i posted this on nasioc.com too, but figured i would try here as well.

I have searched and read a few other people who have experienced similar problems, but not exactly the same, so i was hoping you guys could help me out a bit.

I had this problem once a few days ago, then again this morning even worse. It's not so much a hesitation but more like it feels like i am pumping on the gas even when i am smoothly accelerating or holding the gas pedal steady. It is really jerky when just cruising at constant speed, kinda like i am letting off the gas then hitting it again, then letting off and hitting it, but not in any kind of constant pattern.

A couple of times while on the highway i had to pull over because i would be flooring the gas and would be decelerating (at only like 60 mph). It's was just kinda like i suddely had no hp left. it SEEMS to happen more at the 3k rpm range, but i can't say that for certain because i didn't want to drive it too much more and it was mostly highway driving.

At one point i thought i smelled a funny smell, it was hard to explain other than it smelled like a car smell, and not a normal one. but it was on the highway, and i don't know if that was my car or not because it went away.

Also, it seemed to rev just fine if i had the clutch in while completely stopped, and when the car was just idling i was listening to the engine and it seemed to have an irregular reving thing just like when i was driving.

i thought it was plugs and wires, but now it doesn't seem like it is because of the big loss in power. I know i need an o2 sensor, but i have needed one for little while now and it just started doing this (took me awhile to find a place that had one). so now i am thinking either o2 sensor, fuel filter, or after reading another thread, maybe a clogged cat? does anyone out there have any ideas or advice? mechanics where i live are REALLY expensive and would prefer to have them spend as little time trying to troubleshoot as possible. (or better yet, maybe i can do it myself).

Thanks in advance,
Sean Egger

P.S. does this sound like something serious enough that i shouldn't try driving it again at all? or can i try driving it home after work (25 minute drive)?

 

sounds like bad gass to me.. or at least what i expearenced bad gass to be. when was the last time you filled up? was there by chance a tanker filling the tanks while you were there?I would guess it to be eather bad gass or a misfire eather because of bad wires, plugs, ignition coil.
thinking about it now...
when you 'lose power' does your rpm's climb or drop? If you keep flooring it and your car revs more and more but you dont seem to be gaining any power it might be signs of a clutch going but if you keep flooring it and all your engine does is bog down and loose rpms i would guess that its spark/fule system issues.
as my daddy said when ever i thought i had something wrong with my car "if its not broken drive it till it does" not the most solid of advice but if your having an issue diagnosing it its usily best to just drive it till it fails and then find out what was wrong because chances are when ever is not right has already damaged the parts that its going to take with it when it fails to the point where you would want to replace them already... only down side of that is the long walk/toe home.

 

It depends, i think that is probably your cat or coil pack. if you have an ohm tester, check for resistence between post 1 and 3 or 2 and 4 and it should be 12 ohms. if it reads more your coil pack is most likely dead. that can cause misfire issues.