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02 buick hesitates loses power


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dougcrv24
Novice

Aug 24, 2009, 1:13 AM

Post #1 of 10 (3506 views)
02 buick hesitates loses power Sign In

I have an 02 buick century 3.1 v-6. The car runs, but hesitates and chugs at low speed and during acceleration, also loses power at highway speeds. Seems to run fine at a stand still and while reving the motor, and will accelerate if you jump in the gas. I have changed the plugs with AC delco plugs, changed the MAF sensor, and air filter....still have the problem...help?


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Aug 24, 2009, 1:27 AM

Post #2 of 10 (3480 views)
Re: 02 buick hesitates loses power Sign In

It sounds like it may be misfiring. If so, you want to make sure it has relatively new plug wires and it that doesn't resolve it, it's likely a bad coil.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



dougcrv24
Novice

Aug 24, 2009, 1:32 AM

Post #3 of 10 (3477 views)
Re: 02 buick hesitates loses power Sign In

Thanks. I'll try the new wires and see what happens. Where is the coil located if I need to replace it?


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Aug 24, 2009, 1:40 AM

Post #4 of 10 (3473 views)
Re: 02 buick hesitates loses power Sign In

Just follow the wires back to the coil. I believe they are mounted right on top of the rear valve cover. You will first have to determine which cylinder is misfiring to know which coil is the problem.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



dougcrv24
Novice

Aug 24, 2009, 3:07 AM

Post #5 of 10 (3465 views)
Re: 02 buick hesitates loses power Sign In

I have the new wires and will be putting them on shortly. I also had a local shop check to see if there were any codes stored....none other than a miscellaneous misfire code in the history. If the wires do not solve the problem how do I determine which cylinder is missing, and thus which coil to replace?
Thank you again for the guidance.
-Doug


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Aug 24, 2009, 3:14 AM

Post #6 of 10 (3461 views)
Re: 02 buick hesitates loses power Sign In

If it's a constant miss, then you can find it with a spark tester but if you getting a PO300, then it's likely not just one cylinder and you could have other issues.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



dougcrv24
Novice

Aug 24, 2009, 5:28 AM

Post #7 of 10 (3456 views)
Re: 02 buick hesitates loses power Sign In

I have now replaced the spark plugs, wires, 3- coil packs, MAF sensor, and air filter. $350 later I still have the same problem with no codes showing. Fell like I am chasing a ghost.....and he's getting expensive to chase. Where do I go from here?
thanks.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Aug 24, 2009, 5:37 AM

Post #8 of 10 (3449 views)
Re: 02 buick hesitates loses power Sign In

Maybe you should stop throwing parts at it and have it diagnosed correctly. I advised you to use a spark tester that costs $4 and instead you replaced all the coils. You could have had it diagnosed professionally for well under $100. Your description doesn't give me the info I need to know what your experiencing.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



dougcrv24
Novice

Aug 24, 2009, 5:42 AM

Post #9 of 10 (3443 views)
Re: 02 buick hesitates loses power Sign In

Fair statement. As I mentioned I did take it in earlier this morning and was told that without codes to follow they could spend several hours trying to diag the problem. I thought putting on the wires and the coil packs looked easy enough before authorizing $300 or so for a diagnosis. I'll take it back to them. Thanks for trying to help.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Aug 24, 2009, 5:45 AM

Post #10 of 10 (3437 views)
Re: 02 buick hesitates loses power Sign In

If they want $300 to diagnose that problem, then find another shop. I own a shop and the max diagnostic I charge is $82. The wires it probably needed anyway but not all 3 coils.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.







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