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Car sputters when stepping on the gas

Z

Zinister09

New member
I drive a 04' Prix GT (95k miles). I have had to give the car gas whenever i start it, I believe the throttle body is dirty but that isn't the main issue right now. This morning after I put the car into drive and stepped on the gas the car's RPM needle jumps up and down while the car lurches forward then stops and keeps doing that till I step on the brakes.

Does anyone know why this might be happening and if I could fix it easily myself? I don't really know my way around an engine so I am thinking I will need to bring it to my local GM dealership. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
 


The check engine light isn't on yet. I think I might be able to change the plugs and wires myself if I follow some YouTube videos. I might check out how much it would cost for the dealership to do for me though.
 
change em yourself. its easy. dealer will just take your money. and laugh all the way to the bank. plugs wires under a 100 bucks easy.

use a real spark plug socket. its got a foam insert to keep the plugs from cracking.
 
Yea I just called the dealer and they want $525, no thanks.

Looks like I will be heading to pep boys tomorrow. Any suggestions on brand of plugs or wires? I will see if I can find a spark plug socket. Is that for pulling the plugs out of the engine?
 
Buy from advanced and use discount codes to lessen the expense. You can just get parts store wires or some factory replacement delco's. Plugs, Scotty will chime is if he hasn't already.
 


you want to use iridium plugs delco work well. wires the store brand 35 dollar brand work fine too.

this is what the socket looks like. the outsides vary but the insert is what is key. most 30 pc socket sets you can buy at lowes or home depot have one plug socket in the kit. 5/8 th is the most common.

Bike-Master-Spark-Plug-Sock.jpg
 
Thanks for the tips. I am going to change out the pulgs/wires tonight or tomorrow. I will update when I am finished.

Any comments on the having to hit the gas when starting in order to start the car? Should I look up how to clean a throttle body while I'm already under the hood?
 
Buy TB cleaner while you are buying plugs/wires. Also buy some MAF cleaner while you are at it.

Buy a ratchet strap at the parts store too. Remove the top engine mounts (dog Bones). Connect ratchet strap to the core support and the rear metal piece that the engine cover rests in. Ratchet the engine until it doesn't move any further forward. This will give you a few extra inches to get the rear plugs out (which can be a *****).
 
rear plugs aint that bad. just take your time work on a cold engine.

the only plug that kinda blows is the one 1/2 blocked by the o2 sensor. i put the socket on the plug first, then slip the tip of a extension into the socket and break it free.
 


Do the plugs and wires first and see how the car runs after than. A couple tips I can think of after 1 plug and wire change:


-Unplug one wire at a time; don't unplug all the wires at once because you won't be able to remember which one goes where!
-Once you have the wire off (which can take a lot of force) blow compressed air around the plug to blast out any crap sitting around the plug. You don't want anything falling into the piston.
-Remove the old plug and replace with the new. Apply spark plug grease to the threads of the new plug.
-Start with the front plugs. The rear plugs are more difficult to get to and see so you want to have a mental image of where the rear plugs are and how they are oriented.
-Lay out all your new wires organized by length so you can pick the right size for each plug location.
-Put on the new wire with each new plug you complete.
-In order to get to the rears most effectively, I placed a couple blankets on the body above the radiator and on the engine mount "wishbones" so I could kneel above the engine and work from above. Not sure if that is the best way to work but it got the job done for me.

If the vehicle is still running poorly after that. Remove and clean the throttle body with THROTTLE BODY CLEANER. You should also clean the Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensor with MAF CLEANER. If you don't use the specific cleaner for these items I believe it can damage them.

Good luck and way to DIY!
 
Zinister09 said:
Do you guys think I should buy this socket from Advanced? Some of the reviews seem to say the magnetic aspect of it helps a lot. Just want to know if I am wasting my money if I buy it.

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/...tic-swivel-spark-plug-socket-80546/25984192-P
Click to expand...

There isn't much room in the back so just get the spark plug socket that fits. It will be a deep socket with a rubber grommet inside that will hold on to the plug for easy removal and installation. I don't know how a magnet would help the situation.
 


Thanks for all the awesome advice everyone. I will check back after I finish my first DIY engine work. Hopefully this will help because I love my Prix.
 
The front plugs were easy but the back are giving me some real problems. I don't know what else I can do except removing the engine mounts and tilting it. Like below avg joe said.
 
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