Help Please! My protege 95 is acting strangely
#1
11-30-2010, 01:14 PM
Help Please! My protege 95 is acting strangely
Hi all,
I wonder if you could help me understand what's wrong with my protege.
On the 24th I drove my car on the highway for about 20 miles, stopped in a mall for half an hour, and when I went back my car wouldn't start. I thought it was the battery, connected it to another car and tried to start it, still wouldn't start. We tried to push it with 1st gear on... wouldn't start.
I towed it to a garage, and had a fun Thanksgiving on the 25th.
On the 26th, the mechanic tried the car, and it started just fine! So we couldn't do anything.
On the 29th, I started the car, and heard a "screaming" sound for a couple of seconds. Drove it for 40 miles. Left it parked all day, and when got back tried to start it, and it started with second try. Again heard the screaming sound for a bit.
On the highway way back, the car felt twice like a big force wash pushing it backwards even though I was pushing the gas with my leg at the time. The feeling only lasted for a couple of seconds each time, and it was on flat surface. I immediately turned the heat and the radio off, and drove the rest of the way in the right lane at 55mph and thankfully made it home. In other words it felt like it was loosing power.
Other details: It's a protege 95. The screaming sound used to be there a year ago when I serviced it, and it went away. Throughout all this I had plenty of gas in my tank, but it was from a cheap place that I hadn't used before. My exhaust for the last year (from when I got it serviced) has been very fume-y especially when starting the car. My engine light has been on for years and the mechanic cannot do something about it. I recently added oil to my car.
PLEASE HELP!!!
I wonder if you could help me understand what's wrong with my protege.
On the 24th I drove my car on the highway for about 20 miles, stopped in a mall for half an hour, and when I went back my car wouldn't start. I thought it was the battery, connected it to another car and tried to start it, still wouldn't start. We tried to push it with 1st gear on... wouldn't start.
I towed it to a garage, and had a fun Thanksgiving on the 25th.
On the 26th, the mechanic tried the car, and it started just fine! So we couldn't do anything.
On the 29th, I started the car, and heard a "screaming" sound for a couple of seconds. Drove it for 40 miles. Left it parked all day, and when got back tried to start it, and it started with second try. Again heard the screaming sound for a bit.
On the highway way back, the car felt twice like a big force wash pushing it backwards even though I was pushing the gas with my leg at the time. The feeling only lasted for a couple of seconds each time, and it was on flat surface. I immediately turned the heat and the radio off, and drove the rest of the way in the right lane at 55mph and thankfully made it home. In other words it felt like it was loosing power.
Other details: It's a protege 95. The screaming sound used to be there a year ago when I serviced it, and it went away. Throughout all this I had plenty of gas in my tank, but it was from a cheap place that I hadn't used before. My exhaust for the last year (from when I got it serviced) has been very fume-y especially when starting the car. My engine light has been on for years and the mechanic cannot do something about it. I recently added oil to my car.
PLEASE HELP!!!
#2
12-01-2010, 12:25 AM
I have some similar issues.
1) As for the screaming, could be one (likely) or both of the engine belts, have the tension checked. I've had to tighten the alternator belt on my 01 more than i thought was enough. Its a new belt. Still screams under load occasionally
Anybody??.....tighten it more? or wondering if i also need to somehow service the belt pulleys- do they become glazed or something after repeated slippage?
2) Recently, in damp weather, i've felt a loss of power for brief periods, usually after i've driven a short distance, and it only lasts for perhaps a minute or less, then the car is fine for the rest of the drive. Seems to need to sit for a day before it repeats. Makes me think water/dampness is getting into the ignition system and i'm losing a cyclinder (or 2?) during power loss, and it stays dry until it sits again in damp weather. Plugs are new. Plug wires appear stock.
-How informative is a scan likely to be (check engine light begins blinking when power loss starts)....hear conflicting opinions about the usefulness of scans/sensors.
Thanks much
1) As for the screaming, could be one (likely) or both of the engine belts, have the tension checked. I've had to tighten the alternator belt on my 01 more than i thought was enough. Its a new belt. Still screams under load occasionally
Anybody??.....tighten it more? or wondering if i also need to somehow service the belt pulleys- do they become glazed or something after repeated slippage?
2) Recently, in damp weather, i've felt a loss of power for brief periods, usually after i've driven a short distance, and it only lasts for perhaps a minute or less, then the car is fine for the rest of the drive. Seems to need to sit for a day before it repeats. Makes me think water/dampness is getting into the ignition system and i'm losing a cyclinder (or 2?) during power loss, and it stays dry until it sits again in damp weather. Plugs are new. Plug wires appear stock.
-How informative is a scan likely to be (check engine light begins blinking when power loss starts)....hear conflicting opinions about the usefulness of scans/sensors.
Thanks much
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