Brownnova’s Trans experiment - Born in the USA, Living in Wales: We got us a misfire!

[Minimad5]

Good update.

Still want your Volvo 😅

[brownnova]

Since I rescued it from a scrap yard, sight unseen via eBay this car has actually needed very little. However that kills as if it’s about to change… 

 On the motorway a few weeks back I noticed a slight stutter in 4th and in overdrive. My instant worry was that it may be transmission slippage. 

A week or so later I took it to a local car show: 

On the way back it became clear that all was not fantastically well, and my planned long way home was not happening. Lots of hesitation/misfire, and not in 4th or overdrive, but mainly under load.

Fast forward a few weeks and I had a little time to check it over. Quick check of all the main ignition items showed nothing Obviously amiss. So I gave  it a run… though the village were were fine but as soon as I turned to the open road the misfire begun. I live at the top of a a hill, and by now I was getting concerned about getting back up the hill as the misfire was worsening. I made it. At home it’s clear there is now an occasional miss at idle. But I couldn’t get it to miss whilst revving it. I’m guessing the coil, as my first culprit.

 While I was at it I thought I’d check on the rust. The mot threw an advisory for inner sill, yes. That’s not miraculously got better… but bar a few small bits the underside isn’t too bad. However, there are a couple of bits on the inner arches which may need a little attention. Only one (the smallest and quite insignificant) is within 30 cms of the suspension mounting thankfully, but if it goes in for the sill it Might have them done too.

So it’s stick or twist time for the Pontiac, if I spend money on it it may well become a keeper… 

 

Oh, and the boot still doesn’t work… 😂

[beko1987]

Or you sell it now whilst it's still got test and buy something even more stupid/practical/impractical

Wire chafing somewhere? 

[LightBulbFun]

7 minutes ago, brownnova said:

Since I rescued it from a scrap yard, sight unseen via eBay this car has actually needed very little. However that kills as if it’s about to change… 

 On the motorway a few weeks back I noticed a slight stutter in 4th and in overdrive. My instant worry was that it may be transmission slippage. 

A week or so later I took it to a local car show: 

On the way back it became clear that all was not fantastically well, and my planned long way home was not happening. Lots of hesitation/misfire, and not in 4th or overdrive, but mainly under load.

Fast forward a few weeks and I had a little time to check it over. Quick check of all the main ignition items showed nothing Obviously amiss. So I gave  it a run… though the village were were fine but as soon as I turned to the open road the misfire begun. I live at the top of a a hill, and by now I was getting concerned about getting back up the hill as the misfire was worsening. I made it. At home it’s clear there is now an occasional miss at idle. But I couldn’t get it to miss whilst revving it. I’m guessing the coil, as my first culprit.

 While I was at it I thought I’d check on the rust. The mot threw an advisory for inner sill, yes. That’s not miraculously got better… but bar a few small bits the underside isn’t too bad. However, there are a couple of bits on the inner arches which may need a little attention. Only one (the smallest and quite insignificant) is within 30 cms of the suspension mounting thankfully, but if it goes in for the sill it Might have them done too.

So it’s stick or twist time for the Pontiac, if I spend money on it it may well become a keeper… 

 

Oh, and the boot still doesn’t work… 😂

given how its a bit random in its misfire I wonder if one or more of the spark plug leads themselves are starting to deteriorate and breakdown and arc over?

personally I think its an awesome thing and seeing how well its done its done its job as a family mover I think it deserves some TLC and stay around  

[brownnova]

27 minutes ago, beko1987 said:

Or you sell it now whilst it's still got test and buy something even more stupid/practical/impractical

Wire chafing somewhere? 

That option has been under consideration, but I’ve just revealed all it’s faults now… all those who said they wanted it probably don’t any more! 😂

Wire chafage seems a very likely thing actually thinking about the way the wires run… hmm… 

[Schaefft]

Doesn't the 3800 have an ignition coil module the coils are plugging into? In any case, do some basic diagnostics and replace whatever needs replacing (the car is borderline worthless not running properly). Whatever it needs will be super cheap from Rockauto.

[vulgalour]

These things pop up in the most unexpected of places.

[Noel Tidybeard]

cos murrican has it not got an "emergency trunk release" in case you are taken hostage/kidnapped?😁

[brownnova]

2 minutes ago, Noel Tidybeard said:

cos murrican has it not got an "emergency trunk release" in case you are taken hostage/kidnapped?😁

Sadly not… I’ve scoured the car and the inter webs. 

[brownnova]

Other things the TransSport has been up to this year… 

Shows (such as RADWood) 

Camping…

Plane Spotting

Being cleaned in full two bucket wrongun mode.

Meeting American Bretheren

Meeting other Pontiacs… 

Plus lots of family duties, bit of commuting and many trips to local car nights. 

[eddyramrod]

The symptoms you describe sound very much like what my old Blazer was doing.  (Have you noticed an increase in thirst?)  We never got to the bottom of that.  I hope you fare better!

[OM646]

1 hour ago, Noel Tidybeard said:

cos murrican has it not got an "emergency trunk release" in case you are taken hostage/kidnapped?😁

I heard that's only for "enclosed cargo compartments", i.e. sedans only

[brownnova]

No increase in thirst, positively frugal tail end of the summer, over 30mpg on our run to RADwood. 

Not gone super far in it since. 

[hairnet]

kin teachers

does it have stick coils at all they split with heat and that causes missing

these are young enuff to be FI right so it wont be a fuel thing?

remove child cheezburga from intake

get the boss to boot it up the flint bypass surely

 

 

[hairnet]

@PhilA tell him  hes two pots missing thats the problem right

 

[PhilA]

Heh, six used to be the magic number in the USA, don't forget that.

I would look at the plugs first, being fuelly it should fire them all very evenly.

Compression test if you can will rule out mechanical faults.

Would look at things like the intake MAF which caused troubles on our S-10 which was similar vintage GM.

[EspenO]

2 hours ago, OM646 said:

I heard that's only for "enclosed cargo compartments", i.e. sedans only

US-spec Lotus Exiges have them, should you have the misfortune of being kidnapped in one 😄

[Madman Of The People]

5 hours ago, Noel Tidybeard said:

cos murrican has it not got an "emergency trunk release" in case you are taken hostage/kidnapped?😁

 

The emergency glow-in-the-dark inner trunk release lever didn't become a requirement until 2002.

FMVSS 401

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Motor_Vehicle_Safety_Standard_401

 

[hairnet]

does the transfagarasan have these?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/232509685187

 

[Missy Charm]

On 16/10/2022 at 21:52, vulgalour said:

These things pop up in the most unexpected of places.

They were quite popular in middle Europe at one time, Trans-Sports not pressure washers, so not completely outlandish to see one in a German photograph.  The European ones were slightly different, having smaller engines and manual gearboxes (possibly), but looked the same as the American market cars.  They never made it over here and there weren't any RHD examples, to my knowledge.  Shame as they're nice looking cars.  

[brownnova]

4 hours ago, Missy Charm said:

They were quite popular in middle Europe at one time, Trans-Sports not pressure washers, so not completely outlandish to see one in a German photograph.  The European ones were slightly different, having smaller engines and manual gearboxes (possibly), but looked the same as the American market cars.  They never made it over here and there weren't any RHD examples, to my knowledge.  Shame as they're nice looking cars.  

Mine is a European spec one, but the largest 3800 engine. Very few had manual gearboxes either.  Not even sure the at stick shift was an option on these. (edit: I’ve checked and yes, you could get a 2.3 manual in Germany). There are a few visual differences to the US spec ones such as indicators (position and colour), fog lights integrated into the tailgate, side repeater indicators and headlight washers.

Rumour has it there was even a Diesel engined one available in Europe briefly… 

[brownnova]

7 hours ago, hairnet said:

does the transfagarasan have these?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/232509685187

 

Yup. Thems the ones.