engine and drivetrain my car quit on me! I'm trying to diagnose, please help!

[autoaloha]

so, i'm sifting (and searching) through old posts, and I'll probably come across the answer some time tomorrow... but my car quit on me and I need some help!

So... I've got a 74 automatic. It's pretty much all stock as far as I can tell with maybe a few replaced hoses and plastic bits, but nothing noticeably un-stock or performance like. 76k miles. and no recent work, but the PO had the brakes worked on about 250miles ago. (i bought this car last week)

the auto transmission wants to act up. it kind of pulls and then lags after initial gas from a stop or when downshifting(i believe, since it will happen if i coast down then apply throttle again)

as I was pulling out of a parking garage i drove about 50m and then the car just died. I tried to start it again and it was turning over and ran a little before dying again after a few seconds. did this about three times then didn't even want to begin to run.

i pushing it into a parking stall with my girlfriend steering( and laughing at me...) i tried the old WD-40 into the carb trick, (i hope that's ok). and it started for a few seconds and died again. So I dont wanna get it towed because it was running fine all day and i'm pretty sure it just needs a little coaxing.

any ideas or diagnosis would be great. thanks a lot for any help in advance.

and i'm in honolulu, it's parked at the ward center...(for da locals)

[bimmer7602]

Hey Autoaloha,

Did you get things figured out? If not i get off work at the hilton hawaiian village at 5 and could stop by, not sure i'd be of much help but we could try somethings out

Sean

EDIT: You can reach me at 808-222-0414 and i can recomend a good mechanic who knows 02's real well.

[autoaloha]

I've got a pretty good set of tools in the trunk (like i said, i just bought it), and if you're serious, i'd really like the help. that is, assuming I don't get it running between now and then. I'm in Waiks right now trying to find the answer, since sitting in the ward garage scratching my head didn't seem to be very effective. So...i will call you after you get off work. -ken

but if anyone has any input please send it my way! thanks!.

[bimmer7602]

What have you tired so far? I'm not a mechanical wiz by any stretch of the imagination so I'll only be trying simple stuff like checking for clogged fuel filters and such.

Sean

[quinnfiske]

Out of gas? I am not trying to be funny. I have torn into ignitions systems only to find out I was out of gas.

It is probably ignition. See if you have spark at the plugs when cranking. You can hook up a timing light or put a spark plug into one of the plug leads. From there, you can work backwards through the coil (check to see if you have 12V between both the primary leads and ground) with the ignition on. These are the small wires. Then look inside the distributor. Broken rotor? Has the screw that holds down the points loosened and the points closed?

If the ignition looks OK, see if the fuel pump is working. If you have one of those clear fuel filters you should be able to see fuel flowing through it when cranking.

Good luck.

[autoaloha]

its not out of fuel, just filled it up two days ago, but that would have been embarassing to say the least!

why would it be the ignition? i'm not trying to question your idea, just curious as to your reasoning. a miss( which would be what your talking about right? or am i off base?) why would it quit on me like that, while downshifting? Along with the tendency to want to die( really low RPM dip in which i can hear the engine slow down) when i give it some gas after a stop or coast.

oh yeah, and the mileage seems to be about 22mpg (but that's a very small sample, just filled up 6.5gal and then did the math- that's my only data- just one)

[TMK_74_2002A]

Maybe the fuel pump or a clogged fuel filter. Is the carb getting gas. TK

[autoaloha]

mmm ok dumb question... how can i check if the carb is getting gas?

[autoaloha]

maybe this is it.

from : http://www.bmw2002faq.com/component/option,com_forum/Itemid,57/page,viewtopic/t,324408/highlight,automatic+transmission+problem/

Turns out it was the choke mechanism - althought the cable was operating correctly, the mechanism on the carb was seized, thus not closing the throttle. The spring on the choke mechanism is a bit weak so was just compressing rather than allowing the choke plate to close

The result was that the damn car wouldn't start and ran like a bag of spanners when it did until it had warmed up a tad.

While I was there I checked everthing else and cleaned various jets and orifices and inserted a new fuel filter. All good now.

maybe? what do you guys think?

[autoaloha]

the butterfly wasn't resetting itself. I just mechanically released it from a stuck position and then it operated as normal after some rough initial idles that lasted roughly 2-3 minutes. Very simple fix, & I knew something looked funny about the carb choke earlier. so i guess i solved the problem, thanks to all who responded.

picked up a fuel filter on the way home.