Poor acceleration at any speed

Tiny
MCKINNONJG
  • MEMBER
  • 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU
  • 4.5L
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 90,000 MILES
The car has very poor acceleration at any speed even with the accelerator almost to the floor.
somewhat better acceleration upon downshift. The car is able to achieve highway speeds up to 80 mph and does reasonable well on hills upon downshifting. There are no indicator lights nor messages such as reduced power.
The Camshaft Position Actuator was previously replaced do to the car riding like a bucking horse at low speeds and a P0010 - "A" Camshaft Position Actuator Circuit (Bank 1) code.

My question is: could the low power be caused by the Camshaft Position Actuator not working at all or because of some other part such as the throttle valve?

If the wiring is faulty would there be a engine code?
Monday, August 13th, 2018 AT 1:30 PM

5 Replies

Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
Good afternoon.

From your description, I would suggest two things.

Check the fuel pressure. If you have low pressure it could cause this issue.

If you have a clogged cat converter it will also cause this issue. You need to do a back pressure test on the converter to confirm.

Roy

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-test-a-catalytic-converter

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/bad-catalytic-converter-symptoms

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-fuel-system-pressure-and-regulator
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Monday, August 13th, 2018 AT 1:43 PM
Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
  • 13,494 POSTS
Welcome to 2CarPros.
Probably the first item I would check would be for a restricted exhaust. It is possible that the camshaft actuator was dumping extra fuel into the system and it clogged the converter. To check it requires a simple pressure gauge and removing the first O2 sensor. You put the pressure gauge in and read the back pressure. Anything over around 1-2 psi and you have a problem.
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Monday, August 13th, 2018 AT 1:46 PM
Tiny
MCKINNONJG
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
The exhaust also has a noticeable puff on my hand about 10-30 times per second at idle of 700 RPM.
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Tuesday, August 14th, 2018 AT 3:37 PM
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
You need to do the tests I suggested. That really tells us nothing.

The tests are a starting point to find the actual issue.

Roy
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Tuesday, August 14th, 2018 AT 3:54 PM
Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
  • 13,494 POSTS
At idle the exhaust could be passing enough to stay running, As soon as you step on the gas the exhaust flow can increase to the point it cannot flow properly. That is what the testing is for, to determine where the issue is.
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Tuesday, August 14th, 2018 AT 5:23 PM

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