- This topic has 12 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 7 months ago by
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Topic
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In general, the car runs fine.
However, whether the car is cold, or already warmed up, at low speed (under 20 mph), I experience a “stuttering” motion when I accelerate.
It’s not the whole car shaking; just a vibration I feel coming from the engine compartment, OR the suspension, as I try to keep the car at a steady rate of 10 – 20 mph. As I take my foot off the gas, it goes away.
This coincides with an audible but not loud, “gurgling” sound that appears to only happen, when I brake. As I apply the brake, it sounds like fluid swishing around the undercarriage.
Brake performance seems unaffected and I have no squeaks.
I regularly check and properly maintain all fluid levels.
None of this seems to happen (or at least I don’t perceive it) at higher speeds…
As a matter of fact, I have great acceleration, braking and handling at higher speeds.Are there any questions any of you have that I can answer to help diagnose these two issues?
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Replies
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When was the last time you did a tune up? Make sure you use OEM parts if you have.
When was the timing belt last changed and have you checked timing?
You could be hearing fluid in the windshield washer tank or the gas tanks sloshing around. One time I experienced this with a Toyota, and water was getting into the rear passenger side door and not draining out.
The vibration could quite possibly be an engine mount. I think there is one underneath towards the dirverside, the large one goes from the cylinder head to the body, and a rear one behind the engine. There is also a transmission mount on the passenger side too. You know they are bad when they visually look damaged and/or you can a lot of movement out of them.
Interesting. I think the idea is to find out if this is an engine performance issue or a drive line issue. For that I might power break it to see if it has the problem while you’re not moving. Put your foot firmly on the brake and floor the gas while the car is in gear (I’m assuming you have an automatic, you really can’t do this with a manual) if the engine ‘shudders’ then you can reasonably conclude you have an engine performance issue, if not it might be drive line in which case I would be looking to the axles and possibly the transmission.
Quoted From dreamer2355:
When was the last time you did a tune up? Make sure you use OEM parts if you have.
When was the timing belt last changed and have you checked timing?
Thank you for replying!
I had a tune up done over the summer and timing has been checked and reported to be fine.
Quoted From Third Gear:
You could be hearing fluid in the windshield washer tank or the gas tanks sloshing around. One time I experienced this with a Toyota, and water was getting into the rear passenger side door and not draining out.
The vibration could quite possibly be an engine mount. I think there is one underneath towards the dirverside, the large one goes from the cylinder head to the body, and a rear one behind the engine. There is also a transmission mount on the passenger side too. You know they are bad when they visually look damaged and/or you can a lot of movement out of them.
Thanks for replying!
I will check the engine mounts.
Quoted From cb7ftw:
How long has it been doing this? No check engine light? Would check your engine mounts.
Thank you for replying!
There is no check engine light and as mentioned I will check the engine mounts.
Quoted From EricTheCarGuy:
Interesting. I think the idea is to find out if this is an engine performance issue or a drive line issue. For that I might power break it to see if it has the problem while you’re not moving. Put your foot firmly on the brake and floor the gas while the car is in gear (I’m assuming you have an automatic, you really can’t do this with a manual) if the engine ‘shudders’ then you can reasonably conclude you have an engine performance issue, if not it might be drive line in which case I would be looking to the axles and possibly the transmission.
Thanks for replying, Eric!
Indeed I have an automatic and I will follow your steps and keep you all updated!
Happy Holidays everyone!
Good morning all.
After following up on all suggestions, nothing panned out. However, the “problem” seemed to diminish somewhat (a purely psychological effect, I’m sure) and as the car drove well and didn’t appear to have any safety issues, I stopped obsessing about it.
The problem did reveal itself though.
My wife was driving the car and everything seemed fine when all of a sudden, the car started to sound like it had no muffler.
Lots of exhaust noise and the rumble of a much larger engine. When she got home I looked under the car and low and behold, the pre chamber flange, at the union between the cat converter and the resonator pipe, was so corroded it broke off completely. I could see the back side of the cat converter just hanging.
The “gurgling” sound I previously reported, appears to have been the low frequency rumbling, of the related and corroding components, whenever I was at low speeds. At higher speed the sound “went away” simply because it rattled at a much higher, less noticeable, frequency so I didn’t feel or hear it.
To replace this pipe leading to the muffler, the technician had to torch the end of the cat converter, to remove the rusted flange and fasteners that broke off the pipe.So there you go…
In retrospect I should have had the car put on a lift and checked out, or in the very least, jacked it up and inspected down below. I suspect the developing corrosion might have been easily visible upon inspection. As I park my car on the street, in NYC, the latter, was not feasible.
Once again, I’d like to thank you all for your supportive responses!
Enjoy the weekend!
Thanks for letting us know what the issue was. Don’t forget to change the traffic light to green is the issue is resolved so it updates our database C8-)
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