My '88 740 GLE has always run like a top, but a few days ago, it started running like crap on hills. It doesn't miss or cut out, but when I climb a hill, there's an extreme lack of power. No black smoke, incidentally. It starts, idles and runs like it always has otherwise. It seems to me like a fuel starvation issue. I just changed the fuel filter but it didn't help. My air filter is only about 9 months old and doesn't look dirty.

This may or may not be related, but a few days before my lack of power issues, my car started making an intermittent rattling noise from underneath that I can't seem to locate. Could just be the heat shield, or I guess it could be the catalytic converter (which, if bad, would explain my loss of power issues). I'm thinking it's time to bring it to the shop, but I'm super broke on account of I'm moving out of the state in a few weeks.

Any input would be much appreciated. Thanks!