Hi folks - thanks for this great forum - I used the Fuel pump DiY and it worked perfect...now on to the main issue for me.

My wife'* car started stuttering and running very poorly. It smelled like rotten eggs (sulphur) inside the car and would barely move down the road.

I had a mechanic swing over and the computer said multiple misfires and he checked the fuel pressure and it was veyr poor. I changed the fuel pump and it idles better but will run horrible once you put it in gear.

I am in the process of changing the fuel filter right now but am a bit stumped. When started the exhaust has a lot of wetness to it, enough to partially coat my hand when held behind the car. The coolant is still fine in the reserve and radiator so I am not sure if that is normal on startup - it goes away after running for a couple minutes.

The last piece is that the air box in the front corner of the engine makes a very loud hissing sound for the first 30 seconds then goes away. It has a new filter, but still has a sucking noise - I checked to make sure there were no leaks and it is sealed tight.

Lastly - this is a 2000 Bonneville SE with 137,000 on it.

I have read here about LIM gaskets, O2 sensors, Fuel Pressure Sensors and other pieces but I do not want to replace everything if someone has a good idea.

Thanks for any help,

Haggy

not sure why it would be running rough but when the weather is cooler moisture will condense on the exhaust pipes and when it heats up again will cause the steam you are seeing, the hssing sound is the IAC (idle air control) that is adjusting the amount of air into the engine as it warms up, basically the engine runs at a higher idle until it warms up, there are coolant/ idle speed tables in the PCM

if the fuel presure is low it could be the regulator or the vacuum line to it

You will want to check your fuel pressure. Also remove and inspect all the spark plugs. They may be fowled. Inspect the wires as well. make sure #4 or #6 is not touching are near the O2 sensor wire. Changing to new plugs might correct the problem. You can also take a spray bottle with water and mist the wires, plugs, and coils while the engine is running. Do this at night and then turn off all the lights. Watch for blue flashing. If you see that you will need to correct that ground. Check for vacuum leaks by spraying carb cleaner on teh lines while running, if the RPM goes up, you have a leak.

Thanks guys -

The more I listened to it, the more I noticed that it felt rough, like not enough cylinders firing. I pulled Plug wire #6 and it ran the same, I put it back and pulled the other plug on the coil and it ran the same.

I pulled Plug wire #1 and it ran worse. So I checked out Danthurs "Check your coils" tutorial and tested the coils and each one tests out at 5.8 except the top one - it rolls through numbers for 5 seconds then settles on 0.

I think I found a problem hehe - I just called and will be picking up a new coil in the morning to install.

Thanks guys for the tutorials and ideas - I am hoping this gets her back on the road so I can have my car back haha.

Sounds like you have a open coil. Hope it fixes your problem.

Well - the saga continues.

I replaced the bad coil and it tests good at 7.8 now - perfect.

It still runs real bad - I can still pull the plug wires off that coil and it does not change the running condition and the fuel pressure is very low. I tried the starting fluid test and have no leaks that I can find - so I figured I would change the fuel filter.

I get under the car and it is on the drivers side, by the rear tire...a bit strange but oh well. The corrosion from Michigan roads is quite bad but I can get vise grips on - after an hour and many WD-40 sprays it still will not budge so I eat a can of spinach and start really reefing on it (quite the BAD idea) - well the fuel line snaps due to the corrosion and my spinach-powered muscles.

I check here and found a great write-up on splicing the line with compression bolts and I go get the parts and try it - well the $15 pipe bender is a Pain in the rear - but I get it to work finally and hooke everything up and now it leaks at the filter so I have given up haha.

I did the "blow" test on the old filter and it is not clogged and actually passed air very easy so I do not think that is even the problem, I just made it worse

Thanks for the help but I have decided with fuel leaking and my limited tools and skills that I am better off with a real mechanic fixing it at this point - such fun.