I have a Buick Skyhawk that sputters when I accelerate from a stop, even though the engine is already warm. What's wrong with my car?

When your Buick Skyhawk hesitates as you try to accelerate from a stop, it is because of the engine misfiring, stumbling, or lacking power. This often means that the engine is not receiving proper amounts of air/fuel mixture or the ignition system is weak. Other possible causes of engine hesitation include dirty fuel injectors (simply clean them often to fix and prevent this), bad manifold absolute pressure (MAP) sensor, or faulty throttle position sensor (TPS). If your Skyhawk sputters because of an ignition misfire, then the spark plugs might be dirty or worn, the plug wires might have gone bad or are wet, or the ignition coil might be weak. When checking for problems in your engine, look for vacuum leaks, inspect and clean the EGR valve, measure the fuel pressure and volume, and inspect the spark plugs, among others. If possible, use a scan tool to check for error codes.

My Buick Skyhawk is leaking coolant. How can I fix this?

You can usually find the source of the coolant leak since it can be seen dripping, spraying, seeping, or bubbling from the faulty component, but you can also do a step-by-step inspection to locate it. First, check the radiator. If this component is leaking badly, you must take your Buick Skyhawk to a reliable radiator shop to get it repaired or replaced. Next, look at the engine-block core plugs. If you see leaks or rusty streaks leading away from these, then the core plugs need to be replaced.

If the radiator and engine-block core plugs are fine, inspect the internal part of your car, particularly the area where the engine block, head gasket, and cylinder head are. If you find the leak under the cylinder head, then it's possible that the head gasket is not fitted correctly or the bolts holding the cylinder head on the engine block are either too loose or too tight.

The hood release cable of my Buick Skyhawk is broken. How can I open the hood in this condition and how can I fix this broken cable?

To open the hood when your Buick Skyhawk's hood release cable is broken, you need a friend's help. One of you must push down on the hood while the other attempts to pull on the hood release lever. This should work since the primary latch on vehicles like the Skyhawk is designed to disengage when pressure is applied. If you can't find someone else to help but are luckily mechanically inclined, see if you can get in behind the release lever and hold onto the cable with a pair of pliers and try to release the latch this way. Once you get the hood open, you can finally fix the hood release. But first, use an aerosol can of carburetor cleaner on the mechanism to clean it. Make sure to wear goggles to protect your eyes from the cleaner that may splash into your eyes. After making sure that the hood release mechanism is aligned just fine, that's when you can adjust the cable.

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