Hope you gearheads can help me. My Cutlass runs rough and will often stall at idle (especially when running AC). I was told it was probably caused by ethanol and the only cure was to install a new torque converter. Would that help and how much do you figure it would cost?
Thanks

 

Who ever told you that is wrong. Your issue is with your tune up settings and/or defective or worn engine parts.

 

How and the heck are those two related? Yes, Ethanol fuel is bad especially if a car sits any amount of time. You may have a vacuum leak, dirty carb or timing is out of spec along with worn ignition parts. What year of car? If a lock up torque converter is stuck on it will lug the motor at idle. This only applies on 1981 and up cars or a retrofit into an older model.

 

It's all we have here in Phoenix yet my car has run fine for the past 18 years.

Anyway, as you said that's not causing the driveability issues.

 

We have a 10% ethanol rule but that means all regular is 10% and premium is ethanol free. I just wish we had 93 locally. Basically ethanol issues are vehicles that sit 6 months at a time or carburetored cars that are already very lean, Ethanol makes the problem worse. With hippie dippie Trudeau, the 10% rule may change. I consider ethanol like clean burning diesels, what is point if you get much worse mileage?

 

It's a 72.

 

Then it is probably not your torque converter. What is your idle set at?

 

Thanks for everyone's replies. I'm no mechanic. I change my own oil and do an occasional brake job and minor stuff like that but I don't even own a timing light so I depend on advice from others more knowledgeable than me. Sounds like I just need a good tuneup which is good because I probably couldn't afford a new torque converter anyway.