Hey guys. Im running out of ideas here. My 00 Vert Z24 with the LD9 has 120,000 miles on her. Yeah shes up there, but she has a issue. She surges at the red lights. Like to the point to you can feel the car shake, and its bad enough to make me move. It feels like im pumping the brake pedal at the stop light. Now, I know its not the Ignition coil or module (had a working set off a parts car that I have already installed on it), and Monday night I installed new plugs and wire "boots" and still the same thing. I also checked the air filter, and its pretty clean (still white, just a very light grey, but im gonna throw a new on in anyways). I am running ouyt of ideas. I dont get any check engine lights, I filled it up with premium and still doing the same thing so im running out of ideas here. I also noticed that im getting REALLY crappy gas mileage. Like maybe 10-15mpg city. The reason I say this is I reset my ODO when I filled up last time, and when I needed to put gas in again, i was at roughly 186 miles FOR THE TANK!! And I do not use ac since it doesnt work on my car so im thinking that has something to do with it. I also noticed that she has no power under heavy acceleration from a dead stop. I have owned LD9's before (One in a 98 malibu) and it was a little more peppier then this one, hell even my girls 96 Vert with the LD9 in it is getting better gas mileage, runs smoother (no surging) and has more power off the line. Maybe fuel filter (havent looked at that yet) and I also was told try the O2 sensor and maybe a Catalitic (SP?) Converter, but idk what else. Like I said, when You hit the pedal, nothing happens, she runs smooth, but at a light it feels like im pumping the brake pedal. So any help will be great! Thanks guys!!
Any Service Lights?? does it always happen at a stop idling? or like coasting to a stop...? if you reved it does it revs smoothly or crappy?
Could it be the IAC sensor? might want to clean it up...
Well, before I changed the coil packs and ign module (I had one off a parts cavalier i just jumked) when I revved her cold, she would sputter. I figured I had the typical coil housing issue but when I pulled the cover off with the coil housing/module the white plastic housing looked fine, just the normal soot (SP?) was on it and I wiped it off, but still put the other one on. I havent tried revving it up yet. But if its doing the same thing, I doubt it would be the coil/module since this setup is off a totally other car. When i take off from the light, shes good. No hesitation other then just lack of power. Its not falling on its face or anything like that, it just seems like im driving a 2.2 OHV instead of a 2.4. The peppyness isnt there. You are not the first person that said the IAC could be really dirty. Im prolly gonna go home (at work now) and pull it out and see if I can clean it up. Like I said I also noticed Im getting REALLY bad gas mileage for a 4cyl. Hell my Escalade with a 6.0 gets better fuel economy, with a 23 gallon tank I can get 350 miles to the tank, which comes out to 15.21 mpg roughly in the city. and to get about 180 miles out of about 12 gallons gives me 15 mpg city. Which is bad considering IIRC I should be getting about 18-20. I dont drive her hard bc I know she has higher miles on her, and I dont want major issues with it. Im also being told to check the CAT , and thats possibly on its last leg, but I have NO lights. No CEL or anything. Its just weird.
Perroloco . wrote:Any Service Lights?? does it always happen at a stop idling? or like coasting to a stop...? if you reved it does it revs smoothly or crappy?
Could it be the IAC sensor? might want to clean it up...
Yeah...your post is useless
- 2004 Cavalier - 124k, owned since new
Alrighty here
Sounds to me like you have a vacuum leak, do you have a vacuum gauge.
I bet if you had a scan tool it would scan your fuel trims are maxed out to the positive. I suppose you dont have access to one of those though?
If you can cataylst was bad you would have an efficency code.
- 2004 Cavalier - 124k, owned since new
Take a look at the throttle position sensor it's just behind the crank cover. A black plastic casing. A new one is expensive but if you open up the old one and clean the contacts with a qtip and alcohol it can make a big difference. Mine was surging really bad too. But it's been fine now for 2 years. Good luck!!!
Perroloco . wrote:Rob wrote:Perroloco . wrote:Any Service Lights?? does it always happen at a stop idling? or like coasting to a stop...? if you reved it does it revs smoothly or crappy?
Could it be the IAC sensor? might want to clean it up...
Yeah...your post is useless
HOW??
I think a post to say that another post is useless is actually the useless post.
Jordan wrote:Perroloco . wrote:Rob wrote:Perroloco . wrote:Any Service Lights?? does it always happen at a stop idling? or like coasting to a stop...? if you reved it does it revs smoothly or crappy?
Could it be the IAC sensor? might want to clean it up...
Yeah...your post is useless
HOW??
I think a post to say that another post is useless is actually the useless post.
Agreed. I love how ppl think there always better then everyone else.
Mike Z A.K.A SNEEZY wrote:Jordan wrote:Perroloco . wrote:Rob wrote:Perroloco . wrote:Any Service Lights?? does it always happen at a stop idling? or like coasting to a stop...? if you reved it does it revs smoothly or crappy?
Could it be the IAC sensor? might want to clean it up...
Yeah...your post is useless
HOW??
I think a post to say that another post is useless is actually the useless post.
Agreed. I love how ppl think there always better then everyone else.
Exactly... but if he had said "Check your tire pressure" that would have been useless...
Now back to the car?... This is auto trans right? could the torque converter clutch be acting up? locking the tc and unlocking? it can cause surging when slowing down/stopping and cut performance.
Jordan wrote:Mike Z A.K.A SNEEZY wrote:Jordan wrote:Perroloco . wrote:Rob wrote:Perroloco . wrote:Any Service Lights?? does it always happen at a stop idling? or like coasting to a stop...? if you reved it does it revs smoothly or crappy?
Could it be the IAC sensor? might want to clean it up...
Yeah...your post is useless
HOW??
I think a post to say that another post is useless is actually the useless post.
Agreed. I love how ppl think there always better then everyone else.
Exactly... but if he had said "Check your tire pressure" that would have been useless...
Hahaha, yeah i pretty much snapped at in in the third gen forum for being Mr Dealership, i hate douche bags like that. Jeez.
To the car, I thought about that, but, It doesnt do it while moving, only stopped idling at the light. SO i doubt it would be that. But thanks for giving up useful information. I know its not a vacuum leak at Mr Tech said bc a car runs alot diffrent then mine with a vacuum leak. Plus I guess im nobody bc a dealership doesnt provide me with a 5000.00 scan tool. Oh well, Guess ill do this the old fashined way, and actually be a mechanic not a parts changer as many (not all) dealer techs are now-a-days. Im glad im not a tech.
Man honestly sounds like IAC or the converter, the efficiency code wont set necessarily if it clogging up, usually on when its breakin apart from running lean for a long period of time. (lazy o2 sensors?)
Only at idle? Still sounds like IAC motor is acting up....will it do this in park? then you could unplug with it running and it would level out the engine wherever you unplugged it at(rpms)
TCC solenoid would actually almost kill or even kill the car at a stop light, it would feel like driving a manual and not pushing clutch in while stopping. So doubt thats your problem.
Your WHAT hurts?
I wonder if it could be injectors misfiring at idle.. or plugs something like that. I have to say I dont have much experience with these engines, I just got my 99 and its the first of its kind i've worked on and I havent done much so i'm just throwing out what I do know about engines in general... I'm pretty much self taught, started when I was around 10 working on lawn mowers n stuff, and now i worked my way up to bull dozers and such but these all electric engines are a different story all together. I know my car has 2.2 ignition parts swapped in, I was told it was to take care of spark issues that the 2.4's have, I assume because they get heated up so much under then engine cover. I don't have to have the engine cover if I dont want to.
Wheelerman wrote:Man honestly sounds like IAC or the converter, the efficiency code wont set necessarily if it clogging up, usually on when its breakin apart from running lean for a long period of time. (lazy o2 sensors?)
Only at idle? Still sounds like IAC motor is acting up....will it do this in park? then you could unplug with it running and it would level out the engine wherever you unplugged it at(rpms)
TCC solenoid would actually almost kill or even kill the car at a stop light, it would feel like driving a manual and not pushing clutch in while stopping. So doubt thats your problem.
Thanks Wheeler, aznd yeah, Im thinking those too. Im going to go home and pull the IAC and sclean it up with some brake clean. ANd see if that helps. Hopefully it does. And yeah Im also thinking either lazy O2 or just clogged or on its way out Cat. Either way, since i work for Napa, it isnt too bad on price. Im really thinking just cut the damn cat out for now, and see what happens. I know it will set a damn CEL but If it clears the issue no biggie ill just throw a new Cat on. Either way, im just getting tired of sitting at a light, and my car feels as if im pumping the damn brakes lol
Check the vacuum hose from your intake manifold to your map sensor. Those are known to break.
