hey guys, i have a 98 sunfire GT (2.4L) 237,000kms. I read a similar post about this issue, but mine is slightly different. Car starts perfect, idles perfect....but after driving, sometimes, when i push the clutch in to slow down and stop....the idle drops to like 500 and the car sputters and chokes, and then catches again, idle jumps to 1200 or so, then levels just below 1000 where it usually is....been doing this a few days now....oil was just changed like 500kms ago....had put some stop leak stuff in because of a small oil leak....just about to change the fuel and air filters, and i just filled up and added injector cleaner....any other possibilities? the car has stalled once when it began to die, i tried giving it some gas and that killed it, but it started right back up again no problem....and sometimes at a light, when i start to accelerate i have to give it a bit more gas than usual to keep it from stalling, and there is not much acceleration power sometimes....there is no check engine light on currently, it has come on once yesterday, but it went out and hasnt come back on again....
well its now doing it pretty much constantly once the engine warms up, and i notice WHILE driving, it seems to do it, rpms drop, then surge all of a sudden then normal....a friend told me it was my fuel pump was going....sound plausible?
Well Ken Versavel
First of all I would get a psi test done on youre fuel pump, Are you getting a Check engine light on?. I would take a look at youre IAC sensor, It could be carboned up, Some throttle body cleaner should work, You could have a vaccum leak in one of the hoses.
Good Luck keep us updated.
Better yet, remove the IAC out and take a look at it. You'll be able to scrub it clean easier, to. Old toothbrush and throttle body cleaner will do the trick. If it's been carbed up for a while, you may need a new one. I'd say to find out how much a new one cost -- could be worth to replace one that's been in service for so long. $15-$25 would be my poor guestimate.
ok ill try that tomorrow....im taking it in, hopefully, to my mechanic tomorrow also to have it checked.....yes the check engine light is on FREQUENTLY now....and the car stinks....strong exhaust smell....ill have the mechanic have a look at everything....will post back with the results...its stalling out completely now more often...
ok well i couldnt get it to the mechanic, but i did do some more maintenance and a quick repair today....changed the plugs last night, car was still running like crap....shaking and idling poorly when warm....so today i was gonna replace my O2 sensor (front)...couldnt get to it without burning myself LOL and didnt have time to wait...so i noticed i had an exhaust leak right where the REAR O2 sensor is...looked like it had been welded on or something....and there was a hole...so i bought some muffler cement stuff, and i sealed the hole....started the car up....PURRRRRRRRR...no problems....sounded totally different after i covered that hole....i let the car heatup...revved it many times...so far isnt doing the same thing it was....could this have caused the poor idling while driving? im still gonna check the IAC valve (as recommended) and change that front O2 sensor, probably this weekend....but just wondered on this exhaust leak...
