running weak & rough... help!

[green95atx]

i'm sorry this is so wordy, but i wanted to make sure i didn't leave anything out.

i just got my SHO around 3 months ago, and it ran good when i first got it. now it doesn't. i hope i can track down the problem! its a 95 atx with 91k.

i get a check engine soon light, but i don't have the codes on it yet. i tried to decode the blinks and the output i get confuses me. so i'm going to have a friend who's got an expensive reader to get the codes. i will share them when i get them later this week.

when the light first started coming on i didn't notice anything other than the light going on and off. then a few weeks later it just ran a little rough when the light was on, and it would go away and run normally for a while. its progressively gotten worst over about 1.5 month's time. now it runs weak the majority of the time (but once in a while its ok), and sometimes it runs rough. it mostly starts to run rough after revving it high or running at highway speeds for a while. i went to walmart today and parked it and came back out, when i started it ran rough and died. the light comes on a lot less now, but it runs weak all the time. also sometimes it sometimes takes 2-3 attempts to start it up. also one time i heard a belt slipping type noise upon trying to start it up when it was having the startup problems. its wierd because it'll have the startup problem for 2 days, and then the next 2 days it'll start right up, no problem.

any suggestions on what it could be? while i'm getting the codes what else should i be checking?

i've also noticed a couple other things that may or may not be related to this problem.

first off I get a buzzing sound outside the car, which i'm assuming is the fuel pump. i don't remember how it sounded when i first got it. i'm assuming the sound is normal.

also when i first start the car up i sometimes get a low level noise from the rear of the car, i can't really hear it outside the car. it goes away after 10-20 seconds of running.

inside the car when i give it very, very little throttle i hear a tinking/rattling sound which sounds like it coming from below the speedometer. i can't hear it in the engine compartment. the sound has been there since i got the car. also when i rev it up high i get a louder rattling type sound from around speedometer. and i also get another similair rattle which is most noticable when i first start in the morning, at around 25 mph i get the sound and i can feel the vibration from it in the gas pedal. and sometimes the headlights will dim very little from it.

this stuff is driving me crazy! i would greatly appreciate any advice!

thanks in advance!

ross

 

[sdpatt]

Here is a better site explaining how to get the codes and interpret them - http://www.dalidesign.com/hbook/eectest.html You have to get those codes. Otherwise, you are just guessing. We can't get the codes for you. I'm afraid you may have created more problems by waiting so long to reasolve the first problem that was giving the CHECK ENGINE light. When that light shows, something that affects the emmisions output is amiss. It may also cause the engine to run badly or not at all. Learn to check the codes and heed the warnings early.

The sounds you describe coming from around the speedometer are probably the upper speedometer cable if they are car speed related. You can get the cable core for only $7, but you have to remove the old cable and shroud to replace it. Same as with a new cable.

The low level (low pitched?) sound from the rear right after start up is probably the fuel return line check valve not keeping enough pressure in the fuel return line and allowing the fuel to vaporize and bubble up through the fuel in the tank. This can also cause a low and stumbling idle while it is occuring. The fuel return line check valve is a fairly inexpensive part, but you have to drop the tank and remove the fuel pump and sender assembly to get to it.

Your car has more than a few things going on. Take it to someone who can take care of it for you.