My car hesitates sometimes any ideas?

[Paladin]

My car (A 93 Saturn) Hesitates when I step on the gas, but it only does it sometimes and usally when I first start it and pull out of the driveway. It never stalls but acts like its going too. I step on the gas and RPM's drop to around 400 or so and then it goes back up after about a sec or so. Any ideas? I have my own opinions but I want to see what you guys think. Thanks:P

[hapoo]

Its normal, nothing to worry about. I think whats happening is your flooding the engine with gas faster than it can burn it causing it to stall/hesitate.

[ArkiStan]

I don't know if it's the same thing, but that happens to my car (automatic trans.) sometimes on the highway. When I suddenly need to speed up, I will slam on the pedal and the RPM will go up but no power...after a second or two it kicks in... I hope I have what Hapoo's describing, cause my friend told me my transmission might be "slipping" which is a bad thing....

[Ice-9]

Yeah, that started happening to my roommate's Camaro about 2 months before he had to replace the transmission. The first thing to try is to replace the transmission fluid, regardless of whether it's a manual or an automatic.

For your problem, Paladin, I'm not so sure. Hapoo COULD be right, but you should only be able to flood the engine if you floor it right after starting the car. I'll get back to you - I have to talk to my mechanic today about some of the many problems with my car, so I'll just ask him about that, too, if I remember.

[hapoo]

ohh I'm takin' Manuals here. If you give it a lot of gas and not ease off the clutch slowly to give the engine time to catch up you can stall it.

[Jihforce]

I think your transmission's slipping too.
I give it maybe about 2 more month before the real problems start. I had that happen to my Mazda MX6...so I traded it in right before it was about to crap out on me. Haahaa.

[Paladin]

Well thanks Ice-9. Humm It does'nt always happen, and it does'nt always happen right after I start it. Like yesterday It almost got me into trouble. I was gonna cross this highway and I stepped on the gas and it did that shit and then I waited and had to speed up a little faster than I wanted to. Humm My Mechanic thinks that it might be the fuel filter getting clogged or the jets getting clogged. But it usally only happens when I step on the gas harder, but sometimes you hardly tap it at all and it goes down.:P




P.S. Thank-you for everyones help

[ArkiStan]

while we're talkin transmission here, can somebody identify this problem to me? :

I have a car with auto trans. It's pretty old ('93). When I speed up, the car gives a slight forward "jerk" when shifting from first to second and second to third. the jerks are much less noticable in the higher shifts.

It's prety annoying. I'm so used to it now that I can intuitively release the pedal slightly right when it jerks to counteract it. That helps a little, but it's still annoying for me and uncomrfortable for my passengers. People tell me it's just my bad transmission. Whatever it is, I think it's time to pay a visit to the mechanic. Damn, I hear transmission repairs can get REALLY expensive. Especially if I have to replace it....sucks.

[Ice-9]

Okay, yeah, my mechanic mentioned the same things. He said to try dumping one of those bottles of fuel-injector cleaner in your next tank of gas, and replace the fuel filter. That's about $15 or less of maintenance right there, so it can't possibly hurt. Other than that, he said he'd have to check it out, because he doesn't really do US cars. Porsche/Audi/BMW/Volvo/Mercedes. (and every guy in the shop speaks German :))

stan: yep, it's just your bad transmission, but if you can live with it, it'll probably survive for a while. My mom's car has had the same problem for about two years, and the mechanic has said not to worry about it unless it's completely unbearable. Still annoying, though.

[Jihforce]

Yeah. Transmission repairs are pricy. I had mine estimated and it would have run like 1800 or something to that nature.
The problems I was experiencing were like delays in acceleration when I gased the pedal. I had it checked like in August or soemthing of last year and around January-February I started to experienced real problems (cuz I decided to hold out and wait to get my new car instead of fixing it).

[Paladin]

Originally posted by ucbstan
while we're talkin transmission here, can somebody identify this problem to me? :

I have a car with auto trans. It's pretty old ('93). When I speed up, the car gives a slight forward "jerk" when shifting from first to second and second to third. the jerks are much less noticable in the higher shifts.


Same thing on my Saturn. LOL Time for a new transmission $1500 dollars. Sorry:( And Get it fixed before you really fuck it up. It did that for about a week then we got a new transmission and I have never had an auto that shifts so smooth. Have a nice day

[Nanotech9]

humm... i wouldn't think its your transmission at all... you see, if it were, your engine would revv up, but the car wouldn't move for a sec or two.

I take it your Saturn is Fuel injected?... if so, getting the injectors cleaned (or putting some gas treatment in) may help.

Also, if it is F.I., you probably won't really be able to flood the engine like you would with carbs.

Check your air filter... if its really dirty, it may be restricting your airflow, and then causing your engine to flood.

How long has this been happening?... if not too long, it may be just a bad tank of gas.

Like the mechanic said though, i would really check into the fuel and air systems. you may even have a cut fuel hose, allowing air into the line, and that may be causing the semi-stalling.

About the transmission jerking off ;) ... I know all Hondas shift hard. If your car didn't shift hard at first, but is now, you may have a problem. If it's always shifted hard, it may just be normal for that car.