Sho studders

[audioman]

I have a 93 MTX with 108xxx on the engine and new tranny(or so says the PO) but sometimes the engine likes to studder and bounce around alot through the rpm range forcing me to shift to a higher gear and so on. I was wondering if it was in the MAF or something like that or something more serious.
(Just alittle back round on the car)
The PO said that he babied the car and did the 60k tune up. Also claimed to have the breaks checked, but the rear breaks didn't even work needs new calipers. And i was having a problem with idle going to low and cutting the engine out also no cruise control and i found out that the speed sensor wasn't even pluged in. So i don't know what kind of history this car had. Still a good car tho so far i have only put around 300 in to it. And stole it from him for 1800.

 

[Mr Anonymous]

Are you sure you're not just lugging the engine?

If not, check for things like oil in the plug wells, proper plug wire routing, and that all grounds are good.

 

[audioman]

No it just seems to be sluggish some times but the engine bay could use a detail to get all oil out.

 

[MDE3]

I just went through a similar sort of situation...the rpm guage would cut out, then the engine would buck and jump and sometimes stall out on the highway without warning. Sometimes it would not start or start rough....All this in summer driving, not cold weather. Strangely I had similar problems with a Merecedes 190E 2.5, and the common denominator was our source of gas. Sure enough, a constant diet of water remover,(not just iso propylene), and fuel injector cleaner, and changing our source for fuel, has cleaned up the problems in both cars. I was looking for some much more exotic problems..MAF sensor, CPS etc., and was getting no troubleshooting readings that really explained where to start.

A long term problem was that the Cats in both vehicles had to be replaced due to corrosion, as well as other parts of the exhaust. In fact the fuel distributor body in my Mercedes also had to be replaced due to corrosion, but a month after I replaced it, the problems started again..that's when I became certain that our gas supplier had serious water problems.

 

[oh_SHO]

First check for oil in the plug wells like Mr. A said. Then check the codes. www.shotimes.com outlines a procedure so you can do it with a small jumper wire. I would also clean the MAF with contact cleaner.