so my check engine light has come on to the tune of a horrible idle. it is really lumpy and feels as if the car could stall out any minute. however, rpms and oil pressure all seems normal. a friend mentioned to the that this could be caused from a clogged cat. it takes me longer to get up to speed it seems and he says when he had a clogged cat it was the same thing. thanks for any advice.

 

pulled it into the garage to take a look and now it says code 25 AND code 26.... how can it been lean and rich at the same time? bad o2 sensor maybe?

 

Hi-

Can you describe lumpy? Is it loping or missing? Have you checked the simple stuff? Spark & electrical connections? Vacuum lines?

If all look well, and you have not done any repairs on it which resulted in the cel. Then try resetting your ecu. Unplug the battery wait 60 seconds, press the brake pedal for 30 seconds, then wait another 90 seconds, reconnect the bat. See if it improves or gives a more correct code.

A clogged cat can cause the problems you describe, but it typically is a progressive type failure. Do you have good exhaust pressure if you put your hand on the tail pipe? Do you hear an exhaust leak up front somewhere?

 

it doesnt sounds like it is missing. just an unsmooth idle its hard to explain in words. i did new cap, rotor, wires, plugs, filter, and oil change maybe a month ago. everything appears to still be hooked up correctly under the hood. doesnt sound like an exhaust leak( i had one a long time ago and know that distinct sound.)
will try your idea of resetting the cel and go from there thanks for your suggestions.

 

3 words. Burnt exhaust valve. Do a compression test

 

A partial misfire caused by vacuum leaks, dirty injectors, faulty ignition components, or compression problem can cause the rough idle and the 25 - 26 code combination.