car accelerates too slow even if I floor the gas pedal

Hi the

My 96 Suzuki Esteem recently developed a very bad power loss. When it
is parked I have no problem to rev the engine to 3000-4000 rpm and
exhaust pipe doesn't seem to have restricted flow. However, when on
the road, especially on an upgrade, it struggles very bad to
accelerate. I don't think it is a transmission problem because the
engine rpm barely goes over 1000 even if I floor the gas pedal. The
car has 93K miles and is maintained regularly. The engine doesn't
smoke or use oil. Compression readings for the 4 cylinders a 170,
170, 170, 180 PSI, which are lower than the standard 199 but higher
than the service limit 154. I replaced the timing belt and aligned the
timing mark, changed fuel filter, changed fuel pressure regulator,
checked TPS and MAP sensor, spark plugs, spark plug wires out to be
OK. What more should I check? BTW, there is no error code generated by
the Power Control Module. If I disconnect on of the sensors, the
"check engine" light comes on. But if I reconnect the sensor, the
"check engine" light will go off. Any help is highly appreciated.

Did it work 'before' you changed the timing belt?

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Charles wrote:
>
> Hi the
>
> My 96 Suzuki Esteem recently developed a very bad power loss. When it
> is parked I have no problem to rev the engine to 3000-4000 rpm and
> exhaust pipe doesn't seem to have restricted flow. However, when on
> the road, especially on an upgrade, it struggles very bad to
> accelerate. I don't think it is a transmission problem because the
> engine rpm barely goes over 1000 even if I floor the gas pedal. The
> car has 93K miles and is maintained regularly. The engine doesn't
> smoke or use oil. Compression readings for the 4 cylinders a 170,
> 170, 170, 180 PSI, which are lower than the standard 199 but higher
> than the service limit 154. I replaced the timing belt and aligned the
> timing mark, changed fuel filter, changed fuel pressure regulator,
> checked TPS and MAP sensor, spark plugs, spark plug wires out to be
> OK. What more should I check? BTW, there is no error code generated by
> the Power Control Module. If I disconnect on of the sensors, the
> "check engine" light comes on. But if I reconnect the sensor, the
> "check engine" light will go off. Any help is highly appreciated.

No. It didn't.

No. It didn't.

On Fri, 18 Feb 2005, Charles wrote:

> My 96 Suzuki Esteem recently developed a very bad power loss.

How could you tell...?

Perhaps its self-esteem has been damaged.

You could be right

"Charles" > wrote in message
om...
> Hi the
>
> My 96 Suzuki Esteem recently developed a very bad power loss. When it
> is parked I have no problem to rev the engine to 3000-4000 rpm and
> exhaust pipe doesn't seem to have restricted flow. However, when on
> the road, especially on an upgrade, it struggles very bad to
> accelerate. I don't think it is a transmission problem because the
> engine rpm barely goes over 1000 even if I floor the gas pedal. The
> car has 93K miles and is maintained regularly. The engine doesn't
> smoke or use oil. Compression readings for the 4 cylinders a 170,
> 170, 170, 180 PSI, which are lower than the standard 199 but higher
> than the service limit 154. I replaced the timing belt and aligned the
> timing mark, changed fuel filter, changed fuel pressure regulator,
> checked TPS and MAP sensor, spark plugs, spark plug wires out to be
> OK. What more should I check? BTW, there is no error code generated by
> the Power Control Module. If I disconnect on of the sensors, the
> "check engine" light comes on. But if I reconnect the sensor, the
> "check engine" light will go off. Any help is highly appreciated.
As I remember, those little engines are quite responsive toward the weak
end of the spectrum when the timing is retarded even the least bit. This
can be accomplished (too retarded) in 2 ways: distributor timing and belt
timing. If the power disappeared after replacing the t/belt, still check
the dist. timing 1st, as it's easier; then check the belt to see if it's off
a notch. Either, when off in the retarded direction, produces a tremendous
hit on performance,
Be careful, tho', and don't get greedy by advancing dist-timing higher
than specs just 'cause it makes engine even more peppy, as it will soon burn
a hole in a piston!!
HTH & good luck, s

(Charles) writes in article > dated 18 Feb 2005 09:30:10 -0800:
>My 96 Suzuki Esteem recently developed a very bad power loss. When it
>is parked I have no problem to rev the engine to 3000-4000 rpm and
>exhaust pipe doesn't seem to have restricted flow. However, when on
>the road, especially on an upgrade, it struggles very bad to
>accelerate. I don't think it is a transmission problem because the
>engine rpm barely goes over 1000 even if I floor the gas pedal.

If the transmission is manual then attempting to accellerate at 1000 RPM
falls under the category of "user error". You don't get any power there.

If it's automatic, the transmission isn't working right. It should shift to
a lower gear to keep the engine RPM reasonable for the amount of power. In
the old days I would have said "check the vacuum line going to the tranny".

On the highway when you're in top gear at reasonable RPMs, is there still a
power problem?

-- spud_demon -at- thundermaker.net
The above may not (yet) represent the opinions of my employer.

Spud Demon wrote:
> (Charles) writes in article > dated 18 Feb 2005 09:30:10 -0800:
>
>>My 96 Suzuki Esteem recently developed a very bad power loss. When it
>>is parked I have no problem to rev the engine to 3000-4000 rpm and
>>exhaust pipe doesn't seem to have restricted flow. However, when on
>>the road, especially on an upgrade, it struggles very bad to
>>accelerate. I don't think it is a transmission problem because the
>>engine rpm barely goes over 1000 even if I floor the gas pedal.
>
>
> If the transmission is manual then attempting to accellerate at 1000 RPM
> falls under the category of "user error". You don't get any power there.
>
> If it's automatic, the transmission isn't working right. It should shift to
> a lower gear to keep the engine RPM reasonable for the amount of power. In
> the old days I would have said "check the vacuum line going to the tranny".
>
> On the highway when you're in top gear at reasonable RPMs, is there still a
> power problem?
>
> -- spud_demon -at- thundermaker.net
> The above may not (yet) represent the opinions of my employer.
need to know RPM's during this, is it just bogging down or revving hi?
could be transmission, fuel filter, timing, ...

Spud Demon wrote:
> (Charles) writes in article
> dated 18 Feb 2005
09:30:10 -0800:
> >My 96 Suzuki Esteem recently developed a very bad power loss. When
it
> >is parked I have no problem to rev the engine to 3000-4000 rpm and
> >exhaust pipe doesn't seem to have restricted flow. However, when on
> >the road, especially on an upgrade, it struggles very bad to
> >accelerate. I don't think it is a transmission problem because the
> >engine rpm barely goes over 1000 even if I floor the gas pedal.
>
> If the transmission is manual then attempting to accellerate at 1000
RPM
> falls under the category of "user error". You don't get any power
there.
>
> If it's automatic, the transmission isn't working right. It should
shift to
> a lower gear to keep the engine RPM reasonable for the amount of
power. In
> the old days I would have said "check the vacuum line going to the
tranny".
>
> On the highway when you're in top gear at reasonable RPMs, is there
still a
> power problem?
>
> -- spud_demon -at- thundermaker.net
> The above may not (yet) represent the opinions of my employer.

Sorry that I forgot to mention the car has a 4 speed automatic
transmission. All the shifting is controlled by the computer. Right now
when I try to take off from a standing still, the RPM barely goes over
1000rpm even if I floor the gas pedal. I used to have a Dodge Aries
whose auto transmission didn't have first gear. That car also had a
little problem accelerating from standing still but the symptom was
different. For the Dodge Aries I had to give gas slowly, otherwise the
car would shake. I could tell with no doubt that the engine was trying
to pull very hard. Once its speed went over 10MPH then it was ok. I
just don't feel the same way with the Suzuki engine.

Right now I can only drive it around the block so I can't tell if it
will be OK in high gear.