I have a 1989 Oldsmobile 88 Royale Brougham with a little over 157,000 miles on it. It is a 3.8L engine. I have been having difficulty with bucking when going up steep inclines, and is now starting to hesitate on take-off from a dead stop. The service engine soon light is on and have had the code checked and it is code 41. I was told this code meant the cam angle sensor had gone bad and to have it replaced. I did, but the check engine light, even after being reset, is still reading code 41, and I am still experiencing the same problem. The person who put the sensor on for me had failed to plug up the alternator after working on my car, and I had driven the car about 15 miles before realizing this. I had no trouble with the hesitation nor the bucking going up hill while the alternator was unplugged, but as soon as I plugged it up again, these conditions returned. What is the problem?
Nov 6, 2007 at 6:54 AM