Strange idle

HSKR

Registered User
Well, this is the first time I have noticed this since I got the car in June. Today went out to return a movie, then stopped for some fast fod. After getting in the car to drive home after eating, car started fine, but ran like it was missing on a couple cylinders and you had to keep on the gas a little to keep it running. Tried shutting car off, and re-starting but it did same thing. Decided to try driving it a little ways to see if it would clear up and it did. After a block it ran fine and didn't act up after that. I changed the plugs and wires on it when I bought it and have put about 10K miles on since then. I used the NGK Platinum plugs, and Taylor 8mm Spiro Pro wires. Only thing mechanically I've changed on the car is I put on a new water pump when I did motor mounts after buying the car, and I have Wynn's downtubes with no cats, glasspack and two Spintech mufflers for an exhaust. I check the spark lug wires when I got home and all wires were firmly attatched.
 
If you got coolant down on the crank sensor it could cause that or a no start condition. Check the plug wires and make sure they are not touching the manifolds.

One thing you don't make clear is did this just happen (like tonight) or did it happen or 10K miles ago? And if it happend 10K ago what's the problem now?

Jeff
 
It just happened today(this afternoon) Has never happened before, and didn't do it after it cleared up either. I havn't touched the coolant in months to have gotten any on the crank sensor and haven't driven through any puddles either that might have splashed water up there. I have almost 140K on it with stock head gaskets as well.
 
I believe what you are noticing is the common and long-elusive warm start stutter. Somtimes when started warm these cars will temporarily run rough, sputtering and almost dying. After waiting a bit, or revving, it goes away. This problem is increased on warm days or after a while of sitting in traffic/slow driving when heatsoak occurs.. after the engine is shutdown and restarted before cooling off.

Several possibilities are believed to contribute including leaky fuel injectors and vapor lock.

This was a very common problem for people about a year ago, with threads all over the board.
 
Thanks. I hope that's it. Just strange that it had never done it before, even in 100+ degree temps during the summer. Was a nice 67degree day here in San Diego
 
Have there been many times where you actually started the car relatively quickly after a hot shutdown?

You mentioned watching a movie, then getting fast food. This implies the car was fully warm before the movie, which would likely mean at 67* it was probably still at least on the edge of the blue marker (temp guage). When you got fast food, it may have heated to mostly full temp again. I assume you went in, took maybe 10 minutes? Came back out, started, and the needle bounced randomly from about normal idle to maybe 500 and back to 900 or so, acting like it was going to die and running rough? I also assume when you revved the engine it was smooth..

If this scenario is even close to correct, then I'm sure you have nothing to worry about.

Seems on some SCs it takes just the right timing to produce the problem. My current car rarely does this, and even suprises me as I am no longer used to it. My previous did it quite often.

Hope that helps..
 
Except for the 10 minutes to eat thing, the way the car acted is about right. We were in the restraunt for about 20-30 minutes eating while the car sat.
 
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