do you know what is wrong with my car

[aem123]

are there any auto mechanics here? - there is something wrong with my car and i dont know what - i drive a 2002 buick century - here are the problems:

1.) When driving down the highway, the vehicle does not seem to have enough power to climb hills at a reasonable speed. When the car kicks down a gear it drives fine but when climbing hills when it kicks down two gears the car decelerates and the motor revs and I slowly climb the hill decelerating all the way down to 50 or 60 kms per hour.

2.) Sometimes when starting from a complete stop, at about 10 or 15 kms per hour the car will no longer accelerate. It sort of jerks along like it is misfiring or something. It doesn't do this all the time, only sometimes. When this happens, if I step on the gas the transmission kicks down to first and the car accelerates just fine.

I have recently changed the plugs and plug wires and fuel filter. This didnt fix anything.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

[pylon]

Originally Posted by aem123

are there any auto mechanics here? - there is something wrong with my car and i dont know what - i drive a 2002 buick century - here are the problems:

1.) When driving down the highway, the vehicle does not seem to have enough power to climb hills at a reasonable speed. When the car kicks down a gear it drives fine but when climbing hills when it kicks down two gears the car decelerates and the motor revs and I slowly climb the hill decelerating all the way down to 50 or 60 kms per hour.

2.) Sometimes when starting from a complete stop, at about 10 or 15 kms per hour the car will no longer accelerate. It sort of jerks along like it is misfiring or something. It doesn't do this all the time, only sometimes. When this happens, if I step on the gas the transmission kicks down to first and the car accelerates just fine.

I have recently changed the plugs and plug wires and fuel filter. This didnt fix anything.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Sounds like a potential transmission/torque converter issue.

Does it have a sealed unit transmission? Or a dipstick?

If it has a dipstick start by checking the fluid level/color.

[transplant99]

I would almost guarentee its a fuel pump issue....they can be intermittent when starting to fail and particularly when trying to accelerate.

[pylon]

Originally Posted by transplant99

I would almost guarentee its a fuel pump issue....they can be intermittent when starting to fail and particularly when trying to accelerate.

I was thinking that too, but he said the engine is revving, and not picking up speed. Almost like a slipping clutch.... but in an automatic. At least that is how I read it.

I have a better idea OP. Put the car closer to the computer so I can take a better look.

[zamler]

Could be many things. Bad transmission, bad knock sensor, spark leak...

[aem123]

Originally Posted by pylon

Sounds like a potential transmission/torque converter issue.

Does it have a sealed unit transmission? Or a dipstick?

If it has a dipstick start by checking the fluid level/color.

it has a dipstick - i recently checked the tranny fluid level and the level is fine - at this point, i dont know if i have tranny problems or firing / motor problems - i almost wonder if the compression on the motor is bad and it simply doesnt have the power to climb hills

[The Fonz]

Definitely the flux capacitor. Get it replaced asap.

[aem123]

Originally Posted by pylon

I was thinking that too, but he said the engine is revving, and not picking up speed. Almost like a slipping clutch.... but in an automatic. At least that is how I read it.

I have a better idea OP. Put the car closer to the computer so I can take a better look.

it is an automatic transmission - i dont think the transmission is slipping - the motor needs to kick down two gears to climb hills on the highway but i think it is kicking down too low hence it revs and decelerates - but when it only kicks down one gear it simply doesnt have the power to maintain anywhere near highway speed when climbing hills - i dont know what's wrong

[Vulcan]

I'd check your vacuum hoses.

[puckluck2]

I have no idea if your car even has one of these, but I had similiar issues and it was my mass air flow sensor.

Edit: what you explained in the OP is almost exactly what was happening to my truck.

[4X4]

Another possibility is the catalytic converter is plugged.

[CaptainCrunch]

Headlight ballasts are out of alignment.

[bossy22]

Muffler bearings

[Table 5]

Pretty sure you need a new Johnson rod.

[prarieboy]

Do you know anyone with a code reader? It could possibly point you in the right direction.

[prarieboy]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Pretty sure you need a new Johnson rod.

I don't think it would be a Johnson rod unless the Muffler Bearings were out of alignment with the Headlight Ballasts.

[DownhillGoat]

Have you tried flushing your blinker fluid?

[jayswin]

Replace the front brakes immediatly , followed by the rear brakes a month from now.

[schteve_d]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Another possibility is the catalytic converter is plugged.

This. Matter of fact I'd bet on it.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by schteve_d

This. Matter of fact I'd bet on it.

I think so. As long as the jerking he's talking about is more like chugging. This happened to a car I used to have. I think it cost about $300 to get the catalytic converter taken out, and a resonator put in it's place. It might not be legal to do that anymore, so the repair might be more like $600 at a muffler shop.

I have also discovered that exhaust work is pretty easy to DIY. A sawzall with a metal blade is your friend, and Auto Value sells pipes, connectors, mufflers, and U clamps, so they might have catalytic converters as well.