Sputtering & Stalling

In my (former) '86 6000LE, missing was almost always caused by fouled plugs (which was caused by a failed valve cover gasket; when I was running on 3 cylinders, I knew it was time for a new valve cover gasket and to clean the plugs). Sometimes bad plug wires, bad plugs, distributor cap, the whole tune-up package needs replacing (about every

3 years in my experience; had it for 10 years).

Funny you mention that because I know my valve cover gasket is leaking. In fact, we've fixed the valve cover gasket twice already in less than two or three years and the engine's all black, wet, and greasy looking again. The first time, it blew after only two months, then the second time, it managed to get through the silicon that you're supposed to use for valve cover gaskets after a year. Must be a bad PCV valve or something? It must not be leaking real bad because I check my oil level often and it doesn't go down hardly at all and it's not enough to leave any puddles or drips on the driveway, although it did when the first replacement valve cover gasket blew. Man, that oil was always leaving a good puddle on the driveway everytime after you shut the engine off. And in between those times of the valve cover gasket leaking, not once have we replaced the plugs. The car's power (98hp) is already low enough running on 4-cylinders, but 3-cylinders? Do you think my stalling problem when going to take off would also be caused by the issues you've mentioned? Thanks.

Although I will follow up by saying that this car has always had a stalling problem in the nine years that it's been in my family. My brother bought it with 60,000 miles from a car place in a small city out more in the country for only $1800 I believe, and apparently an old person had the car and had passed away. When my brother bought it, it had a fuel pump problem. That was fixed. It has always had the stalling problem, even since then, however. Later, my mom got it after my brother got rid of the Pontiac for a

1995 Dodge Intrepid (The Intrepid had very few miles on it and was only 4 years old then, and he still has it today). The 6000 has always stalled since Mom has had it. Now I have it. The question is, in those years, was it ever tuned up? I was too young back then to remember, but if it has never been tuned up, then it really needs one. I took it out on the highway for an hour-15 minute one-way trip a month ago to my grandparents' house, and it still did fine and still got around 31mpg. I wanted to check the oil before the long trip, but the darn hood wouldn't open and I was prying on the hood so hard that the front grill bent enough to pop the Pontiac emblem off the front grill - so I've got to glue that back on, and I called my dad and asked him if I should still take it up there or not, and he said since it has an oil light, I should go ahead. (Although I thought if the oil light comes on, it may already be too late if it's low on oil.) Long story short, it made it up there fine. Once up there, my grandpa spent five minutes prying the hood, and it still would not budge. I pulled the hood release again, and what do you know, it popped loose this time. Once we got the hood open, we found out that there was a little slack on the release cable, and that's why it wouldn't pop the hood loose. I checked the oil, and it was still full.

if black smoke is comming out the tailpipe . the sensor that tells the computer the engine temp or oxygen sensor may be bad.

My 6000 had a stalling problem - a little different than what yours is doing - and it wasn't related to the valve cover gasket thing; as I recall it turned out to be a vacuum-related problem that took the machanic forever to chase down. I may still have the service records - I'll see if I can find them (I gave the car up with great regret when the head gasket went two years ago but I'm still driving a Pontiac!).

The valve cover gasket thing seems to just be a design flaw in that run of cars, or at least that's what my mechanic told me when he wasn't swearing at having to try to work in the cramped confines of that engine compartment.

Your other post said it hasn't been tuned in a awhile - tune it up! It makes a WORLD of difference or at least it did for my '86. I usually paid $90 to have everything (wires, plugs, distributor, etc) done so it's probably cheaper to do it yourself, though there'll probably be as much swearing. And buy valve cover gaskets in bulk - the car will go through them.

As I've mentioned, mine was an '86; I got it in '94 and drove it for 10 years. Mine wasn't nearly as cranky as yours, though! Good luck with it

- they are good cars.