this sound like a short to you too?

since it got cold, my car has been sputtering when rolling from a stop and shifting gears early. like, anywhere below 3k causes a hesitation and actual sputtering that feels and sounds like a misfiring cylinder. it evens out relatively quickly but it is annoying and recently seems to have been getting worse.

now it is more persistent causing near-stall situations when accelerating from a stop. it is especially bad when turning while accelerating. the headlights dim, the car shudders exactly like my 240 did when it had a dying injector.

i always let my car come to normal operating temp before i start driving it, so i know its not a cold-start issue. the issue also manifests after several miles of highway driving. recently i have noticed a gasoline smell beginning to accompany the stuttering.

while cruising on the way home last night, i was maintaining a constant speed of 65 and noticed the tach needle jumping from 3k to 4k repeatedly. there was no change in engine speed, throttle input or anything else that i could tell.

im about to perform a tuneup, this will include new plugs, checking and replacing engine grounds, fuel filter replacement and thats about all i can think of that would be causing the issue directly. other things might be a clogged valve or vacuum hose, maf going out/needing cleaned, a short somewhere causing a hiccup. that seems more unlikely.

the engine is getting up there in mileage, anyone know if this is a really common issue that i am overlooking?

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Originally Posted by dickie

anyone know if this is a really common issue that i am overlooking?

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Plug wires first.

+1 Replace the plug wires first.

A bad ground or just a bad connection anywhere can cause erratic needle bounce. A loose alternator could cause the weird stuff when turning while accelerating.

they were new ngk wires when i bought the car, checked them for breaks or wear marks first. didnt see anything but thats on the list of replacement parts.

I think it sounds like a loose ground wire, with the lights dimming. Check the battery to chassy ground, and the chassy to engine ground. BTW, a loose ground will also make the tack jump around.

TD

i double-checked the chassis-battery ground, it was brand-new and replaced just before i bought the car, apparently. i will double check it after work when i can take it off and re-tighten it.

as for the engine ground, it was haggard looking to i replaced it with 4-gauge wire and newer terminals, but that didnt seem to solve much. ill take another crack at it.

something that bothers me: when removing the bolts for the ground cable brackets i noticed the bolt holes were painted over. logic tells me that metal-on-metal contact is required for better conductivity, yes?

still though, this sucks. i think this motor is feeling tired anyway. i need to find a 1.8 liter to swap in.

There is a ground connection under the brake master cylinder where multiple wires are grounded. If that one is dirty you'll suffer those symptoms.

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Originally Posted by sammm

Plug wires first.

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+2. Sounds a lot like what was happening with my Supra... the wires looked good, but were so bad that when you opened the hood at night you could see them arcing all over the place. I doubt yours is as severe ;)

sounds awesome!

so i only had one cable at the location on the "shelf" under the brake booster. is this bad? :rolleyes:

seriously, what else goes there? ill just go the overkill route and make a cheap grounding kit to eliminate any of that as the issue. hope its that simple, im nowhere NEAR getting the 1jz in the cressida and running yet.