1986 Grand Am idle problems

This is, and has been a great used car. 2.5L, 4cycl, auto-trans, fuel injected, 4 door sedan. I do oil changes regularly, and tune up stuff too. Sometimes it idles badly and sometimes it ultimately dies. The reason I say sometimes is because it isnt predictable. Day before yesterday, I drove home from school, about a 20min trip, was home for maybe an hour. Left home went to kids school...shut car off about

15mins, went to beauty shop to make appts. was in shop about 15mins...left car running, came out and it was idling badly but running...put it in reverse, and it died. Started it up again...gently pressing gas pedal while backing up, and it died again. Started it up, gave it some gas-gently, waited a few secs and then it ran okay and I came home. The temp outside was in the 80s and humidity was high. I am wondering what caused it to idle so badly during that time I was in the shop! It did this one other time while I was going up a steep hill, and I wasnt speeding, but I did attempt to accelerate a bit because it didnt seem to want to go over 20 up this hill, and it died then too. It does this bad idle thing/die thing at some rather odd times it doesnt necessarily have to be a hill, or hot weather, and it being hot, or a hill doesnt always make it happen either.
Reply to
dreamer
Loading thread data ...

You leave a Grand Am running (probably with A/C on) and it doesn't overheat in warm weather? First, check the air filter, problems you describe could be caused by a dirty filter. Otherwise it sounds that something in the computer system is going wrong. Try to get trouble codes from the car and see what it says.

Reply to
Baudolino

15mins...left
Reply to
dreamer

Trouble codes are the reasons for the check engine light to come on. On older cars a paper clip is all you need to get them and it tells you were the problem might be. If your car doesn't have a check engine light, it won't have trouble codes.

Did the airfilter solve the problem?

Reply to
Baudolino

Most AutoZones car parts stores and will read your trouble codes for you at no charge. I know they do it here in florida for us. Just a thought if you need it done. Hope you get it fixed soon.

Reply to
Steven Thibodeaux

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.