choppy idle/underpowered/sounds really rough
 

ok.. just after fixing the power steering pump rattling around and the vacuum leak i take my car out, shes running great i went over to a buddies house for a while.. when i go to come back, my car is running like absolute crap. it was idleing at around 600 jumping up to 700 back and forth sounding really choppy and when i hit the gas it felt really underpowered (even for a 2.8 ) and i swear it sounded like a lawn mower 2 stroke engine.. it was just putting along i have no clue what it could be.. any advice helps and is apreciated...thnx much

check the plugs my 2.8 liked to spit them out for some reason they loosened

if not that maybe the injectors are clogged

yea, it was just a plug wire.. but im still stuck on why the volts fluctuate(sp?) so much.. it keeps jumping around and the interior lights/headlights go dimer at idle and brighter when i raise the rpm's a bit im kinda clueless on this one

have the battery load tested as well as teh alternator kinda sounds like the alternator was changed out for a high output one which shuts off under about 1200 rpm because of heat

i did a load test on the battery and its fine, how do i do a load test on the alt.? i know the alt. was replaced not long ago.. the car used to be my dads untill i bought it off him ill have to check what kind of alt. he put in

take it to teh place that did the battery, you ned a carbon pile load tester to test either one turning everything on does not work it's a shadetree thing that was just bad kinda like disconnecting the battery to check alternator, auto zone or advance tests tehm for free

also put a meter on at idle it should be 13 volts or higher