my olds lately has been lacking the power it used to have...it seems that the engine is getting louder...anything i can check or replace to figure out what is going wrong with it??? any suggestions will help

air filter... spark plugs... crappy fuel... ignition problems... Lots of possibilities.

Can you give more information about the loss of power? When does it feel not quite right? High RPM's? Full throttle? And when does the car sound louder? What kind of sound is it making versus what it should make?

Could be your catalytic converter, since I remember you had to replace a whole lot of exhaust stuff after it fell off? What exactly happened with that exhaust incident afterall?

i have new plugs new filter and good gas...it get really loud when i press on the gas my friend said it might be the headers are going bad cause it has slowly getting worse. It also lacks power when i press on the gas it used to jump but now it takes a little while longer... my muffler fell off a while back but i never did get it fixed :?

The very first thing i'd do is check for error codes.
if none then i'd start by,,
cleaning the throttle body,,
replace the plug WIRES..
when was the last time you changed your transmission fluid???
i used Valvaline Max Life in mine.

as far as being louder..i'd check for leaks in the exhaust first.
check all your hoses for vaccum leaks.

also start using Lucas fuel treatment..seems to be good stuff.
certainly doesn't hurt.

Well, a bad exhaust problem will spread like cancer. It will get worse and fast if you dont fix problems with your exhaust. I dont know a whole lot about headers, but I have a feeling there is nothing wrong with them, unless the bolts are loose or something.

To me, it sounds like a plugged catalytic converter, because you are lacking engine response and its getting louder and louder... Exhaust problems I would say.

I was thinking about replacing/taking out my converter, its original 19 years almost 200,000miles. Is it normal for it to get extremely hot for idling for 7 minutes compared to the rest of the exhaust pipes? i can imagine it gets red hot when revving high.

Hi speedy, All
Its normal. It takes that much heat for it to work properly.
Replace it if it gets clogged or if you can't pass emissions test, otherwise, spend the money on better things.
Regards, Norm

how do u know if it is clogged is there a way to check??

lol no more emissions testing for me. In Ontario cars older than 20 years dont have to. Would taking it out and putting a straight pipe in its position make the exhaust considerably louder? I dont want to attract attention also i dont want my interior parts vibrating to the exhaust.

no catco = louder exhaust for sure... lots louder.

Which spark plugs do you have in there right now? Ive noticed a big change from Standard Ac Delco plugs compared to their Rapidfire ones. Make sure their gapped properly to. Also after i changed my coil ive noticed it keeps pulling hard all the way to redline (5600) before it wouldnt really have any pull after 4000rpm. Make sure your battery terminals are clean and free of corrosion. Also check to make sure you have good grounds. As mentioned by 88Ciera_SC wires would be a good thing to replace if their old. Ac Delco or MSD (if they have em for ur application) or Accel. Im gonna get myself Accel wires soon the SuperSpiral ones only have 500ohms/ft of resistance. You might have already done some but if you havent u might want to if they are in your budget.

If you have already put in Fuel Injector cleaners and havnt had much luck with them, you might wanna try those hi concentrate injector cleaners they do in shops. Ac Delco does it and its suppose to be really good.
You say you have good gas, im guessing you use 87 octane? Try 89 for a while.

Do you have any idling problems? Stalls? Surging? Might wanna check all your vacume lines and EGR to be function properly. Also keep everything clean, ud be suprised how much that helps. Fuel pressure regulator? Good Pressure in your fuel lines?

Hope that helps

where are the vacuum lines located? My coil pack might be going out..i was told that a while ago but it costs quite a bit to replace...

coil pack going would result in misfiring or missing... you said its just a lack of power. Is it still running smoothly?

yea it still runs smooth it never stalls or dies.

All the vacume lines should come to ur throttle body or close to it just follow them from there.