1991 Acura Legend Stalls and Loses Power

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BUBBLES224
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hi i have an acura legend, 1991, with 49000 mi(actual). it has been quite dependable until about a month ago. it started stalling at low idle, very rarely.starts right back up. brakes also were hard to apply. took it in, found vacuum leak, was assured all was fine. stalled out again today at low idle. took it back in today, they cleaned the injectors. they said under the hood had a rotten egg smell and the converter could be getting bad. it doesn't seem any better to me, it seems to not have get up and go, which is way weird for this car, it is using more gas than usual, and it seems to be really hot under the car when it runs for a while. when i exit the car i can feel a lot of heat. please help because i am stuck without a reliable mechanic-i have been taking it to the tires plus because at least they have diagnostic equipment. they stated they did a scan on the computer and it didn't show anything to be wrong.
Mar 16, 2006 at 11:13 AM
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BRUCE HUNT
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You could put it up on blocks and run the engine with and without the convertor on. Just a couple of bolts and the convertor is disconnected. You could then start it and see it the power and idle are back. 49,000 miles seems awfully low to have convertor problems. No CEL is on obviously and the timing is ok? I have smelled the rotten egg smell before and it was from a battery that was being overcharged.
Mar 20, 2006 at 6:50 AM
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Suggested Repair

Compare idle and power with the catalytic converter connected and disconnected to see if a restricted converter is causing the stalling and power loss. Given the low mileage, also check for an overcharging battery as the source of the rotten-egg smell, and verify ignition timing and that no check-engine light is present.

Conversation Summary

A 1991 Acura Legend with 49,000 miles began stalling at low idle and had hard brakes; a vacuum leak was repaired, then the injectors were cleaned after it stalled again. The car still lacks power, uses more fuel, runs very hot underneath, and has a rotten-egg smell, while a scan showed no faults and the shop suspected the catalytic converter. The expert suggested comparing a run with the converter connected and disconnected, noted the mileage is low for converter failure, asked about the check-engine light and timing, and said the smell can come from an overcharging battery.

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