[tintub]

I was on the freeway today, doing 100-120 kmh, and it suddenly started losing power, so although my foot was to the floor, it was slowly dropping 100, 90, 80. I pulled over, checked the oil (it was fine) and the water (it was low, but not all gone, I topped it up). The air intake tubes aren't properly attached - they definitely need replacing... however, this has been like this apparently for a long time. Also, the oil temp on the dash wasn't incredibly high, so am not sure that was at fault. It started and got me home (at about 80km) after about 5 mins waiting on the hard shoulder.

The car is a 1984 Ford Laser (looks exactly the same as a Mazda 323). Does anyone have any ideas? Would you get it seen to before driving it again? My gf says it happened a couple of years ago, but again she just left it and it started up again and it hasn't been an issue until now. Again, I think she was doing 120 odd kms (120-130 kmh is pushing it quite hard in this little car.)

[Cipher13]

Does the car die when revving low?

If so, run some cleaner through the fuel tank, to grab all the dirt and garbage in there. Clean the fuel lines, they might be clogged.

Put your hand or something over the air hose (pull it off its connection), and rev the engine real high. Don't entirely cover the hose, of course

That should suck any crap in there through.

Worked for a VK Commodore...

Oh yeah, disclaimer: I don't know jack about cars.

[macnnhelpme]

Hmm, sounds like it's BROKE!

Sure sounds like something in the fuel system, perhaps the fuel pump or injectors.

[tintub]

Originally posted by Cipher13:
Does the car die when revving low?

Thanks for the help. In response to that question, I often leave it to warm up with the choke on and if I leave it idling for long enough, it will die, but otherwise, no.

[derbs]

Sounds like an HT problem.

Get it checked by a proper mechanic

[tintub]

Originally posted by derbs:
Sounds like an HT problem.

Get it checked by a proper mechanic

excuse my ignorance - HT problem?

[tintub]

oh, and say I get a booking for next Monday or something, do you think I'd be stupid to carry on driving it to work? I'm in the RACV who would pick up the car and take me home for free if it did break down completely, but that is a pain and if it was likely to happen, I wouldn't bother.

I would of course be sticking to 100 kmh or so until I get it fixed.

[chabig]

My vote is a bad fuel pump.

[iWrite]

Pretty sure it's blown a head gasket.

Sounds like it's toast.

Other than that, could be the transmission, though I doubt it.

Good luck.

[wdlove]

Here is a site where you can go to the "Talk and Chat," it is a forum similar to this. The focus is on cars. Hope that you will find it helpful!

http://cartalk.cars.com/

[Eriamjh]

Please. Do not take Auto-repair advice from Computer users.

Replace the fuel FILTER first, then try it at 100-120kph. Also check the air filter if you haven't replaced it in a few years.

If it's not overheating, it's not the oil, coolant, head gasket, or fuel injectors.

If you can drive it at all it is not the transmission.

[memento]

I've never seen a head gasket fix itself.

Start small and simple - check the air and fuel filters first. I know so many people that don't even know that their car has a fuel filter. I got a classic 1974 super beetle in 1990 or so and the owner said it had no fuel filter so he added one. I checked the fuel line and found the ORIGINAL filter had never been replaced.

Listen to it. Does the engine sound normal?

Feel it. Does it perform differently when this happens?

My wife had a Dodge Aries that started doing something similar. It would slow down even though she would have it floored. When I test drove it, I found that it did it almost at random, but it only happened after stopping. The master cylinder would sometimes get stuck. Replaced that and it was all fixed.

[The Godfather]

This is how sometimes I feel about my car



The water pump died suddenly. I guess it is part of the car's midlife crisis at 80kmiles.

[mark9939]

Originally posted by wdlove:
Here is a site where you can go to the "Talk and Chat," it is a forum similar to this. The focus is on cars. Hope that you will find it helpful!

http://cartalk.cars.com/

Too bad you don't live here in America, tintub. I would recommend calling Click & Clack.

[Shaddim]

It's vapor lock. Used to happen all the time in my Corvair... of course, it was air-cooled, but I imagine the same could happen to a water-cooled engine.

Vapor Lock - NOUN:

A pocket of vaporized gasoline in the fuel line of an internal-combustion engine that obstructs the normal flow of fuel.

And here's the fix...

http://www.2carpros.com/topics/vaporlok.htm

[MacmanX]

Could be a bad plug wire, fouled plug, or something else that would be replaced during a tune up. You should also change the fuel and air filters when it you have a tune up. My first car had a cracked plug wire and behaved exactly the same way in damp weather. Problem was, of course, only 3 cylenders firing.

Anyway, have it looked at.

Cheers!

[suprz]

try replacing the fuel filter, and the air filter, but if it does it only while on the freeway, it may be something else, when the car is running and idling, get out and put your hand up to the exhaust pipe and see if there is exhaust coming out of the pipe. have your GF rev the engine while you are holding your hand in front of the exhaust pipe to see if you can feel the change in exhaust pressure. It may very well be that when you are on the freeway, the catalytic converter heats up to operating temperature and for some reason may be damaged and restricting the flow of exhaust gases which would basically be choking the engine and not letting it breathe. It's like the old joke of sticking a potato up the exhaust pipe of a car, it'll start and run for a few minutes, until the engine just dies.

if you take it to a mechanic, have him put it on the diagnostic computer. HOWEVER, alot of times a clogged, or partially clogged catalytic converter will not show up once you shut the car off and then start it up again, so if it happens and you are close to your mechanic leave the car running and let him take a look or even better let him drive it. but a good mechanic will be able to diagnose your GF's cars problem.

i had a problem with my car that i couldnt figure out for months, i finally took it to a dealership and spent the $70.00 for them to hook it up to the computer, and within 5 mins found the problem. (which of course had nothing in common with the $500.00 worth of parts i had already replaced trying to fix the problem myself)

[tintub]

The exhaust is definitely working - it actually puts out quite a lot of smoke, esp. when I am warming it up with the choke. I think it does burn a lot of oil, but it's an old car...

[iWrite]

My husband owns and runs 137 stores where they change oil in cars. He is also a gold-star certified mechanic with all of the major automobile manufacturers (meaning that he has passed an exam with each of them particular to their vehicles).

I asked him and he said that if it's constantly blowing smoke then you need to see what color the smoke is: If it is white smoke then you have water in the oil from something and if it's black smoke then you have oil mixing with your gasoline: Head gasket/seal problem.

He also said that if it's a manual transmission (stick shift) then you may have a clutch problem.

Other than that he said it sounds electrical. He said that if it starts out okay, when it's cool, and then as it heats up it stops working correctly then it is something related to that: Fuel pump or electrical problems.

However, since you said that there is a lot of smoke that indicates it's burning oil and if its burning a lot of oil then that indicates that you have seal and/or head gasket problems.

His best advice is to take it in and get an estimate for repair at at least two places (don't tell them what the other said) in order to diagnose the problem.