Loss of power...can't pinpoint why?

[jtirado]

I live in New York and took a drive to PA...approx 3 hrs away. I just recently had my spark plugs changed to NGK Laser Platinum to replace some crappy Autolite plugs the former owner had installed. Getting to PA, there's a lot of mountains...ups and downs u might say. But this is the first time I experience my VX seeming to struggle and noticed either a lack of horsepower or difficulty getting to the higher speeds.

Here's a ques. A few months back, took my car to Lee Myles to flush out my transmission, change filter, etc. The Mechanic told me due to the age of the car and a test they ran...they advised it wouldn't be a good idea. That the flush might otherwise remove/wash away whatever was holding my transmission together. Is it just me...that kinda' sucks...not too reassuring, or was he right?



If anyone has any suggestions, would be open to anything...want to keep my VX running well. And regain whatever power that might've been lost due to maintenance or something I haven't adressed???

[samneil2000]

There's quite a list of possibilities for a loss of power. Could be spark or could be fuel delivery. Common ailments are fuel filter, fuel pressure regulator, dirty MAF, stopped up EGR. Did you get a check engine light (CEL)?

On the transmission, I have heard more than once that if you are unsure of the age of the fluid in a tranny and it's maintenance schedule, you're better off to leave it be. This is obviously debatable, and I'm sure you could pay someone to change it. But you might be opening pandora's box. Might be best to keep the fluid topped off and hope for the best. Up to you though.

By the way, how many miles on the VX, and how many when you got it?

[tom4bren]

IIRC, the consensus was that if you have an older, un-maintained tranny, you should still change the fluid & filter but you should NOT flush it. Should probably stick with standard fluid rather than synthetic as well.

[jtirado]

I picked my VX at 106k and it's at 110K now. And yes, I have a (CEL) on now. Though the Mechanic quoted me a code that was related to an emission/exhaust issue. O.K., I have to get up with my initial decoding skills...MAF, EGR?

Thank you for your suggestions, I will go down the your list with a trustworthy mechanic to diagnose what it could be. I somehow knew when I got her...she'd need some TLC to stay in the game.

[VX KAT]

IIRC, the consensus was that if you have an older, un-maintained tranny, you should still change the fluid & filter but you should NOT flush it. Should probably stick with standard fluid rather than synthetic as well.

I thought that whole issue was only referring to the engine oil, not the tranny...???? Some say don't switch over to synthetic motor oil later in the engine's life as it's detergents may clean the varnish and other crude a little too well and leaks may be uncovered when the crude plugging the hole is removed.

I might have somehow missed the commentary about the tranny though....??

[VX KAT]

I picked my VX at 106k and it's at 110K now. And yes, I have a (CEL) on now. Though the Mechanic quoted me a code that was related to an emission/exhaust issue. O.K., I have to get up with my initial decoding skills...MAF, EGR?

Thank you for your suggestions, I will go down the your list with a trustworthy mechanic to diagnose what it could be. I somehow knew when I got her...she'd need some TLC to stay in the game.

MAF= Mass Air flow
EGR -Exhaust gas something..maybe recycler?

[Y33TREKker]

I thought that whole issue was only referring to the engine oil, not the tranny...???? Some say don't switch over to synthetic motor oil later in the engine's life as it's detergents may clean the varnish and other crude a little too well and leaks may be uncovered when the crude plugging the hole is removed.
Agreed. That theory has always been associated more with engines and switching from conventional to synthetic oil as far as I know.

I personally think it's just the opposite with transmissions. If the service history is unknown on a trans, the best thing a person could do is go ahead and change the fluid and filter. Going the extra step of flushing a trans has always been debatable, but if I was going to try it, I'd personally go the Seafoam route (drain an equal amount of trans fluid, add the Seafoam, circulate it for awhile, then drain everything and replace with all new fluid).

As far as you CEL's, if you already have some specific emission/exhaust codes, you could also always swap your current O2 sensors around and see if the code(s) follows the sensors. Given the mileage you've stated, if they've never been changed, a faulty O2 sensors could also be the possible culprit, but if the loss of power problem started occurring after the spark plugs were changed, it's also possible that the plugs that got installed weren't cross-referenced correctly and the ones that were put in aren't the correct heat range.

[Y33TREKker]

MAF= Mass Air flow
EGR -Exhaust gas something..maybe recycler?
Recirculation