The Reply's keep flooding in!
(2 Replies and both are me!)
In case someone does not think I am worth the time.....please see that i am trying hard and need some help!
Because this sputtering started with the DPFE sensor replacement, I went ahead and put the old one back in. Still sputters. This whole sputtering started with the DPFE sensor replacement.
I went out on youtube and found instructions on how to find and clean the AMF. It was easy to unhook and looked clean. I cleaned it with CNC MAF cleaner and let it dry. The video I watched also suggested cleaning the Throttle Body and Idle Air Control. The Throttle body has some black buildup on the lip just inside the circular plate so I cleaned that out with a toothbrush and the CNC. I then looked at the Idle Air Control and it also had a black buildup in the hole where the spring is. I cleaned it with CNC and swabs.
I put everything back together and re-attached the battery. Started the car...and sputter again. Idle goes down and bounces between 350 and 600 RPM and from outside you can see the vibration of the motor and hear the puffs coming out of the exhaust. It actuall stall sometimes with the brake on. I tried driving the car as someone said that the computer may have to re-adjust. Drive 100 yards, stop, turn the car off...restart. This did very little if anything. Then I tried going in reverse for a distance. Odd enough...this seemed to bounce the idle up to 1,100 Rpms and when I stopped it held there. I then drove the car some more and immediately noticed that we had some high revs. The car shifted fine, but it was reving so high that it would almost go by itself. The RPM's would bounce up to 1500 and then work down to 1,000. It would do this every 15 seconds or so. When I stopped, the car idled sometimes (at 1,100) and then eventually would suffer a harsh drop down to the 350 - 500 sputter again. So what we now have is a sputter idle on the low end with an occasional high idle that lets you accelerate with hitting the gas and while driving lets you get up to 40, take your foot off the gas...and continue above 35 MPH almost like its on cruise control!
When I got home I opened the hood and while I might be wrong, I thought I heard a strong hissing sound coming from the area near or below the Idle Air Control.
I really thought this might be a computer problem due to the battery detachment (as that was the only other thing that i did when I replaced the DPFE sensor). Might the hissing be a clue? I have a mechanic that treats me well (not cheap but is honest). My experiment with the car might be over unless someone has an idea out there. Any thoughts are apprecaited no matter what as they can only help brainstorm the problem for both me and my mechanic.
Thanks!
Jim