help with studdering

[Frost]

I have had issues such as this countless times and they never take long to get to the bottom of using logical troubleshooting. This is just me being blunt, but you seem to be avoiding doing the real troubleshooting. There is very very little information here to go on. I don't see any progression of diagnostic steps being taken. The internet is great and can give you a lot of information but it can't do the troubleshooting for you. If your car is modded, dealerships and mechanics are a waste of time. If there is no scan data that has been recorded during the problem then the troubleshooting really has not even begun. I understand that once you took it to a tuner and that it had no problems at the time; why would you stop short and have him look at it when it is present?

A good tuner can tell you by FEEL in most cases if the bucking is lean bucking, misfire bucking, or something unrelated and/or mechanical (such as an intake leak or even the heavy starter cable intermittently shorting on exhaust or broken valve spring). It will be one of these things. I suggested unhooking the MAF as it only takes 10 seconds to do and can rule out a MAF that is failing by reporting low airflow and causing lean buck.

Do you know anyone with data logging software that can get a log of the incident?

[RealLiveMD]

I agree with your suggestion about unplugging the MAF, I should have thought about that. I will be the first to tell you that sometimes there are gremlins that speed shops won't figure out. Before I finally found the crack in a random hose at 3am, I had taken my car to 3 different speed shop and had the car retuned 3 times. One tuner rode with me an hour and kept my car to use as his vehicle a week. Another friend with HP tuners rode another hour. I took my car to a friend at gm with a tech II, and nothing showed. My car has been on every dyno in the city of Memphis countless times. I threw money at the problem as if it was going out of style. When I decided to buy a vette, I found the problem after my wife pissed me off one night. This turned out to be one of the best pissed off nights of my life. For me money wasn't an issue, my car is paid for and I do alright financially.

[TedsB4Csled]

The only tuner, I trust, is 2 hrs away. He wanted to keep it for a few days. That's hard to do because it is my daily driver. I guess I will have to find a way to do that. Meantime, I will unplug the MAF. I tried that before, but it did not help. But I can't remember if the car was started. It was months ago. Thanks for the help. I will see if I can't get my car to the tuner.

[Frost]

You are about 2 hours from Tick/PCMforless right?

Here is another question that can help...
Does your car ever idle high; particularly when it's rolling along in neutral, or on a hot summer day?

[TedsB4Csled]

You are about 2 hours from Tick/PCMforless right?

Here is another question that can help...
Does your car ever idle high; particularly when it's rolling along in neutral, or on a hot summer day?

Yes 2 hrs from PCM 4 Less, Nick Williams etc...

No it usually idles fine. Occasionally it goes up & down, a little strange.

[Frost]

how did it act being driven with the MAF unhooked?

[TedsB4Csled]

Have not unhooked it yet....been freezing down here and I've working. I will get it this weekend. How far can i drive with MAF unplugged; 34 miles to work on highway? I'd rather do some stop and go driving this weekend, and less miles?

[Wesman]

Have not unhooked it yet....been freezing down here and I've working. I will get it this weekend. How far can i drive with MAF unplugged; 34 miles to work on highway? I'd rather do some stop and go driving this weekend, and less miles?

Pretty much as far as you want. The PCM will just use the MAP to run the car on speed density.

[TedsB4Csled]

Well it was really cold this morning. Started the car, MAF still hooked up, to go to work. The SES light came on. No time to scan it as I was late for work. Idle kept fluctuating up and down. Drove to work and the studdering seems better since I cleaned the MAF. Went to drive home and no SES light. I just gotta laugh and throw my hands in the air. I was going to unhook the MAF tomorrow, but the weather ppl say we are getting snow pellets? Is that hale? Thanks for the replies all! I'll keep ya' posted. lol.

[Willfully Armed]

My car was giving me the exact same dirveability problems when I bought it. It would stutter mostly at speeds above 35mph. And basically ran like shit once it had begin doing it. Poor fuel mileage. Then it started throwing random codes, Lean, O2, etc.

Every mechanic said MAF. So, I cleaned it and still had trouble. I was told wires, plugs, 02's, etc. I did plugs, no change.

I got tired of the same answer from all techs, so I did something myself. One at a time, I unplugged every electrical connection undere the hood. Put a dab of Die-electric grease in both harness ends, and reconnected them.

Problem solved.

[TedsB4Csled]

My car was giving me the exact same dirveability problems when I bought it. It would stutter mostly at speeds above 35mph. And basically ran like shit once it had begin doing it. Poor fuel mileage. Then it started throwing random codes, Lean, O2, etc.

Every mechanic said MAF. So, I cleaned it and still had trouble. I was told wires, plugs, 02's, etc. I did plugs, no change.

I got tired of the same answer from all techs, so I did something myself. One at a time, I unplugged every electrical connection undere the hood. Put a dab of Die-electric grease in both harness ends, and reconnected them.

Problem solved.

Couldn't hurt. Thanks!

[402 Guru]

I Wish you the best and will pray for you getting this problem fixed Sir , the electrical greese can be purchased in any auto parts store fyi,
and yes pellets is Frozen Rain ,
Warren Jones

[TedsB4Csled]

I Wish you the best and will pray for you getting this problem fixed Sir , the electrical greese can be purchased in any auto parts store fyi,
and yes pellets is Frozen Rain ,
Warren Jones

Thank you. Prayers back at you. Hope work picks back up.

Maybe I can hire you as my personal mechanic.....I need a few more items fixed: steering column, steering rack, rear axle . . . the fun never ends. lol.

[402 Guru]

Thank you. Prayers back at you. Hope work picks back up.

Maybe I can hire you as my personal mechanic.....I need a few more items fixed: steering column, steering rack, rear axle . . . the fun never ends. lol.

me 2.

[TedsB4Csled]

So here's the deal: I was finally going to leave my car with my tuner to check the studdering and I dropped off my car with him. He never got to it, but a mechanic at the shop took it out and put it on a lift. He found that my cat was hitting the undercarriage of my car enough for the knock sensor to pick it up and pull the timing. So that's what it was! I can't believe the knock sensor was that sensitive. Thank God!