Hi... I'm hoping that you experts can help me. Recently, I began smelling gas in my car while driving and my check engine light came on. Occasionally, while in Park and the engine is idling, it'll jump up to 1500 and either hang out there or flip from 500 and back to 1500 again until I either shut the car off or put it into drive. Just a week ago, I noticed that when I would step on the gas and accelerate at a green light, my poor car would rev up to 3k and begin sputtering until I let off the gas and reapply pressure. Then it will accelerate normally (although not as quickly as it used to). I also noticed this while driving through the Sierras. When the car was in overdrive going up a hill it would begin to "shake" or sputter (it's hard to describe but it would do the same thing as accelerating at the light). If I took it out of overdrive, the sputtering would go away and it would accelerate once again. I've never had these problems driving up the hill before. Does this make any sense and do any of you have any thoughts on what could be causing this?

Thank you!

 

Oh, almost forgot... I also noticed that my interior lights and my door light in the dash (as well as the security light when I lock the doors) hasn't been coming on after I shut off the car. This started happening when the sputtering started... it could be a complete coincidence but I figured I'd throw it out there.

 

Sounds like it might be a PCM problem... Maybe ECU....

 

iunno could that just be a bad fuel pump/line and all that fun stuff?

 

Well with those lights not coming on definately hints at an eceltrical problem. You have normal electronics during running?

 

What is PCM and ECU? Sounds expensive

The electrical all runs fine while I'm driving... lights work, windows work, dashboard lights work. I did notice last night though that sometimes when the passenger door opens, the overhead light and the right-hand side dashboard lights work (doors open, security light, etc.) lights work. But if I only open the driver's side, they don't come on yet when I lock the door with the driver's side door lock, it still locks the passenger side as well.

Anyhow, the car just feels like it's dragging a weight. I'm going to go in and have them change my plugs and fuel filter to see if that makes any difference but I just find it weird that when the car needs to make power, it begins the sputtering. It also seems to happen more when the car is cold but we'd been driving for quite awhile over the mountains when it began sputtering in overdrive (basically when the car was having to work harder to keep the RPMs low in overdrive.

 

ECU Electronic Control Unit. PCM Powertrain Control Module. Those are the 2 computers that run the car. Also something I hadn't thought about did you recently move to the mountains? Do you drive at a decent sea level height? Thinner air MAY also be causing you some problems? Just an idea to toss out there. If you've JUST started driving in the mountains and the problem started happening after you started mountain driving.... you know? There MAY be something you have to do to get the engine to run right in the mountains. But it still sounds like you also have a short or a bad circuit somewhere as well...

 

you need to get that check engine light read and find out whats goin on. my guess is a p0505 if its being caused by your funny idle. you may have a dirty tb, bad egr or isc. as for the bad acceleration it could either be spark or fuel. id check your plugs, wires, fuel filter, injectors before assuming its electrical

 

It sure doesn't sound like both symptoms are related. The most common cause of hesitation on acceleration for the GST is either the spark plugs or the ignition wires. You can almost count on it when a car comes into the shop with that very complaint. The GST requires dual electrode factory NGK's. Running anything different may result in hesitation under load (such as overdrive, acceleration, etc). The ignition wires can also leak voltage with would be evident with a white arc trace in the boot. It could be one or a combo of both. If you haven't had a recent tune up, i'd suggest you start there using factory parts. Good Luck!

Joel, CA

 

Yeah that's what I was thinking as well. That the problems are 2 different things I was focusing on the electrical problem first.