Thread: Reduced Engine Power Message

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  1. #1 Reduced Engine Power Message 
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    Its me again. I just had my rack and pinion(2008 pontiac grand prix) replaced with plenty of problems in between. I got it back 2 days ago. Yesterday I drove it for over 70 miles with no issues. This morning, Im driving on the highway and my HUD shows "reduced engine power" message. Now the shop I go to,at least with me, has a habit of causing my car to have problems it never had prior. Last summer I needed my head rebuilt and radiator replaced. 2 days after that my car stalled at a light by my house. Had the shop look at it and he said that there was corrosion somewhere and fixed it for free. the next day my CEL came on and again I brought it back to the shop. This time he scanned the codes and said I needed a new crankshaft sensor and a new upstream O2 sensor. Got both replaced. CEL never went off. Now its March and this message comes up. He said to bring it back today. Do you guys think it could be something he did while fixing my rack and pinion or do you think this is unrelated? I paid $1200 for the rack and pinion last week. Cant afford any more issues with this car. I bought it in 2016 with 130k on it. Paid $4700 cash. In the last 3 years I've put over $5k back into it.Currently has 190k on it.
    John
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  2. #2 Re: Reduced Engine Power Message 
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    geez I bought mine with 120k for $1000 and traded a car that I was having trouble selling for $1500. but I've probably put $5k into it as well half of it being performance parts haha. but I responded in the other thread basically saying I would first go to an auto parts store and have them scan it. I want to say this is unrelated to him doing the rack but without further diagnosis it could be anything. it doesn't have a direct connection with the rack but maybe he forgot to plug something in or something and this guy sounds like he would charge you $100 and take 3 days to plug the thing back in when it should take 2 seconds
    2004 gtp SD headers, e85, #60 injectors, Walbroh 255lph, junkyard custom fender well intake, lq4 MAF, 2.8 Pulley, 1.95 rockers, l76 springs, ssic w/ vw rad shift kit and tranny cooler 275/45r17. BMR trailing and rear control arms, zzp STB's, tubular control arms, Dorman and Addoco sway bars, intense coilovers, all poly. avid av-20s
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  3. #3 Re: Reduced Engine Power Message 
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    He is an older fella with high school age kids working on cars. I didn't find this out until after all the problems I've been having. Im sure he will scan it and it will be a cat. converter or some other big ticket item. I would take it somewhere else but this guy will at least diagnose it for free. If I can just get 6 more months out of this car, Ill be happy!
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  4. #4 Re: Reduced Engine Power Message 
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    Or you could just get it scanned for free at any parts store, post the codes here and get free help. Likely just something easy/stupid throwing a code.

    I see no reason why you would have to put 5k into such an easy car to work on, even if it was beat to death. We can teach you how to do basic stuff on this car to save you money. The 3800 is one of the easiest motors I think I've ever worked on.

    I have less than 2K invested in normal replacement parts on my 00 GT with 420K miles on it. I got it with 150~ish on it.


    And find a different shop... This guy sounds like he either: A. doesn't know a carb from a computer or B. Is drumming up business by fixing what isn't broken and then breaking something else to make you bring it back.

    I hate to throw a mechanic under the bus but damn, as much as you've spent on that car it should run like a top for many years to come.
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  5. #5 Re: Reduced Engine Power Message 
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    I brought it back to him friday and he cleared the codes and took it for a ride around the block. The engine light didnt come back on. So my son was using it this weekend and I get in the car this morning to go to work and I see the engine light back on. When the mechanic read the codes, I dont remember what they were but I think I am going to take it to autozone or advanced auto, both within a few miles of my house and get a few opinions. From what I heard about this message, it could one of many things. Dont wanna keep buying sensors and things I dont need. I still owe this guy $400.
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  6. #6 Re: Reduced Engine Power Message 
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    Quote Originally Posted by FordMan77 View Post

    I have less than 2K invested in normal replacement parts on my 00 GT with 420K miles on it. I got it with 150~ish on it.

    .
    geez only 2k to use a car for 270k miles? what do you make all your parts in your basement with a lathe and mill like white boy ricks dad haha. just kidding could be possible I mean I bought mine with 120k miles and was completely neglected only fluid ever changed was the oil at that mileage and the suspension and brake system were never touched either I don't think and I've only put around 2k in normal parts after 70k miles plus its supercharged vs NA

    but yea I actually got into working on cars because the mechanic my dad brought our cars to didn't know a carb from a computer and and unplugged a bunch of sensors on my dsm because "the engine bay was hot" even though the engine ran at a perfect temp long story short he never told me he unplugged all this stuff just said "I fixed it but cant remember how" and my valve seals blew and I was rebuilding DOHC heads before I knew how to do an oil change. taking everything apart gave me plenty of room to see all these random sensors unplugged that I didn't touch. hard for me to trust any mechanic now but just like the cops I know there are some good ones out there

    surprised I haven't become an home internet installer yet at&t has been providing shotty fixes for years lol
    2004 gtp SD headers, e85, #60 injectors, Walbroh 255lph, junkyard custom fender well intake, lq4 MAF, 2.8 Pulley, 1.95 rockers, l76 springs, ssic w/ vw rad shift kit and tranny cooler 275/45r17. BMR trailing and rear control arms, zzp STB's, tubular control arms, Dorman and Addoco sway bars, intense coilovers, all poly. avid av-20s
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  7. #7 Re: Reduced Engine Power Message 
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    With my car, every time I get a code scanned and replace that sensor, the CEL never shuts off. When I pull the battery or even have it cleared, a new code come on. I have never in my life had a car with this many issues. I really want to blame this mechanic because my CEL never came on before he started working on it. Now I have inspection in 2 months and unless I get these codes figured out, I am going to be a sitting duck whenever a cop passes me.
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  8. #8 Re: Reduced Engine Power Message 
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    I just look for the best deal on the part I need and fix things as they come up BEFORE they take something else along with it. I'm not one to let something go as long as the car is still driveable. If there is an issue I do my best to address it within my financial boundaries. It was a basketcase when I got it from my brother (the original/1st owner). I think most of the cost was upfront fixing all the stuff he let go, lol.

    jamccor- Not sure what's going on with your '08. I still can't believe that it keeps throwing codes. I mean these aren't that advanced of a car that it has a million different sensors on it to fail, it's usually pretty straight forward.
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  9. #9 Re: Reduced Engine Power Message 
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    FordMan77, your right. Right after he did my rack and pinion a day later a message on my HUD came up that said "reduced engine power". Brought it back, had him scan it and I think he said it could be something with the accelerator sensor which, after researching it, seemed like what other people said fixed their issue. Im going to take it to advanced auto in my town and then to autozone to get 2 different opinions. Sometimes you get a code and the guy at the store will say "well it could be this sensor but it also could be that sensor"
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  10. #10 Re: Reduced Engine Power Message 
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    I went to advanced auto the other day and had them scan it with their cheapo scanner. The lady who scanned it said it came up with “P0420” three times. I didn’t look at what each one said but of course she said it is probably catalytic converter related. She said it could also be the downstream O2 sensor which I could replace myself. What do you guys think?
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  11. #11 Re: Reduced Engine Power Message 
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    It's either the downstream (rear) O2 sensor or a bad catalytic converter. The cats on these cars are known to fail around 80-100K and need to be replaced with a good quality non-high flow cat. I think Walker makes one that will not trip the code. Or you could try and source an OEM one from Rock Auto, Ebay, etc.
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  12. #12 Re: Reduced Engine Power Message 
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    As per usual.my tailpipe came out of the converter yesterday so I jacked it up and reconnected it. While under there, I did all the checks to see if the converter was bad and I didnt smell any rotten egg type smell, the converter never got red when it was running and when it was off and cold, Idid a few knocks on it and they say if you hear rattling or see honeycomb type pieces come out then you know its bad. None of these conditions were present. So Im assuming its a bad downstream O2 sensor. I pray that's all it is. I can do that in 10 minutes.
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