Sudden Power Loss

[Bill]

My 1991 Loyale Wagon sat for a month in the garage and the first time
I started it the engine reved a bit high, maybe 3000 rpm and I heard a
loud valve tapping noise that went away as soon as I tapped the
accelator which brought the rpm down to normal. It drove OK for three
blocks then had about an eighty percent power loss and it also idles
very rough. The engine stumbled and ran very rough as I drove it home.
There is no smoke coming out the exhaust.

Any ideas what the problem is? It has 150,000 miles and had been
getting excellent gas mileage and not burning oil.

Bill

 

[Jim Stewart]

My 1991 Loyale Wagon sat for a month in the garage and the first time
I started it the engine reved a bit high, maybe 3000 rpm and I heard a
loud valve tapping noise that went away as soon as I tapped the
accelator which brought the rpm down to normal. It drove OK for three
blocks then had about an eighty percent power loss and it also idles
very rough. The engine stumbled and ran very rough as I drove it home.
There is no smoke coming out the exhaust.

Any ideas what the problem is? It has 150,000 miles and had been
getting excellent gas mileage and not burning oil.

I'd do the simple stuff first, dump some injector cleaner/water
remover into the gas tank and see if it helps. After that,
the gas filter, then have a shop check the injector rail pressure.

 

[MIKE]

does the exhaust smell rich? if so its probably a spark plugh or the
distributer cap (if its not efi).
mike

 

[Mike G.]

It could be a valve stuck in the open position. Do a compression test.

Mike