Acceleration jerk/slip

[shorod]

I think your diagnosis of carbon on the throttle plate is VERY appropriate here. That could solve all your issues. When the throttle is closed, like when coming to a stop, there is an Idle Air Control (IAC) passage and valve to divert enough air around the throttle plate to keep the engine running. If there is a large build up of carbon in the throttle body, enough to cause the throttle to stick, there is a good chance the IAC system is restricted as well. While you're spraying out the throttle body, remove the IAC valve and give it and the passages a good cleaning as well.

Be sure to caution your daughter that the car will accelerate more rapidly now, so to be careful when leaving stops in rain, snow, or ice.

-Rod

[truomega]

Well... i have put the fuel injector cleaner in the tank and ran it till the next fill-up as well as clean the throttle body and MAS but problem still persists. I asked a mechanic and he told me that maybe its a sensor going bad on the tranny where, when the car tries to shift it will shift from say 2nd to 4th gear automaticaly and bogging the engine down in the process? Dos this make sence? I dunno but it doesnt feel like a tranny problem more like an engine problem wheres theres no power for a split second. Kinda like hesitation when a car starts to move but in my case, the car is in motion (35+mph) and for no reason it hesitates for less than 1 second. The problem appears to be no change so good news is that it isnt getting worse (yet) but the bad is that the problem still exists and may leave me stranded somewhere.
Any other suggestions would be great.

[shorod]

Have you checked the condition of the spark plugs and plug wires? When was the last time the fuel filter was replaced?

-Rod

[truomega]

The wires and plugs were recently replaced including the cap + rotor as well as oil but problem occoured 2 months later so i doubt these items r the problem. The fuel filter was not changed when i purchased the car 6 months ago. Now im thinking if the filter was clogged that it would hesitate all the time including idle but it doesnt. Also... if it were clogged why would the check engine light come on. i could wrong but i guess i can give it a try. How hard is it to replace the filter and where is it located?
Just as a side note, I cleaned the throttle body/plate with some carb cleaner and the pedal still sticks when first started up. Any ideas on this matter? Thanx

[mechhound]

The fact that your problem began 2 months after you changed your spark plugs and wires, cap and rotor COULD be a clue to your problem. I would suspect the spark plug wires. Some of them are claimed to be real junk. I have got some bad wires that caused a hesitation, but that was back on points type ignitions. I would change the fuel filter also anyway. Don't rule anything out.

[schulkfl5]

Strangely enough, I have noticed the same problem on my ’95 (158Kmi) beginning about 2 weeks ago. The ‘jerk’ is very faint and until this morning it seems that it happens when I’m holding the speed constant at about 35mph. This morning it seemed more spread out, as in anywhere from start to highway speed. My pedal also felt like it was sticking pretty badly- more than I’ve ever noticed before. Coasting and braking are flawless. And, interestingly enough, I changed out my radiator also, albeit about 2 months before I noticed this problem. Today I plan on picking up some Fuel Injection cleaner and taking a look at the throttle body. I’m guessing it won’t change anything on mine as it didn’t for you however . . . if that doesn’t work, it’s on to the plugs, as those haven’t been changed for awhile. Let me know if you make any progress and I’ll do the same-