# Running like shit/dying/won't stay running. **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Automotive\ **Created:** [April 24, 2007, 12:52am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/running-like-shit-dying-wont-stay-running/28168 "2007-04-24T00:52:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dawn](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/dawn/32/7209_2.png) [@dawn](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/dawn)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 12:52am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/running-like-shit-dying-wont-stay-running/28168/1 "2007-04-24T00:52:14Z")
Well, it all started last Wednesday. Car started to run like shit, had barely any acceleration power (not like I have much to start with), just shit car. Figured it was one of a few things, put in Sunoco gas-93 (had rez gas-87), decided that it needed a tune up very badly, and was due for an oil change. On Friday after work, I got a tune up, and oil change and replaced the fuel filter. Couldn’t get the cap for the rotor thing til Saturday, so I was supposed to go back and get it. Turns out I was only running on 4 cylinders for a couple days because one of the wires was so old and crappy and shit. Saturday, I’m driving down the road to get the cap, and it started acting up worse than before. Then it tried dying while I was at a red light. Got it to go when it turned green, but it felt like it was trying to stall while I was giving it gas, finally stalled and I coasted to the shoulder. Tried to start it like 84753985 times, and it would either not start, or start and have the lowest rpms and run at like 500 rpms and when I gave it gas it felt like it was choking and then stalled out. Sat there for a half an hour (making phone calls, doing hitchhiker thumb, dancing) and tried starting it again. It started right up and felt like it was running fine. Get into like 3rd gear and it starts puttin’ again, feeling like it was going to die when I gave it gas. Got where I needed to go, cap it on, and still having the same symptoms. Died on me today in the middle of a busy intersection. BOY WAS THAT FUN! What do you think it could be without looking at it? I had a similar thing happen with me 2 years ago and it ended up just being a fuse. Engine Timing II fuse or something. It’s probably not called that. I can’t figure out why it like bucks and shakes and won’t stay running. UGH. Help? 🙂 (sorry this is long.) ---
**Author:** ![RuBiCaNT](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/rubicant/32/7622_2.png) [@RuBiCaNT](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/RuBiCaNT)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 5:31am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/running-like-shit-dying-wont-stay-running/28168/2 "2007-04-24T05:31:41Z")
Your coils might be on their way out the door. I would check those. Your alternator could be on its way out the door as well. ---
**Author:** ![Silver](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/silver/32/4953_2.png) [@Silver](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Silver)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 6:03am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/running-like-shit-dying-wont-stay-running/28168/3 "2007-04-24T06:03:04Z")
The bucking and shaking makes me think the alternator, but I’m not sure that would explain the rpms, or that you were able to get it started again. ---
**Author:** ![93dx\_hatch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/9/90ced4/32.png) [@93dx\_hatch](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/93dx_hatch)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 6:06am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/running-like-shit-dying-wont-stay-running/28168/4 "2007-04-24T06:06:45Z")
[quote=“RuBiCaNT,post:2,topic:28168"”] Your coils might be on their way out the door. I would check those. Your alternator could be on its way out the door as well. [/quote] Her car doesn’t have coils :bloated: i doubt its the alternator making it run on 4cyl ---
**Author:** ![Bigairskier1580](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/bigairskier1580/32/7612_2.png) [@Bigairskier1580](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Bigairskier1580)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 6:11am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/running-like-shit-dying-wont-stay-running/28168/5 "2007-04-24T06:11:44Z")
“Sat there for a half an hour tried starting it again. It started right up and felt like it was running fine.” That makes me not think alt. Is the bucking and shaking consistant? Or is it intermittent? Also, seems like it started the bucking and shaking after you touched the plug wires. Any chance you have the wrong wires going to the wrong cylinders? ---
**Author:** ![boardjnky4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 6:13am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/running-like-shit-dying-wont-stay-running/28168/6 "2007-04-24T06:13:34Z")
yeah, is ur battery fully charged. Does the starter actually spin the motor or does it just click(when trying to re-start it). Sounds like u sucked something up into ur fuel lines. how much gas was in the car when this started happening? ---
**Author:** ![TrueBlue](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/trueblue/32/7245_2.png) [@TrueBlue](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/TrueBlue)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 6:14am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/running-like-shit-dying-wont-stay-running/28168/7 "2007-04-24T06:14:55Z")
Dirty idle air control / idle stabilization valves (ISV) will cause stalling. Clean it out and try it. ---
**Author:** ![Inn-Tune](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/inn-tune/32/7588_2.png) [@Inn-Tune](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Inn-Tune)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 6:36am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/running-like-shit-dying-wont-stay-running/28168/8 "2007-04-24T06:36:47Z")
Start by telling everyone the year/make/model of the car. ---
**Author:** ![badazzss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@badazzss](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/badazzss)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 6:51am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/running-like-shit-dying-wont-stay-running/28168/9 "2007-04-24T06:51:34Z")
^ word. sensor manfunctioning/overheating somewhere? ---
**Author:** ![RuBiCaNT](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/rubicant/32/7622_2.png) [@RuBiCaNT](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/RuBiCaNT)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 6:52am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/running-like-shit-dying-wont-stay-running/28168/10 "2007-04-24T06:52:13Z")
[quote=“93dx–hatch,post:4,topic:28168"”] Her car doesn’t have coils :bloated: i doubt its the alternator making it run on 4cyl [/quote] Ok, bad distributor then… :roll2: ---
**Author:** ![93dx\_hatch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/9/90ced4/32.png) [@93dx\_hatch](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/93dx_hatch)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 7:05am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/running-like-shit-dying-wont-stay-running/28168/11 "2007-04-24T07:05:20Z")
^ read post where it says she replaced the cap and rotor…then post your internet diagnosis 😛 ---
**Author:** ![RuBiCaNT](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/rubicant/32/7622_2.png) [@RuBiCaNT](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/RuBiCaNT)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 7:11am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/running-like-shit-dying-wont-stay-running/28168/12 "2007-04-24T07:11:59Z")
[quote=“93dx–hatch,post:11,topic:28168"”] ^ read post where it says she replaced the cap and rotor…then post your internet diagnosis 😛 [/quote] “cap and rotor thing” I didn’t put together as distributor, my bad… I will cease to contribute in this thread since I suck… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![boardjnky4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 7:15am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/running-like-shit-dying-wont-stay-running/28168/13 "2007-04-24T07:15:00Z")
theres not too much troubleshooting that went into this i take it… did u check for spark? is the spark strong? it should be nice and blue and clearly visible. if ur getting good spark then my guess is that u got some shit gas from the res. and that u might wanna think about draining the tank and flushing the fuel system. sounds like its sparatically getting shitty gas and thats why its hesitating and dying like that ---
**Author:** ![badazzss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@badazzss](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/badazzss)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 7:21am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/running-like-shit-dying-wont-stay-running/28168/14 "2007-04-24T07:21:09Z")
ive never heard of shit gas causing your car to run terrible for a short time, but then after it sits for a little bit it’s fine… … ---
**Author:** ![boardjnky4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 7:31am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/running-like-shit-dying-wont-stay-running/28168/15 "2007-04-24T07:31:13Z")
> [@dawn](#): > > It started right up and felt like it was running fine. Get into like 3rd gear and it starts puttin’ again, feeling like it was going to die when I gave it gas. Got where I needed to go, cap it on, and still having the same symptoms. badazzss, i agree. but when i had my 92 jimmy i had sucked up some shit into my fuel system and had similar problems. the car would stall. then start right back up, drive fine for 5 minutes, then start putting and stall again. **rinse, lather, repeat** but really, some troubleshooting needs to be done before u can determine the real cause ---
**Author:** ![dawn](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/dawn/32/7209_2.png) [@dawn](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/dawn)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 7:06pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/running-like-shit-dying-wont-stay-running/28168/16 "2007-04-24T19:06:06Z")
Well it sat for a day and a half, and now is running fine again. I don’t get it? It was running like shit for 2 days with 93 octane from Sunoco. So I doubt it’s bad gas. And it’s not the alternator. I had that rebuilt last year, and there’s a new belt on and everything. I would know if it was alt. issues. My lights would be dim, my car wouldn’t start after sitting, etc. etc. I think my car just hates me. It’s trying to kill me. ---
**Author:** ![3sny](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/3sny/32/5005_2.png) [@3sny](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/3sny)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 7:37pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/running-like-shit-dying-wont-stay-running/28168/17 "2007-04-24T19:37:16Z")
ive seen this happen with bad crank or cam sensors or iat sensor ---
**Author:** ![psychopjv](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/psychopjv/32/7251_2.png) [@psychopjv](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/psychopjv)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 10:10pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/running-like-shit-dying-wont-stay-running/28168/18 "2007-04-24T22:10:46Z")
WHAT KIND OF VEHICLE!!! ---
**Author:** ![Jam](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jam/32/7235_2.png) [@Jam](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Jam)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 11:37pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/running-like-shit-dying-wont-stay-running/28168/19 "2007-04-24T23:37:18Z")
[quote=“psychopjv,post:18,topic:28168"”] WHAT KIND OF VEHICLE!!! [/quote] its a 1990? audi 80 quattro ---
**Author:** ![dawn](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/dawn/32/7209_2.png) [@dawn](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/dawn)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2007, 12:49am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/running-like-shit-dying-wont-stay-running/28168/20 "2007-04-25T00:49:36Z")
1. but either way, it IS in my profile, if you were that desperate to know before i got online to reply. [Next page](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/running-like-shit-dying-wont-stay-running/28168.md?page=2)