i recently purchased a 1991 rs with the 3.1liter with a engine problem. the car will start right up and run .It idles rough and will run untill you give "give it the gas",in which it promply dies out. It will restart ever time and idle untill you give it gas. I/m sure someone out there has experienced this problem. Any ideas you have to fixing it would be appretiated by me and my 16 old son. After all its his first car
Thanks in advance

 

You could first try giving it a tune up. New plugs, plug wires, fuel and air filter change, fresh gas, and a few cans of injector cleaner in the tank. What is the check engine light doing???

 

tried new plugs & wires and new fuel filters . air cleaner is also good. pulls a code "33". mechanic told me it could be fuel pressure regulator? he said pressure regulators were bad about going out

 

Code 33 in your car refers to the MAP sensor. There are no codes for the fuel pressure regulator. as it is has no connections to the computer.

 

I too have this problem, maybe we can figure it out together. I replaced the MAP sensor but it changed nothing ( that doesn"t mean it wont for you) The code 33 can also set when you give it gas and the vacuum in the manifold decreases as it stalls meaning the MAP may be good. Make sure your fuel pressure is good. Mine is 40 psi even when it stalls which means that the fuel pump and filter are ok. It's posible you have bad gas so fill it up. I beleive that I may need a new computer (I will try it tomorrow) It is also posible that the coolant temp sensor is bad, this will cause the computer to be unaware of engine temp therefore affect the amount of fuel it feeds the engine. Another possiblilty is a clogged cataletic converter. This can be determined by simply removing the o2 sensor. Leave it plugged into the wire just unscrew it from the exhaust pipe. If it get binded up after you break it loose, pure some brake fluid on it and then srcew it back in and then out again, this will break up the carbin build-up on the threads. You may even want to replace it since it is probibly original. As a master tech, I have tried everything but ran out of time today to pinpoint the problem. These things did have a problem with fuel pumps so you should start with the pressure. There is a check point on the fuel rail behind the manifold. You can get a pressure gauge pretty cheap at your local parts house. Simply hook it up and turn the key on and off 2 or 3 times. It should reach about 40 psi and hold there even if the key is turned off. If it goes down, look for a leak and if none, replace the fuel pump. I'll let you know if I get mine running tomorrow.

If anyone else can help us please do

 

Well, I tried almost everything. All test out good. Even tried a new computer but that didn't help. My next option is the distributer (pick up coil) I will try that monday. I took the dist cap off and the pick up was really rusty, you might want to look at yours as the rust could cause too much resistance. I'll keep you posted

 

I had to stop working on the car over the weekend due to a family reunion at the house. Now that things are back to normal , i will be checking the following today after work, Temp sensor and since you mentioned it the cat convertor and distribitor. I remember some years ago my father in law had a honda civic and tha cat convertor went out allmost overnight . car would idle and not much else. I'll keep you posted as to my progress and what i find

 

My '89 RS had a similar problem years ago. It started and idled just fine but touch the gas and it shut off. I checked everything gas related and nothing helped. I called my mechanic and he looked it over and it turns out the coil was bad. I always thought if the coil was bad the vehicle would not run but he said he had seen that problem before. Nothing like experience I guess...

 

here is what i found last night , removed the o2 sensor and started car. It ran but idled rough. Unplugged the idle position sensor, engine idled up and ran like it was cold. At this point , you could give the gas and it would rev right up. Plugged the IPS back in and nothing changed. Car ran beautiful and reved up when you hit the gas . As soon as the car heated up to(according to the dash gauge) 120 degrees ,it started idling rough and when you hit the gas it dies out. I am now thinking coolant sensor. I'm changing it tonight to see what happens .

 

I hope you have had luckwith your Camaro. I have so far failed to find my problem and I am a certified master tech. I have checked everything there is, tried replacing a few parts out of hope and have failed. Tomorrow in my last hope I will remove the uper intake manifold and check the fuel injectors and wiring. I guess this is going to lead to an early start on my future plans of swapping a V8 with a carburator. Not a bad thing but I am not prepared at the moment cash wise to do what I really want. (a GM Performance ZZ 383 ha ha!!) But it will lay the ground work. I'd just like to figure this out as I don't like to fail. I am looked up too by almost everyone at my work and now I look dumb. Sad thing is that even my budies that work one nothing but 3rd gens are scratching there heads too.