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?
+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
'08 Copper Red GT PRHT, '06 Accord EXL, '05 Dodge Magnum R/T, '01 V8 Dakota for pulling 2135 Chaparral.
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.
Daily Driver: 2013 Club edition in Pearl White Mica
Lightness? What's that? I drive a PRHT!
sounds awesome!
so i only had one cable at the location on the "shelf" under the brake booster. is this bad?
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.