Some background on car: 1998 Trans Am. 83,000 miles. Automatic. Fully loaded. Previous water damage car. Orignal motor ended up being bad. Have motor out of 98 Z28 in it now. Replacement motor came with fuel system, computer, wiring.....basically complete other than everything in front of throttle body.

I went through everything i coudl think of. Drained the tank down to about 1/4 of a tank...was 1/2. Didn't see anymore signs of water. Blew lines out from motor back. Installed new fuel filter. Cleaned all connections i could think of.

Started driving car.....had SES light. Air pump problems, air bag problem. Replaced air pump...still haven't fixed air bag thing. Car seemed to run alright......just smelled rich. Car started acting up. You can be driving along anywhere from 45 and up....let off the gas...coast down....lets say from 60 to 50...then start to acclerate again....car doesn't kick-down like most cars would.....stays in current gear.....hesitates...and starts "sputtering" and jerking the car. You can actually feel the car jerk and shake from it.....till it comes out of it. Keep putting your foot down further and it will eventually "kick-down" and acclerate like it should. Now, heres the kicker.....it doens't do this all the time!! Its spuratic!

Thinking i had a tranny issue....i took it to the tranny shgop that had just rebuilt my tranny. Hooked it up to diagnostic tool....no codes from tranny....but, all O2 sensors acting up. Guy told me to replace these and come back if it was still doing it. Had him ride with me through all this as well.

Well, car was still doing it.....put it in storage for about 2 months. Got it back out...still doing it. Got 2 new front O2's in and replaced plugs with bosch platinums. Car seemed to run great that day...until later that night....started acting up again!

So, i had someone wiht a snap-on scnner check it out again......no trouble codes. Shows back 2 O2 sensors working fine now. Must have been from the front 2 being bad before. Had tranny shop check again for tranny trouble codes...none.

So, i have no trouble codes. No misfire history. Checked fuel pressure....55 psi. Replaced fuel filter again.....old one clean...no deposits in it. So, i don't think i have junk in my fuel line. Checked my plug wires, all between 300-325 ohms. 2 wires showed cracks. each were about 1/2-3/4 long from spark plug end. Don't know if this is a problem or not. Don't know how to chekc coils to see if they are bad. Assuming injectors are okay. Computer didn't show any problems for them anyway. All clicking.

Checked IAT sensor...seems to be good. Checked TPS sensor...seems to be good. Checked IAC valve...seems to be good. I have found a possible problem with cooling fans not comiung on.....looking to fix it manually around ocmputer. All fuses good. I thought it may have been a tranny problem....cuz i noticed it more when i had it in D. If i put it in 3rd...i didn't notice it as much.....probably due to higher RPMs. Well, i thought i may have foudn the problem...until today....i was driving it in 3rd...and it did it then to!!

I know thi shas been long...but, i don't know what to do! I really don't want to take it to the dealer if i don't have to yet. I don'twant to pay the high costs. Plus, i have been thinking of getting a diagnostic tool myself to run on it. Prtobably wise in the long run! I dind' think the dealer could have told me anything different than what the snap on tool told me.

Anyone have nay ideas what my problem could be? Is it possible to be the plug wires? I wouldn't think so.....but, hey...i don't know much about engines...especially problems like this!!

Any ideas or things to check or what not.....throw them out there....i need to get some ideas to look at!!

PLEASE HELP!!! Car is running bad.....like having a civic motor in a F-body...not really.....but, my performance is being hurt under accleration......which that is what these cars are all about!!

 

So the prob is the sputtering and jerking?

or..

the tranny hesitation?

or..

it is running rich?

or..

all three?

With out being too verbose, you DID replace ALL the O2's?
Have you replace the spark plug wires? Looked at them at night with the car running and seen blue sparks?
Cleaned your injectors?

Swapped out PCM's with bud?

What timing are you getting? idle? WOT?

You got some issues... but i bet it cam be fixed.

 

The sputtering and jerking is the main problem.

I feel the tranny hesitation is from the above....maybe not firing right....ignition or fuel issue.

Haven't checked my injectors yet...going to check resistance on injectors tomorrow. Also, going to either swap plug wires or see if my wires are the problem. The more i think about it...i am thinking my plug wires may be the issue. Having the small tears in the end of the boot....then having the metal shield that covers them....maybe i am arching to the shield....then to the block.......could that be possible?

I also found today that i have at least 2 idlers going bad......so, i am going to replace those to.

Any other ideas? I ahev checked all i can think of.

 

I think i may have found my problem yesterday. bad plug wires. One had a tear about 1/2-3/4 long from the spark plug end. I think i was experiencing arching from the inside of the wire to the shields..then to the block...i guess. Only thing i can think of. I had another set of wires from the old motor. I swapped the 2 that were bad. I'm not experiencing it anymore. I am going to leave it like this for a couple more days. If it doesn't do it again....i am going to order new plug wires for the car.

thanks

 

You could have just poured a bottle of rubbing alcohol in the tank to get rid of the water.