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Dime a dozen

D

D13

CEG'er
Joined
Aug 21, 2006
Messages
107
Since hesitation threads seem to be a dime a dozen, though I might add mine to the stack.

Background:

1998 Contour SE Sport (this is by assumption)
2.5L V6
AT
123K miles
All stock save for replaced alternator

The reason I assume a '98 is because that is the year I had to go to get the proper O2 sensor connector for the last part I bought.

This all began with an occasional miss. Tooling along nice and evenly - then a miss and nothing else. I received a bank 1 lean code about the same time so I assumed the two to be related.

Purchased replacement O2 and installed. Reset system. I have driven ~400 miles since then and no more CELs have returned.

Problem is, the miss is still there.

The strange thing is that it only happens on partly open throttle if a medium to light load. Say your cruising down a road at 45 and you back off the gas to maintain your speed. That is when the miss occurs. The miss occurs regardless of speed. It is isolated to the region between 2000 and 3000 RPM. If the missing begins, I can either back out or increase the throttle to eliminate it.

The only other symptom I have is the pulsing headlights. It is very mild, but I will perform the alternator rewire soon.

I was thinking this maybe a fuel delivery issue.

I do notice the problem is greatly reduced if the MAF is unplugged.

I have checked the plugs and wires - fine.

Also, on occasion it becomes an epidemic. The car seems to be running on 5 cylinders when this occurs. But again, it is only on light loads with part throttle. If, from a red light, I go directly to WOT, the car launches hard and accelerates quickly. This leads me to believe it is a sensor, not mechanically related.

Any thoughts?
 
Check your Throttle Position Sensor. Your Haynes or Chilton manual should tell you how to check the sensor. If it was a fuel problem I would tend to think it would happen under acceleration not deceleration. Just a thought.
 
Yes a dime a dozen it seems here.

Similar 2200 RPM +/- stutter/miss on '95 V6 with only 25K miles on it. Cleaned MAF, TB, replaced EGR valve, TSS, VSS, front three plugs and wires, ran lots of seafoam thru gas tank.

Ordered TPS today (thanks Tony) at Advance Auto; will install tomorrow see if that helps. Everything makes it slightly better but nothing eliminates it. Will try disconnecting MAF, thanks. I'll report of TPS changes things.

Mike
 
dr fornetti, can you be more specific? what problems and what plugs and wires solved them?

thanks

mike
 
Just a slight off the throttle hesitation and it will stall/sputter if I nail the gas at around 2,000 RPM's. It gets worse with time and I've had about 4 different sets of plug wires. The ones on my car now seem good (Taylor Thunderbolts) and I recently sold my '00 SVT with new Autolite Professional Series wires with a lifetime warranty. The warranty is important because I put 5,000 miles on the first set of Autolite's before I had to get them replaced.

Make sure they snap onto the top of the spark plug too. I had that problem once before. Hope that helps.
 
Don't forget about carbon tracking and cleanliness with those plugs, especially cylinder 2 rear center of engine.
 
In thinking and researching (my problem is stuttering when in gear and stopped with brake on, AND a similar thing in the 2200 rpm range at light load in 4th or 3rd), also consider the transmission mount(s).

But I don't know anything, I'm going to look at my circular transmission mount with the car running in gear now and see any vibration.

EDIT: Well, it doesn't seem to vibrate too much and doesn't seem to be broken, however the two little supports on the lower part are really squashed down to perhaps an inch or so thickness, nothing like the pictures of the new ones:
http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/raframecatalog.php?carcode=1203242&parttype=8616&a=FRc1203242k315438

Anybody know if squashing makes much of a difference?

This is looking good to me because there doesn't really seem to be anything wrong with the engine or transmission; the engine accellerates well under power with no miss; the transmission shifts nicely when it should, there's just this pronounced stutter at a stoplight in gear with the brake on, trying to pull against the transmission and vibrating, and around 2200 RPM at times depending on load.

Mike
 
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mrutkaus said:
....Anybody know if squashing makes much of a difference?
......

Mike
Click to expand...
I got your PM but I will post here for everyone to read. Not sure if the squashing makes a difference for you. My issue was when the mounts were squashed, the tranny was sitting on the subframe. When I put it in Reverse, I could hear a weird sound and a vibration. That was when I decided to change the mount. The tranny was not sitting on the subframe after I installed the new mount and the vibration was gone. There is a picture from the old forums of a tranny sitting on the subframe.

Here is the thread. Unfortunately, the picture is gone. From the driver side fender, look under at the tranny. If it is sitting on the subframe, the mount needs to be changed.
http://www.contour.org/ubbthreads/s...allposts&Main=1247599&Search=true#Post1248181
 
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Ok, TPS has been replaced. Man, those screws were terrible. Ended up having to hack saw one into a slotted type.

Anyway, the surging is almost gone. It still appears once in a while, but it is minor and brief. Interestingly, the car ran the best when there was no TPS on it at all. (Had to drive back to AZ to get the right TPS).

Also tested the IMRC and they are opening and closing. But do they always snap open and shut? I thought they gradually opened.
 
D13 said:
...

Also tested the IMRC and they are opening and closing. But do they always snap open and shut? I thought they gradually opened.
Click to expand...
When you gotta have power right away, you hafta have power right away, Man! None of those slow acceleration nonsense.:laugh:
 
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