Car will not pull hills

Tiny
LOST 49
  • MEMBER
  • 2003 BUICK CENTURY
  • 60,000 MILES
03 Buick Centry 3.1 ltr 59,000mi. 2+ months ago car started acting like not getting gas going up incline or hill. Car would pull and run fine if put into 3rd under 80. If not would just bog down and coast to side of road. If going over 80, would run fine. Needed high vacuum. Will run around town fine all day and night in stop and go traffic. Replaced fuel filter. Light came on 101 and Buick replaced MASS. Took it home same thing and code. Buick replaced MASS again. BuickTest drove it and said Catalitic conv. Needed replaced $1,000 Already had $435 from MASS. Went to indep. Shop. 1# back pressure up stream from CAT. Repl. MAP, TPS, pulls hilll better, but at top of each will miss and bump drive train & sometime stall out like before trying to climb. Fuel pressure fine, no vacuum leaks, pulled and held vacuum at indep shop. Disc. EGR runs great, except when placed in PARK and turn off A/C it sometimes stalls. Want ot go on 900mi. Trip for 4th. Will it hurt it to run w/o egr. Have taken off egr, plunger will go up and down and all looks well. .I am at a loss
Saturday, June 29th, 2013 AT 4:51 PM

23 Replies

Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 109,885 POSTS
The EGR needs to be replaced before the trip. As far as the issue, if there was high back pressure from the converter, it sounds like it may be plugging up. Check that first.
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Saturday, June 29th, 2013 AT 9:00 PM
Tiny
LOST 49
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
As noted above ! # Back prressure. Independent shop said I could go to 3# before I had to worry about catalatic converter. They measured it with a "T" at the O2 sensor on exhaust manifold upstream of CAT. Am I hurting my engine 60,000 mi. On it as I drive 40 miles each way to rehab every day on highway. If I wasnt messed up, I would have had this fixed by myself by now. It has been 2 months, with dealership 4 times and INdep shop 3 times and many $.
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Sunday, June 30th, 2013 AT 3:00 PM
Tiny
LAGROW7
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 2002 BUICK CENTURY
  • 96,500 MILES
When I step on the gas my car has a hard time accelerating. Instead of moving it just revs up and doesn't go anywhere. And when I go up a hill it loses a lot of power and won't accelerate when I press on the gas pedal
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Tuesday, September 3rd, 2019 AT 2:38 PM (Merged)
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
Sounds like your transmission is failing. Lets check the fluid first though these guides can help.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/automatic-transmission-problems

and

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/engine-has-low-power-output

Please run down these guides and report back.
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Tuesday, September 3rd, 2019 AT 2:39 PM (Merged)
Tiny
RHONDAS910
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 2002 BUICK CENTURY
  • 6 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 90,000 MILES
We changed to converter; but still won't go but 10 miles per hour. When we mash the accelerater to the floor the car cuts off.
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Tuesday, September 3rd, 2019 AT 2:39 PM (Merged)
Tiny
RASMATAZ
  • MECHANIC
  • 75,992 POSTS
Check the fuel pressure make sure its within specs, throttle position, mas airflow and manifold absolute pressure sensors.
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Tuesday, September 3rd, 2019 AT 2:39 PM (Merged)
Tiny
CENTURYDAN
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 2002 BUICK CENTURY
  • 223,000 MILES
I have a 2002 Buick century that feels like it has no power. It stumbles with medium gas pressure but revs with lots of gas pressure. It feels like you are trying to pull a million pounds. Won't shift up until you let off. Can slowly get up to highway speeds. Gas mileage went down a little probably due to having to floor it to get revs up and not stumbling. Got a code that said wrong gear ratio. I removed the oil cap when it was idling and it got rough. Replaced oil cap and it ran smoother. I thought catalytic but it revs after the stumble. Not as high of revs as normal though. Thinking maybe transmission.
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Tuesday, September 3rd, 2019 AT 2:39 PM (Merged)
Tiny
HMAC300
  • MECHANIC
  • 48,601 POSTS
Sounds as if it may be a trans problem, have a trans guy scan for codes. Also have cat converter checked for plugging.
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Tuesday, September 3rd, 2019 AT 2:39 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DJCL
  • MECHANIC
  • 767 POSTS
Have some one recheck codes clear them and see what resets
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Tuesday, September 3rd, 2019 AT 2:39 PM (Merged)
Tiny
KALANI04
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
  • 2001 BUICK CENTURY
Transmission problem
2001 Buick Century 6 cyl Two Wheel Drive Automatic 184K+ miles

I took my car to sears and got a tune up, oil change, 2 tires and new brakes I spent over 1,000 dollars there. Two days later as I'm driving to MIA From Orlando my car wouldn't accelrate and completley stopped on the hwy. I don't know if it's something they did with all the work that was done on it. I never had this issue and I'm so upset that I spent all that money and GOD only know how much it's going to cost me to fix it. Can you give me an idea of what might be wrong and how much is to much to fix a transmission so I don't get over charged. And any other advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
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Tuesday, September 3rd, 2019 AT 2:39 PM (Merged)
Tiny
MERLIN2021
  • MECHANIC
  • 17,250 POSTS
So what died? Did the engine shut off? Or does it stay running and you can rev the motor?
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Tuesday, September 3rd, 2019 AT 2:39 PM (Merged)
Tiny
KALANI04
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
Everything else is fine it's just I can't accelerate. Car turns on motor running just can move.
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Tuesday, September 3rd, 2019 AT 2:39 PM (Merged)
Tiny
MERLIN2021
  • MECHANIC
  • 17,250 POSTS
Check the fluid level and condition on the transmission dipstick. Should be pink, not brownish or burnt smelling. Check with a warm engine. Not imposible to have had a trany cooler line start leaking!
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Tuesday, September 3rd, 2019 AT 2:39 PM (Merged)
Tiny
WWILFOX
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 2001 BUICK CENTURY
  • 6 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 96,000 MILES
The car has slow acceleration, especially in warm or hot weather. The "service engine soon" light has been on for some time. A co-worker did a tune-up about a month ago and the acceleration inproved slightly. The light even went out for 3 days. But the acceleration is still rather poor. The car has 96,000 + miles.
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Tuesday, September 3rd, 2019 AT 2:39 PM (Merged)
Tiny
RASMATAZ
  • MECHANIC
  • 75,992 POSTS
You need to have the computer scanned for code/s you have a problem within the engine management this is your starting point to identify where the trouble area is.
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Tuesday, September 3rd, 2019 AT 2:39 PM (Merged)
Tiny
WORKER22
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 2001 BUICK CENTURY
Charged the battery, and dies again. Also replaced alternator and belt still good. Replaced starter recently. Checked all fuses under hood, all good. Repeatedly battery dies, had to replaced battery three time because does not hold charge. When the battery is charged it will start and turn on no problem, suddenly after a few hours of driving the panel lights dim and the radio turns off. Try to press on gas but loses power, even when pressing down the gas completely the car barely runs. When the car is almost at a stop the engine will shut down. The car cannot restart. Unless the car boost is given a boost, it will start again for a while and stop after a few miles. Someone told me it might be some kind of module or regulator not operational.
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Tuesday, September 3rd, 2019 AT 2:39 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 109,885 POSTS
If the alt is good, check the fuseable link between the alt and the battery. It works as a fuse. If bad, the alt can't charge the battery.
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Tuesday, September 3rd, 2019 AT 2:39 PM (Merged)
Tiny
KENTREED
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
  • 2003 BUICK CENTURY
  • 3.1L
  • V6
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
About a month ago my car began to have a loss of power. In the beginning id stall between first and second gears for a few seconds, until I ultimately had to either ride around at 20 or so mph until the car decided to shift gears and drive correctly. After it would shift into second the first time the ride would be fine, and if the car sat more than an hour the process had to be repeated. Transmission problems were ruled out first, I took it to ammoco transmissions and they diagnosed my transmission and found no problem, he warned me I may have a bad crank, but I was advised to pursue other problems. Around the time the problem began my service engine light came on, immediately got it checked and my oxygen sensors were defective, the first was defective, second shooting error codes. Fast forward I got hooked up with this shade tree guy, he told me he'd replace the sensors and I should also get new spark plugs and wires. Did that were test driving the car and all we smell is carbon monoxide, he gets out, looks under the car and my catalytic converter was literally "orange hot." The tune up and oxygen sensors being replaced also caused a really nasty misfire (spark and plugs in correct order.) Also it was a thick white smoke puffing from the exhaust rather than a steady flow. Replaced converter, same problem, converter gets hot, exhaust still puffy but not white nor does is wreak of monoxide. Now he says the ONLY thing that can be causing this would be my coil packs. Ive called shops, got fourth and fifth opinions, people say I should have done the coil packs first in order to save money, but important part they say by series of deduction, they agree it can ONLY be my coils. What do you guys think? The coils makes sense to me considering idling my car was the best way to ensure I'm able to shift up and ride normally, was that me actually compensating for low output of the coils? From what I understand they make however much your battery has into enough electricity to run the engine? Was me idling charging my coil packs (or whatever?) If you guys need more info just ask, ill reply quickly this has been a persistent and costly problem and I STILL cant make it to work, help.
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Tuesday, September 3rd, 2019 AT 2:39 PM (Merged)
Tiny
HMAC300
  • MECHANIC
  • 48,601 POSTS
Scan for codes and check fuel pressure with a gauge it may be low running lean and causing the orange converter. Then have coolant system pressure checked for head /intake gasket leak. Should be 52-59psi if lower than that replace fuel pump and filter. If coil/coils were bad it would still misfire but it cold be something else as misfires are an absolute pain to find the cause. Even for a pro
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Tuesday, September 3rd, 2019 AT 2:39 PM (Merged)
Tiny
KENTREED
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
Well as far as my fuel pump goes, I have no problem starting up or any of the earlier symptoms and also my spark plugs have been tested/replaced so its likely to be no harm there. Considering my series of problems, and replacements would you conclude that it is a faulty coil pack, or packs? Is it likely, or even possibly the cause, considering everything?
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Tuesday, September 3rd, 2019 AT 2:39 PM (Merged)

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