Sputtering randomly

I

Inneedofabuick

Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2003
Was out crusing today and I gave it a little throttle maby like 2-3psi of boost then it started randomly sputtering and missing. I recently did the FMIC so I thought i just blew off a hose as it seemed to idle and be ok at very light throttle. Once I get into it at all it sputters and chokes. I managed to limp it back to my house under very light throttle almost idle. Any idea?
Thanks
Matt
 
I just got thru troubleshooting those same symptoms for a long time. Here are a few things that you need to check:

whole Cam sensor asembly loose.
Cam sensor cap loose.
cam sensor screw loose under the cap holding the window arperature.
ignition module bad
coil pack bad
plugs fouled.
crank sensor rubbing/loose/broken
MAF died.
Bad injector
bad chip
bad ecm.

Start with the simple easy things on the list first.
You need to post some scanmaster numbers for us to narrow it down for you.
 
Mine is doing the exact same thing. I have an ignition control module showing up on my doorstep any minute, and tomorrow I should be seeing the Casper's CCCI hotwire conversion kit show up as well, so I can put the newer module in my '84. If that doesn't work, I'm putting in an LS1 MAF and translator.
 
jbeier said:
Mine is doing the exact same thing. I have an ignition control module showing up on my doorstep any minute, and tomorrow I should be seeing the Casper's CCCI hotwire conversion kit show up as well, so I can put the newer module in my '84. If that doesn't work, I'm putting in an LS1 MAF and translator.
Click to expand...

Yea if you can't diagnose it throwing
Performance parts at it will defiantly work .lol. There are acouple things I would check before I would throw any parts at it . You can ohm out the coil pack . You can check the grounds on the back of the head . Check the fuseable links that are your main power for the whole car that are extremely close to the crossover pipe attached to your starter . If u have a turbo buick buddy local you can swap out the MAF for a known good one as well as the coil pack and module . Just acouple ideas that are free for the most part just takes Alil of your time and basic hand tools . Good luck
 
I've got a bran
dank GN said:
Yea if you can't diagnose it throwing
Performance parts at it will defiantly work .lol. There are acouple things I would check before I would throw any parts at it . You can ohm out the coil pack . You can check the grounds on the back of the head . Check the fuseable links that are your main power for the whole car that are extremely close to the crossover pipe attached to your starter . If u have a turbo buick buddy local you can swap out the MAF for a known good one as well as the coil pack and module . Just acouple ideas that are free for the most part just takes Alil of your time and basic hand tools . Good luck
Click to expand...


I've got a brand new coil pack on. The old one ohmed out ok, but it seemed to be the kind of deal where it was only ok when it was cold. I actually drove the car with dry ice covering the coil pack and it ran better. Not perfect, but much better, so I replaced it. I more or less want the upgraded module to get rid of the coil adapter and have a module that I know works. I went through all the grounds when I did my fuel pump and checked wiring while I had everything ripped apart to do my head gaskets. My car is 33 years old and most of these parts are still the original parts, so chances are they would need to be replaced soon anyway, because of the years, not the miles (41K). As for having a buddy lend me a MAF, I'm working on it, but I don't have any local Turbo Buick buddies, so that's the hold up there. These are things I want to upgrade anyway. If the parts I'm upgrading fix the problem, bonus. If not, they are upgrades I'd do anyway, so no harm no foul. Nothing like a good old fashioned condescending remark from a stranger over the internet! That always makes my day.
 
Check the inlet pipe or hose from the MAF to the turbo... If it has a hole or leak of any kind in that area, your dead in the water. Lastly did you clock the turbo to set a better angle for your intercooler pipe? If so, did you tighten it back up? Pull on the pipes near the intercooler and throtttlebody. Make sure the hose is on correctly. Something common was missed in your FMIC install, back track.
 
Last edited:
We all need to remember the old adage: "Don't say anything if you don't have something nice to say". I've been guilty of it myself, so I'm not throwing stones in my glass house.
 
Inneedofabuick said:
Was out crusing today and I gave it a little throttle maby like 2-3psi of boost then it started randomly sputtering and missing. I recently did the FMIC so I thought i just blew off a hose as it seemed to idle and be ok at very light throttle. Once I get into it at all it sputters and chokes. I managed to limp it back to my house under very light throttle almost idle. Any idea?
Thanks
Matt
Click to expand...

Mine recently did that and it turned out to be a blown intake manifold gasket.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I had the same problem that randomly came up...ended up being broken rocker arm shaft...not to bad of a fix, just kinda hard to find
 
joesguitar said:
Mine recently did that and it turned out to be a blown intake manifold gasket.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Wow, I guess I'll have to check that, since I really can NOT find a leak anywhere else. What did you use to check for it? Ether?
 
Have you disconnected the MAF entirely and tried to drive around? If the MAF is shitty, performance will get better when you unplug it because it just makes it pig rich. If it's another issue, unplugging the MAF shouldn't affect it and it will run as bad or worse than before.
 
Start the motor. Unplug the cam sensor. Leave it disconnected and go for a ride. Still sputter??
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

O
Governor spring
Replies
3
Views
1K
xrunner123
X
G
100,000 mile engine service - a few questions
Replies
11
Views
689
granitestategn
G
M
Surge after Cold Start
Replies
9
Views
759
mkyledoyle
M
A
2004R With CK master rebuild kit, no 1-2 shift question.
Replies
13
Views
2K
AnthD
A
SteveZ82
Hard Start when Cold
Replies
15
Views
2K
SteveZ82
SteveZ82
Top