Beretta.net

So lately its been raining, alot! And i can drive the car fine but the second i hit the slightest puddle it starts cutting out, spuddering, missing and nearly dies, pretty much falling flat on its face. I park it and let it sit for about 45 minutes and then itll start right up and run great. Ive put di-electric grease on the coil pack wires, plug wires, everwhere. Makes it a beeatch to wash it good 'cause of this issue. What the hell could it be?



Mind you mines an '88 with a 3.1 out of a '93 cutlass supreme. Didnt do this when i first put the motor in last march but lately it got bad.

Thanks for reading.

Im decided just to make this about what ever motor/trans issues i may have. Screw it.

My Volvo did this back in the years, the smallest rain killed it, It was faulty o2 sensor, so that's where i would start looking for issue...

Hmm could water get back there? Oh well i was gonna replace that anyways oddly enough. I read on here once somewhere bosch O2 sensors are junk...mines like a year old and junk lol.

i have had cracked coilpacks do that, and cracked sparkplugs

Could be a bad coilpack or plug wire still. Does it sound like all cylinders start missing/sputtering or just one or 2?

sounds like your beretta is asking for some loving.

Cracked coil pack. 95% chance.

Ill take a closer look at the coils tomorrow when i have the ambition. I really hate where they stuck the coils at on the 2.8/3.1s, someone wasnt thinking right that day lol. I have new in the box ones i found at the junkyard in the trunk of a lumina but its the ambition factor.
As of now the car needs:
Coils
FPR
O2 sensor
Oil pressure sending unit
Rear motor mount which decided to go right after i replaced the front mount
Front pads
Rotors
Front wheel bearings
Struts
And a caliper (which i can knock out the last five things in one shot cuz i saved that stuff which was new from my 94 Z before it was rolled)
And then a upper shock mount for the rear.

Sadly all this has went bad within the last month and a half. Goes to show when it rains, it pours.

scannerman wrote:sounds like your beretta is asking for some loving.

To me it sounds like its asking for swift kick in the ass lol.

unsmart1 wrote:

scannerman wrote:sounds like your beretta is asking for some loving.

To me it sounds like its asking for swift kick in the ass lol.

Falls on its face, as in wagging its ass in the air, when its wet, as in aroused, like a chick.

I'm not sure if you got his joke, but I spelled it out for ya. Hope its still funny!

Oh...yeah i didnt get it but now that i do, it is pretty funny lol.

So i replaced coil paks and sprayed water up in there and well she dont die now, thanks S.G.R.

NEW ISSUE NOW!
When i start it cold, it will not idle lower than about 2grand rpms. Put it in gear, it'll drop to 1.5rpm and won't idle low til its warm. Could that be a fuel issue? I know my FPR is going so knowing me i just answered my own questions but i need some opinions before i start spending a ton of money on it.

Not idling well until warmed up sounds more like an O2 issue. It's doing shitty in open loop (cold) and once it hits closed loop (warmed up), it's clearing up. I would bet on an O2 sensor or possibly a bad CTS feeding bad information to the ECM.

Your welcome too btw. Was my pleasure.

SuzukiGhostRider wrote:Not idling well until warmed up sounds more like an O2 issue. It's doing shitty in closed loop (cold) and once it hits open loop, it's clearing up. I would bet on an O2 sensor or possibly a bad CTS feeding bad information to the ECM.

Your welcome too btw. Was my pleasure.

Confused at this reply, as I thought car ran open loop until warmup, after warmed up, went into closed loop and used O2 sensor feedback to trim fuel/air ratio. Or maybe I'm wrong... My two cents is that crappy cold idle is a vacuum leak.

Hey SGR, I have a similar problem with my '96 minivan 3.8L V6 -- engine chugs and sputters after it's started after sitting out in the rain, sometimes even throws a misfire code if it's bad enough. Goes away after warming up, never happens if the van's been out in the sun all day. Coil pack issue for me there? I'm hesitant (no pun intended) about shotgunning a coil pack, engine purrs like a kitten wet weather notwithstanding.

EDIT: Hot sunny day, fired up the van, engine ran smoothly. Pulled into garage, popped the hood, and gently sprayed coil pack with water. Closed hood, backed up van, engine sputtered, got misfire check engine light. Can't see any cracks or defects on the coil pack, but ordered new one from Rock Auto (had one on supplier closeout, $10 cheaper than Advance Auto). SGR, you da man -- thanks for pointing me in the right direction, never would have guessed that one!

Yeah, typo. I meant open cold, closed warmed up. Was tired. My bad. I always type that one backwards for some damn reason. *slaps self*

A vacuum leak doesn't go away when the car warms up and his idle should still be crappy if that were the case.

And , even though you already figured it out PGH, yup, coil pack for you too.

Of course, Unsmart1, you COULD have a weak/bad IAC too as it compensates vacuum at idle.

God Im so close as to just going to the parts store and saying "Yes i have a 88 beretta with a V-6 i need every sensor the fucker takes" lol. Get it all done in one shot.

But yeah, i tore the coil paks off and one had a nasty crack and was a bit corroded and wow new coil paks and plugs and wires (again) and the lil beeatch runs pretty good. I remember back when this car ran perfect...i miss them days.