Lost my engine power

[Taffy7hfa]

Plug gap looks huge

 

[LostKiwi]

Plugs also look quite old.
Mixture looks ok (a little darker than I like but still acceptable) and there is no sign of oil contamination.
I would be inclined to fit new given the clear signs of age on them.

 

[Chrisiss]

Plugs also look quite old.
Mixture looks ok (a little darker than I like but still acceptable) and there is no sign of oil contamination.
I would be inclined to fit new given the clear signs of age on them.

but i wont do that if it dosent help to get more power

 

[LostKiwi]

but i wont do that if it dosent help to get more power

It's basic maintenance (which looks to have been skimped on).
Oil changes don't give more power - will you do them?

 

[Chrisiss]

It's basic maintenance (which looks to have been skimped on).
Oil changes don't give more power - will you do them?

the oil is very new since the old owner needed to change out the oil pan but its just again problem with money

 

[LostKiwi]

Do all the spark plugs look the same (colour of tip, carbon build up, gap)?

If so you can almost certainly eliminate fuel injection from the mix.

Over fuelling would show sooty plugs. Under fuelling the plugs would be white. The correct colour is a light brown just a little lighter than you have but given you've messed with filters it could be messing up the mixtures.

Do you have a catalytic converter? I wouldn't expect one but it's worth asking.

 

[Chrisiss]

Do all the spark plugs look the same (colour of tip, carbon build up, gap)?

If so you can almost certainly eliminate fuel injection from the mix.

Over fuelling would show sooty plugs. Under fuelling the plugs would be white. The correct colour is a light brown just a little lighter than you have but given you've messed with filters it could be messing up the mixtures.

Do you have a catalytic converter? I wouldn't expect one but it's worth asking.

yes i have the catalytic so yea it was worth asking and the (food) inside of it or the stuff that makes it work I think have begin being loose

 

[LostKiwi]

yes i have the catalytic so yea it was worth asking and the (food) inside of it or the stuff that makes it work I think have begin being loose

If the cat is breaking up there's your problem.

 

[Craiglxviii]

If the cat is breaking up there's your problem.

yep. That’ll do it!

 

[mattkh]

but i wont do that if it dosent help to get more power

New plugs will definitely improve the combustion in the cylinders and you should notice an improvement of power.

 

[ian lunn]

To OP. If you are not prepared to spend a little on new plugs or other posable causes then I feel your wasting knowledgeable members time, some times one has to spend some money on cars in order to rectify/eliminate faults or causes, the catalytic converter looks a good posable cause but there is no point scratching ones head (or asking others to scratch there's) without swapping it to eliminate it. Now there is also a good chance that your engine is working and providing plenty of power but it cannot fight the resistance, "Check brakes are not binding".

 

[Chrisiss]

To OP. If you are not prepared to spend a little on new plugs or other posable causes then I feel your wasting knowledgeable members time, some times one has to spend some money on cars in order to rectify/eliminate faults or causes, the catalytic converter looks a good posable cause but there is no point scratching ones head (or asking others to scratch there's) without swapping it to eliminate it. Now there is also a good chance that your engine is working and providing plenty of power but it cannot fight the resistance, "Check brakes are not binding".

i didnt know that you could loose power because of the cat so that's why I didn't think it was that but its most likely i said clearly how the engine reacted on page 2 or 3, its not that i don't want to use money on the car but i don't have the money but i need to know what its most likely the problem is so i can save up to the thing in this case a cat

 

[Chrisiss]

Thank you all for the help, i would never guessed any of the things that you guys have so thank you all very very much

 

[ian lunn]

it was leaking just i sealed it since i kinda rebuilt it

Just a thought when you say "I kinda rebuilt it" where was it leaking? has anything you have done to repair it likly to have reduced the internal diameter of the pipe work? was there a hole in the system it can have an impact on how much power the engine can produce likewise if there is restriction (blockage) within the pipe it can have same effect.

 

[davidsl500]

That spark plug gap does look big but then again, I haven't looked at one for years! I would have thought 0.8mm or 1mm. Anyone know what it should be?

 

[Chrisiss]

Just a thought when you say "I kinda rebuilt it" where was it leaking? has anything you have done to repair it likly to have reduced the internal diameter of the pipe work? was there a hole in the system it can have an impact on how much power the engine can produce likewise if there is restriction (blockage) within the pipe it can have same effect.

i can be a blockage since before i did anything It was scraping the lowest point on the exhaust so that have been bent inwards, and the leak was on the connection part from the front and the behind

 

[Craiglxviii]

That spark plug gap does look big but then again, I haven't looked at one for years! I would have thought 0.8mm or 1mm. Anyone know what it should be?

Sounds about right

 

[LostKiwi]

i can be a blockage since before i did anything It was scraping the lowest point on the exhaust so that have been bent inwards, and the leak was on the connection part from the front and the behind

Old style catalytic converters had a ceramic substrate which is sensitive to impacts. If the exhaust has damage from impacts to the road surface the ceramic can crack. If that happens the pieces of ceramic can create a blockage at the rear of the cat. The usual symptom is the engine will rev almost normally with no load but won't rev under load at all. Often there is a ssshh sound from the exhaust.

I had exactly this on my 500SL and it wouldn't rev over 3000rpm under load. Replaced the cat and all sorted.

Remove the cat from the car and shake it. If it rattles it needs replacing.

You don't necessarily need a Mercedes cat - a sports cat can be fitted in its place if you can find one of the right dimensions to fit the pipe work and space available.

 

[Chrisiss]

Old style catalytic converters had a ceramic substrate which is sensitive to impacts. If the exhaust has damage from impacts to the road surface the ceramic can crack. If that happens the pieces of ceramic can create a blockage at the rear of the cat. The usual symptom is the engine will rev almost normally with no load but won't rev under load at all. Often there is a ssshh sound from the exhaust.

I had exactly this on my 500SL and it wouldn't rev over 3000rpm under load. Replaced the cat and all sorted.

Remove the cat from the car and shake it. If it rattles it needs replacing.

You don't necessarily need a Mercedes cat - a sports cat can be fitted in its place if you can find one of the right dimensions to fit the pipe work and space available.

eh hehe you can hear it rattle by starting the engine and have it on idle

 

[Craiglxviii]

eh hehe you can hear it rattle by starting the engine and have it on idle

That may well answer your question then