jniceroad, I think you have a blown head gasket. Check to see if the smoke coming out of the exhaust is white like steam, or bluish. If Bluish, it is oil, if white ( like steam ), it is coolant. Also, check your coolant level inside the coolant recovery tank located on the passenger side of the engine compartment. if it is empty or almost empty, you most certainly blown a head gasket. A blown head gasket will cause the symtoms you have described.
Becareful, if you see the white smoke, then it disappears, you'd better watch your engine temperature. Overheating, on top of a blown head gasket, will result in the car needing a whole new engine, not just a new head gasket.
If it is bluish ( Oil burning), your catalytic converter under the car may be toast. This will plug the converter, not allowing the car to expell exhaust gasses rapidly enough to support engine speeds needed to dive above 30 MPH you stated. Had a car do this. couldn't get the car over 45 mph and getting worse as i drove further with my foot to the floor boards. At this point, getting another converter would be like putting a bandaid on bullet wound. You'd have to figure out why it is burning the oil and fix that too.
Good luck!
Last edited by Fishin76; 02-14-2009 at 02:19 PM..
| 
