Engine missing, harsh shifting, help!
 

My girlfriend got stuck with a 99 alero 2 door 2.4l engine auto trans for graduation. since then shes been shoveling money into it to keep it running, suspension problems, all new struts/mounts/2 coil springs/1 wheel bearing.

Currently its got a squeek over every bump in the front end, not on my top priorities to fix though.

What the problem is:

One day after she gave it too much gas when accelerating(she does beat the poor car) it started kind of rattling in the engine and it would speed up with the car and the lower the gear/more stress on engine and tranny/ the louder it was. It's missing bad, in the cold winter days it would need to warm up before you could get it to shift to 3rd or it would just miss and miss and be stuck in low revs. I checked all the plugs and theyre gapped and firing fine no goop or preignition damage on them, it's the first i've worked with a 2.4 engine and i dont know how to go about checking the coil packs or boots that come off the plugs all in the cover of the engine but they didnt have any obvious damage.

A garage said her water pump needed changing, that was about 4 months ago, still heats up fine and doesn't over heat so i havent bothered her with it. She drives it every day. I know with the 2.4 engines (cavaliers, sunfires etc..) they all have the same problems. When her car is idling i can feel it missing once every 5 seconds or so cuz the car kind of shakes once. When it's warm it doesn't miss as much but still has the annoying loose object in a cylinder bouncing around sound. When the engine was good the car could do 180kms/hr no problem (i know i shouldnt speed but a pretty mustang wanted to) but now it hits 120 and starts missing and refuses to go any higher.

It also does not and never ever threw a check engine light. Just has a low tire pressure and change oil light (oils been changed twice, her tires are fine) i dont know how to reset them.

And another thing before im done, water tends to gather on the floor in the back seats and floor in passenger seat, shouldnt it drain? How would i fix this.

Has the fuel filter ever been changed? The noise sounds like it could be a lifter or rod knock.

The noise going over bumps is problem because the springs. If they aren't set in the right spot they make all kinds of noise.

Does it have a sunroof?

Does not have a sunroof, hasn't had the fuel filter changed in the year shes had it.

Also since its a huge pain in the ass to check/change transmission fluid do you think that could be a reason for some harsh shifting since it hasnt been checked or changed in a year+

The reason I asked if you had a sunroof is because were the water drains from them get plugged up often, but since you don't have one I would say a window seal or the weather stripping around one of the doors is shot.

I would change the fuel filter first to see if that helps, its cheap too. Any check engine lights on?

I will agree its a pain in the ass to check the tranny fluid but its pretty easy to change, BUT unless she beats the **** out of it, and I mean really beat the **** out of it its probably not the tranny, it could be though. I have 124,xxx miles on mine since I bought it new, and hate to admit, I haven't changed my tranny fluid. I wont say I beat the hell out of my car but I drive it pretty hard. I do know that a bad IAT sensor will make the tranny shift hard, but thats with the 3.4L, I don't even know if the 2.4L has an IAT sensor

You may want to ask over at www.aleromod.com, there is a member over there, [Ion] C2, that knows the 2.4 inside and out. Maybe he can help you out.

The tire pressure and change oil lights can be reset by removing the fuse panel cover on the drivers side (open the drivers door, it's on the side of the dash). Then, with the key in run, but the car not started, press and hold the red reset button until the pressure or oil lights flash. Release the button, press again, and the lights should be gone.
Have the plug wires been changed? I might start there, it's cheap and easy also.

Doesn't have wires, it's got the coil packs mounted in the cover of the engine with the spark plug boots. You just take 4 bolts off and the coil packs, boots, cover all come off revealing the plugs. All distrubutorlessly like.

To those who have or know about the 2.4s that im talking about, are the boots supposed to be able to come off the cover ? is there a way to check if the boots or coilpacks are bad? thanks

Yes the boots come off the cover.

Anybody got directions on how to change fuel filter for 99 2.4 alero? Also how much are the filters?

Fuel filters are about $10. The fuel filter is under the rear of the car. Its kinda a pain in the ass to get to. The fuel filter is right in front of the spare tire well, right behind the EVAP canister. One side of the filter has a nut and the other side has a clip. You have to push the clip in, then away from the fuel line. That clip is the hardest part of changing the fuel filter.

I wish that damn edit button wasn't right next to the quote button.

Thanks, ill be replacing it next week sometime.