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Car Question

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MrAngryFace

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Just got a tune up the other day (oil change, fluids, new battery) Tune up guys said everything else looked fine.

I had been having performance problems (guttless at times) and apparently my battery was near dead. However ive been having this problem, especially while accelerating fast, or climbing a hill, the car sort jerks. Its hard to describe. I had assumed the battery had been part of the problem as it has lessened a little, but its still there.

The car doesnt really make noises when the jerking/halting during acceleration occurs, but its obvious enough.

Sorta clueless on this, any help = appreciated!
 
MrAngryFace said:
Just got a tune up the other day (oil change, fluids, new battery) Tune up guys said everything else looked fine.

I had been having performance problems (guttless at times) and apparently my battery was near dead. However ive been having this problem, especially while accelerating fast, or climbing a hill, the car sort jerks. Its hard to describe. I had assumed the battery had been part of the problem as it has lessened a little, but its still there.

The car doesnt really make noises when the jerking/halting during acceleration occurs, but its obvious enough.

Sorta clueless on this, any help = appreciated!
Click to expand...



Could be clogged fuel injectors, or bad spark plugs on the low end. It could also be the transmission slipping on the high end. I assume with the tune up they replaced the spark plugs so you should have you injectors checked. If that's not it have them check your transmission. When was the last time you had that done and or replaced the transmission fluid?
 
I was told they checked the transmission. Its a manual, they said everything looked good. Wonder if they checked the plugs. Said they hit up the fluids too tho :(
 
no turbo.

I had been suspecting fuel related issues mostly cause it only happens when going uphill or suddenly demanding more acceleration.

its a 2000 model focus, been great so far, just started recently.
 
MrAngryFace said:
no turbo.

I had been suspecting fuel related issues mostly cause it only happens when going uphill or suddenly demanding more acceleration.

its a 2000 model focus, been great so far, just started recently.
Click to expand...



How many miles are on it?
 
How do you have near 100k in miles? My GF has the same model year car and we take it on 500 mile trips as well as her daily work commutes and it doesn't have nearly as many miles.
 
fuel pump, fuel filter, distributor cap and rotor, spark plug cables. Spark plug cables can be very easy to check....start the car in the black of night pop the hood take the engine cover off and see if you can see any sparks coming off of the cables. You should swap out the fuel filter anyway with that many miles, and the distributor cap and rotor should also be changed with that mileage. The most expensive thing is the fuel pump, pray that it isn't the fuel pump. Your looking at 500-100 dollars if it is...they have to drop the gas tank to get to it. Sorry to say it souds like a fuel issue, change the filter and see if that does it. Oh and by the way, the car battery has nothing to do with the running of the engine. the baterry is only used to START the car. After the engine is running everything runs off of the alternator. So that apparent slight fix of the problem was just your imagination. Happens a lot to people when they get their car back. What your describing sounds like hesitation...that come from either fuel OR a sever vaccuum leak in one of your hoses.
 
Shit, those car repair guys on NPR Sunday mornings fielded this same question a few weeks back. I wish I remember what they said it was. It's a manual tranny, right? That's really wierd having a bucking. If it's jerking around, it can't be tranny-related. If it is, I'd assume it's terminal.

What's the jerking like? Is it the engine racing/stalling? Is it a problem shifting gears? Hmmm, I don't know the right questions to ask yet. Hard to figure out from the description. PEACE.
 
MrAngryFace said:
Just got a tune up the other day (oil change, fluids, new battery) Tune up guys said everything else looked fine.
Click to expand...

That's not a tune-up. That's an oil/fluid change and a battery. If you had gotten a tune-up, they would have replaced the spark plugs and perhaps also the cap/rotor/cables (optionally). A tune-up doesn't amount to much these days, given that all cars have fuel-injection and electronic ignition. Some cars don't even have a distributor anymore.

As far as your problem goes, listen to Gonzo.
 
NohWun said:
That's not a tune-up. That's an oil/fluid change and a battery. If you had gotten a tune-up, they would have replaced the spark plugs and perhaps also the cap/rotor/cables (optionally). A tune-up doesn't amount to much these days, given that all cars have fuel-injection and electronic ignition. Some cars don't even have a distributor anymore.

As far as your problem goes, listen to Gonzo.
Click to expand...

Yeah, no more distributors and probably spark plug cables, my Mach 1 doesn't have any. I'd change the plugs first and clean the injectors. Also, are you using the right octane gasoline? Or are you going lower to save some $? You have to use the right octane otherwise your car will run like shit.
 
Not to worry you either but here's a small list of what your gonna need this year.


water pump
alternator
timing belt, tensioner
drive belts

It's better to change these asap. especially the timing belt. if that goes while the car is running your looking at thousands to repair it.
 
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