Running like S**T

[bubba_vw]

some days my car will run fine but sometimes it will not run at all. it spits and snorts,doesn't run untill 4-5000 or idle and popping noise out of the air box. help

[badluckbandit]

is your timing off?
is it getting gas/air/spark?
poping noise sounds like a backfire mabe your tming is off
rough idle sounds like a clogged fuel system/air intake
mabe your distributor caps gone and thowing off your motar
theres alot that can mess up a car but thats all the basics it could also be a computer

[MK3Strong]

yes i agree the problem definately is timming i had a v8 that a customer brought in with those exact simptoms after he tried to do his own tune up, but replace a part for the engine with that of a v6 and so he was getting more spark than he needed thus igniting the mixture with the intake valve open on some strokes and on most cylinders. mechanical timming will do this also but rarely run. check coil packs or the distributor timming belt and any sensors like crank/cam position, even a tps will affect advance on a distributorless system. good luck

[bubba_vw]

found out the adj cam gear was loose and it was throwing of my timing. thanks though