You hear it all the time, get back lost horsepower, regain horsepower blah blah blah, but lets be serious just because you pour a bottle of injection cleaner in ur tank doesnt mean ur gonna get back all the horsepower u have lost over the life of the car..i got a 98 intrigue and im sure that over its 9 yr life i have lost considerable amount of power..my question to u guys is where specifically do u lose the power and HOW CAN I GET IT BACK!!!!! lol obviously things wear down and thats what can cause a loss of power, but what are the things that i can do in order to TRUTHFULLY regain my lost horsepower?!?!? :?: THANKS!

A full tune up. It'* in TechInfo.

After going through the tuneup procedures, the car will be more or less as good as it will get without overhauling the motor. It should be smooth running without throwing any codes. (If it is throwing codes, then fix the problems before looking any further.) So if the tuneup doesn't bring most of it back, it'* time to start looking towards mechanical bits.

Compression testing the engine will give you a general idea of the engine'* ability to seal up the cylinders. Low compression is probably the worst problem that will rob the car'* power and is not correctable by tune-up stuff. If you get through the tuneup procedures and still find the car missing it'* old get-up-and-go, then we can proceed with figuring out what is really wrong.

I have a pretty low opinion of the chemical approach to fixing old motors. Most are just a waste of money.

I agree. There is no "mechanic in a can". It'* all hype that, sadly, too many believe.

True. However, we are talking about a 98' car, not a 89'. I believe 2000SiverBullet did a top engine clean a couple years back. You buy GM top engine cleaner and put it in the PCV before an oil change. There is a full write up on this, just do a search. It does wonders for your motor, at least it did his.

If we classify that as "mechanic in a can", then I suppose so. I guess I'm talking more about the canned fluids that one expects to just pour into the vehicle at various locations, and voila, the car runs like brand new.

There are many transmission "miracle fluids" that the marketing department would have you believe such. We understand some of these fluids to extend the inevitable, and allow you a bit more time to save for a new tranny.

Most people, that aren't as mechanically inclined as many of us, would think all is well after their tranny imbibed such fluid.

I see what you're saying. Yup, adding STP injector fluid in your gas tank aint going to make your car run like new. An tune up would be the start for you. If it doesn't work then do the top engine cleaner. Mind you this is NOT simple and it must be done properly or engine damage may occur. I'll find the write up for ya.

Here it is:
http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/...56&highlight=A Read carefully.

As this is about REALLY givin your engine the business...its still a very good idea to run fuel system cleaner on a full tank every 3-5,000 miles.

Keep in mind that top end engine cleaner will require you to change your spark plugs afterwards, and could spell doom for a catalytic converter if it'* already starting to plug up with age. Unless the cat is able to burn off the debris.

wow after reading that post on the top engine cleaner I am seriously considering giving it a shot for a couple reasons 1. Oil change is coming up 2. I have Bosch plugs in my car and based on what everyone has said lol thats a no no so im gonna swap em with some NGKs after this 3. im getting a new CAT soon also! lol so i should def be able to do this and I WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED AT ALL to see a dramatic change..im almost at 100k and i know for a fact we havent done anything like this up until this point..as for the tune-up, we have always made sure that all the basic "tune up stuff" is always up to date so I dont think im losing much HP in that area..thanks alot for ur help guys, i apologize if i posted in the wrong spot, i was unsure as to where it would be listed underrr...thanks!