keep it.
ah but  sticky post #1 for books has  link to your car, sees 1300cc 1989 supplement.
the 1.3 is carb fueled engine, no TBI here, no fuel pump controls no FPR no fuel pump relay, nor ECU controls to any pump?
there is an ECM that modulates the CARB , in a very crude way. via ID11 page 11, mixture solenoid.

https://geo.pink/?fbclid=IwAR2k4wtqVBZt7...W_iTQmf8Q8

wow the first link is 1300cc sidekick supplement gee what can be better?  IDK, let me look now. wow nice book there, never better. real too;


page 105 shows it all. carb back.
there is no electric pump on this car,  none in tank either.
the pump is old skool  pure mechanical pump seen as ID #4, page 105.. and page 48 see pump facing head, rear left corner of head. (passenger side rear of head)
the filter is external and front of tank.
the pump is on the engine. page 107 shows removing it off the engine, cam driven I think.

Just defeat spark, pull the ignition coil center spark wire out of coil, or  pull IG coil fuse.best.

compression test. page 45 is the compression test.
there is no way to stop fuel the carb float fuel bowl is full of fuel;.  but warm engine, reduces the flow. wow 199 PSI possible at sea level, same page

This is GREAT - thanks!

[salshoes]

This points to what exactly? Head gasket? I'm attaching a pic of the spark plugs I just put in two days ago - is it normal for them to be this black after driving maybe 10 miles? Thanks!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mLEa0TH...sp=sharing

[fixkick]

This points to what exactly? Head gasket? I'm attaching a pic of the spark plugs I just put in two days ago - is it normal for them to be this black after driving maybe 10 miles? Thanks!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mLEa0TH...sp=sharing

great all great.
a pig in the poke sack engine, is first  tested in the floor or pallet or as you did, (to a battery)
cranked to see if compression is ok,
x4, sparks out. throttle blocked open so the engine can pump air.

ok its a good and if not,  we check the timing belt, for slipped, they all do after 60k miles or so. 60k is spec.
if all 4 read 80psi not 180 then it cam slipped the belt.

if one cylinder  is low lash is wrong, valves there burned, or head gasket bad or even  a bad cam lobe  or broken  valve spring. (what matters most do the compression test first)
then we do more tests, if 1 or more fail.


the engine is a huge air pump 1.6L pump. and that is first, making sure it still is.


good luck to you.