Questions and Answers

Some Chevy Corsica Problems Q. I have a 1996 Chevy Corsica 3.1 liter, automatic transmission with 119,000 miles .Fuel injection with ABS brakes, P/S and A/C. My problems are:

1. Recently my ABS light comes on if the car is running for more than about 20 minutes and my speedometer acts like a tachometer and has a couple times not started. I was able once to jump start it once and the other time it started after about five minutes of sitting.
2. Frequently after first starting the vehicle when I go to drive away I have no power, engine seems to come close to stall then revs up and goes.
3. I did have a check engine light which checked out to an O2 sensor (I have not changed yet) but the check engine light went off.
4. I noticed a small hole in the back bottom of my muffler is this of any immediate concern?

Maintenance Performed:

My alternator was changed at 70,000 and I recently changed front brake pads, one rotor and fuel filter. I have had the battery (18 months old) checked out by AutoZone and they said it was fine. My water temperature is fine as I changed the thermostat, water pump, radiator and hoses about two years ago.

Oil and air filter are changed on a regular basis. Transmission fluid and filter were changed last at about 90,000 and no problems were noted in the filter.

I'm active duty Navy with a spouse and three kids. My dad taught me a lot about cars and I try to do all the work I can to save money but I'm at a loss as to where to start troubleshooting. Any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated.

Jason

A. The hole in the muffler is normal. It's a water drain. As for the rest, there may be a code stored for the ABS light. Most likely a wheel speed sensor code. Most times the harness to one or both of the front wheels will develop an open circuit intermittently due to the wire breaking inside the insulation out near the rotor from the constant movement on turns. Sometimes it's the sensor itself and can get worse in wet weather.

As for the speedometer problem, is the transmission slipping when it does it? Will it do it sitting still and revving engine? Could be signs of an ECM going bad. The stalling may be helped with cleaning the throttle body of carbon. What is the state of tune? This also could be due to ECM problems. Not sure if ther is a code for the 02 sensor itself. Most times it will be a rich or lean code, but this doesn't mean the 02 is bad.