hello my 98 stratus started hard and then once it started it idled and revved up fine . i then tried to take it for a ride and had no power and it missed and acted like it wasn't getting gas. i had a mechanic put a new bosch furl pump and fuel filter in this car because i was told the fuel pump was shot originally. it"s not any better now andstill seems to be acting up? any ideas? thanks Randy

 

Thats not realy enough info to go on. How do the plugs look? If black, your running rich and could be your temp sensor as well as other things. If white, your running lean and could be your air idle control motor not shutting or clogged, as well as other things. If your running lean look for vacumm leaks as well. The computer cant compensate for unmetered air entering the engine. Have you tried pulling any codes? I would get another mechanic by the way.

 

[:@]well i talked to a different mechanic tonight who thoroughly checked out my car. he said other than finding a vaccuum leak. he's stumped. he tested all sensors , did fuel pressure test . compression test. he did say this was a little low on some cylinders, car has 140,000 miles on it.
he said nothing showed up on scan tool except the timing seemed to jump a little bit when he drove it. he said the timing belt looked a little dry rotted but not overall too bad. the car now runs better but every once in a while it has the same problem back and it goes away. he said it could be one of 3 things , timing belt maybe stretched a little,distributor , or computer. he seems like a real honest guy with a great reputation and says this is a strange problem. i don't know what i'll do with this car now.

 

It's not your computer or should we say pcm (power control module), in my experience it works or it doesn't. Your timing belt isn't the issue either, but I would replace before it breaks and bad things $$$$$ happen. I believe your motor is an interference motor, meaning if your belt breaks the cam will stop turning and your valves will be stuck in thier position waiting for your pistons to make contact. Not good! As for your distributor, the computer uses that to determine the cam position or timing, so it know's when to fire the injector's and sparkplug's. The computer alone takes care of the ignition timing, retarding and advancing as needed for optimum effiency and spark knock control. What exactly is your car doing? When you take off from a stop does it fall on it's face then pick up? If so, it sounds to me like your TPS( Throttle Position Sensor) has a dead spot on it. Very common failure for EFI cars. This can be tested without just buying one and installing, your mechanic should know this. Did he check for vacuum leaks? Never stated how your plugs look. It's hard to diagnose over the internet without the car right in front of you.

 

this is a very interesting post Mr Flip flop :-) i believe this mechanic to be pretty honest and although he stated the 3 things it could be, he couldn't guarantee it.i can hook up my meter to the TPS and open and close the throttle and watch for voltage readings ,can't I? the car originally,i was told, had a bad fuel pump. so this was replaced along with a new fuel filter. i got 3/4 of the way home and the car had no power and i could hardly get over 30 mph. when i got it in the garage , it missed and bucked and then died. it was hard to start and the plugs looked soaked and flooded. i then pulled the distributor,which was a remanufactured one just put in when the fuel pump was installed,and checked the coil and put in new plugs,wires,cap,rotor,egr,pcv,coolant temp sensor,and battery. i got plenty of sparkand the coil looked good . the car started right off after putting in the new plugs and it actually idled pretty good. no missing when i reved it either. i then took it for a ride and got a block away and the same original problem,no power,and itidled rough and then died in the driveway. this has been going on since the end of november. that's why i had it towed to this new mechanic.

 

the mechanic said he found a vacuum leak and took care of that and he then took it on the highway and it ran60-70 mph. he did say it stillhas a problem where it's like turning off a switch and the car would act up? if the timing belt was a little stretched ,would this cause a problem or not?i might just go and pick up the car and see how it actually runs. i don't know what else to do with it? thanks for the replies Randy