94 Pontiac Bonneville 3.8, has 229,000 miles
Car starts fine, idles fine, revs fine. No codes.
After putting the car in gear and driving about a block, it will start to bog, chug, sputter etc and will stop running(unless shifted in neutral, then all is well). If the car dies, you can wait 30 seconds and start the process over. You can wing the throttle in N or P all day long and it runs like a champ.
I'm thinking possibly the convertor is "sticking"? Vacuum related to the trans somewhere?
It isn't fuel or spark related, everything checks out ok there. So after a couple of afternoons I'm stumped.
Vapor lock? Fuel filter? Sometimes a bad filter will let enough fuel through with no load, but will bog under load.
SkinnyG
New Reader
6/15/08 1:08 a.m.
If it's not a plugged filter....
Try driving it with the gas cap off.
Seriously.
If the tank isn't venting adequately, the fuel can only be drawn out until the vacuum inside prevents any more fuel from exiting. This is why you have a drive "time" and then it quits. Idle (no load) doesn't draw enough fuel to be a problem.
Do you have problems filling the tank at all (splashing back at you)? Is there a huge rush of air into the tank when you remove the filler cap?
G
I replaced the fuel filter last week, as that came to mind first.
I'll try taking the gas cap off today and see if it duplicates.
It does have symptoms simular to vapor lock, now that you mention it (I've experienced that before and older carb'd cars in summer heat)
No "whoosh" sound whatsoever when removing the gas cap. With the cap removed, it will act up the same as of it is on
Sounds like a fuel pressure and/ or volume problem.
