Weird Problem on 97 GS N/T for months!!

[Woody's_97GS]

I have been plagued with this annoying problem since about last Christmas. I have no idea what is causing it, either. But here it goes....I have what can only be described as a motor "stutter." When I am driving (especially pulling onto the highway) my engine starts to stutter likes it's misfiring or something. It'll do it about 10 times a minute then taper off as I reach cruising speed, but occassionally still happen when I'm at cruise. It's weird, it's like my motor suddenly loses fuel pressure or something but immediately picks itseld up quick enough to just give the car a good jerk or two. At the behest of my friends (and Pep Boys) I've changed the following to no avail: Coil Pack, plugs, wires, coolant temp sensor, and my plugs again. I noticed the other day that my Check Engine light wasn't working so I put in a new bulb today and the check engine circuit is working properly but it's not coming on to signify a problem. Oh, and it only happens when the drivetrain is engaged. If it happens on the highway, I just press the clutch in and then motor continues to run normally, but as soon as I release the clutch it starts happening again . I hope it's not the fact I put 75W gear oil in my tranny last year instead of that Texaco MTX Fluid FM that my Chilton's says to use. Can anyone offer me a little insight?!?! Also, my speedometer (and subsequently my cruise control) are inoperative. I tried to order a vehicle speed sensor from pep boy's and schuck's but they both say it doesn't exist. Does anyone know what drives the speedometer on a 97 GS? And where, if it exists, the sensor is located?

 

[Woody's_97GS]

In case anyone was wondering, I have a 1997 Eclipse GS non-turbo with a 5-speed tranny. the only upgrades are a MSD ignition coil, k&n air filter and a grounding wire kit.

 

[trauma2]

This is something that reminds me of a throw-out bearing going bad. Just another possability to consider.

 

[Project Draven]

what is the condition of the fuel filter? this can be overlooked many times. by the sounds of your problem it seems like a type of fuel cut(stutter in engine) i had the same problem car wouldn't go when i wanted it 2 it would stutter and then slowly catch itself. it was my filter. as i was removing the filter it broke in half in the process so yeah. and if not that then possibly your fuel pump but i highly doubt it. if u have no idea when the filter was replaced that is if it was replaced then do yourself a favor and replace it.

your fuel filter should allow the car to idle normally but when its put under load like put into gear then you will start seeing your cars bad side of a clogged fuel filter

PS if u r wondering where your filter is sadly it is back on the passenger side rear in front of the wheel well. look under u will see it. be careful not to snap the bolts like i did. unless u wanna use zip ties like i had 2 . just a thought

goodluck

 

[Woody's_97GS]

yeah, I changed my fuel filter in may 04 and have another ready to go in just to rule it out. An interesting developement today though. I tore the intake, battery and whatnot out to check the condition of my speed sensor and the reason it wasn't working is because the connector had come off! Easy fix, I put it back on, but while I was doing this I noticed something drastically wrong! My EGR line going from the head to the intake manifold was buring a huge hole into one of my bigger wiring harnesses!! I couldn't believe it. I had to splice 6 wires and route the entire bundle to keep it from resting on the EGR line. The good news is that my check engine light is on now so now I can run the codes and make my life a lot easier! I'm still going to change my fuel filter though, just to be sure! Thanks for the advice.

 

[ddavisaf]

My car stumbles/misses when accelerating. Is there a fix?
This is usually poor ignition, caused by:

bad, incorrect, platinum or poorly gapped spark plugs
bad or loose plug wires
bad ignition coil
bad transistor pack
Try swapping each one out until you fix the problem. Testing the components may or may not reveal the problem; many people have had components (especially wires) test ok, but perform badly on the car. Plug wires may also be loose in the coil pack, although they may look fine.

Other possible causes include a bad battery connection (or bad battery), leading to poor power to the fuel pump; misaligned timing belt; excessively high airflow through the 1G MAS, leading to 'missed' counts; incorrect routing of the vacuum hoses on the throttle body (there was a mistake in a shop manual somewhere); decaying of the ECU capacitors (a must read - go here for details); worn camshaft lobes (normally only a possible problem on certain aftermarket parts called Web Cams); or (in at least one case) a broken thermostat.

Those with an interest in spark plug theory will enjoy these posts by Matt Blue at NGK. Those wondering about performance wires might want to read Shane Thom's second-hand narrative on the subject.