Chug of horror - Acura Forum

thepeng · 04-30-08, 09:46 PM

So I recently purchased a 1994 vigor, the car is in beautiful condition and I was very happy with it when I bought it. The car had sat in a driveway for 2-3 months before I bought it. It needs a new alternator or atleast the belt tension adjusted because the lights got dimmer or brighter depending on the rev of the engine. Anyway, I drove it about three miles from the house I bought it at and parked it in my driveway. It ran great on this drive although it had to be jumped to get it started. Im a commercial fisherman and I left it for two weeks and just got home. I went to the dmv and registered it and returned triumphantly with plates and the intention of driving to autozone for a new alternator belt. The battery was too dead to start the engine so I hooked it up the my chevy 1500 for a jump. I jumped the engine and rather than the beautiful noise I heard when I purchased I was horrified to feel the car bounce slowly from side to side while the engine chugged like a freight train. It smells strongly of gasoline, when i push the accelerator the engine chokes and dies, putting it in gear also causes it to stall. What happened?! Help! Maybe theres water in the fuel, `could the alternator cause such a terrible situation? Does anyone have any ideas? The engine acts almost like running a car out of gas.

thepeng · 05-03-08, 12:58 AM

well i got it back from the mechanic, i guess a weak spark and clogged fuel injectors led to this. I'm replacing the distributor cap, ignition rotor and spark plug wires tomorrow. ive done the plugs, battery terminals, brand new battery, pcv valve, oil, air filter and fuel filter today. hopefully tomorrow i'll be driving

thepeng · 05-04-08, 06:19 PM

Exact problem: the idiot who replaced the distributor cap last didn't tighten that bottom bolt all the way(as you guys know its a nightmare to get at without removing the heat shield and battery). Anyway, the bottom of the dc wasn't tight, the oil leak from the distributor seal evaporated oil into th crack. the cap filled up with oil condensation and there it was, misfires and weak spark. replaced the cap and rotor(among other things), sealed it tight and she started right up.

AcuraVigorOwner · 05-09-08, 06:56 PM

Sorry none of us saw this post in time to help you. Thanks for the updates though. Good luck with your Vigor, treat it well and it will return the favor.

shawnhu · 05-13-08, 01:54 AM

Response to issues is usually much faster at the acuravigorclub.com group. There's just not enough subscirbers here to check back that often.

04-30-08, 09:46 PM	#1 (permalink)
thepeng Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 5 Car 1: 1994 Acura Vigor GS	Chug of horror So I recently purchased a 1994 vigor, the car is in beautiful condition and I was very happy with it when I bought it. The car had sat in a driveway for 2-3 months before I bought it. It needs a new alternator or atleast the belt tension adjusted because the lights got dimmer or brighter depending on the rev of the engine. Anyway, I drove it about three miles from the house I bought it at and parked it in my driveway. It ran great on this drive although it had to be jumped to get it started. Im a commercial fisherman and I left it for two weeks and just got home. I went to the dmv and registered it and returned triumphantly with plates and the intention of driving to autozone for a new alternator belt. The battery was too dead to start the engine so I hooked it up the my chevy 1500 for a jump. I jumped the engine and rather than the beautiful noise I heard when I purchased I was horrified to feel the car bounce slowly from side to side while the engine chugged like a freight train. It smells strongly of gasoline, when i push the accelerator the engine chokes and dies, putting it in gear also causes it to stall. What happened?! Help! Maybe theres water in the fuel, `could the alternator cause such a terrible situation? Does anyone have any ideas? The engine acts almost like running a car out of gas.

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05-03-08, 12:58 AM	#2 (permalink)
thepeng Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 5 Car 1: 1994 Acura Vigor GS	well i got it back from the mechanic, i guess a weak spark and clogged fuel injectors led to this. I'm replacing the distributor cap, ignition rotor and spark plug wires tomorrow. ive done the plugs, battery terminals, brand new battery, pcv valve, oil, air filter and fuel filter today. hopefully tomorrow i'll be driving

05-04-08, 06:19 PM	#3 (permalink)
thepeng Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 5 Car 1: 1994 Acura Vigor GS	Exact problem: the idiot who replaced the distributor cap last didn't tighten that bottom bolt all the way(as you guys know its a nightmare to get at without removing the heat shield and battery). Anyway, the bottom of the dc wasn't tight, the oil leak from the distributor seal evaporated oil into th crack. the cap filled up with oil condensation and there it was, misfires and weak spark. replaced the cap and rotor(among other things), sealed it tight and she started right up.

05-09-08, 06:56 PM	#4 (permalink)
AcuraVigorOwner Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Minneapolis Posts: 31 Car 1: 1994 Acura Vigor GS	Sorry none of us saw this post in time to help you. Thanks for the updates though. Good luck with your Vigor, treat it well and it will return the favor.

05-13-08, 01:54 AM	#5 (permalink)
shawnhu Vigorous Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: New York City Age: 28 Posts: 150 Car 1: '93 Vigor Car 2: '92 Vigor Car 3: '92 Vigor	Response to issues is usually much faster at the acuravigorclub.com group. There's just not enough subscirbers here to check back that often.

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