ZX2 jerks/naggs

[Nilson]

I have a 98' ZX2 automatic, 86k miles. When accelerating from stop signs/trafficlights in slow speeds the car jerks few times, what's the problem? This won't happen if I am accelerating faster. Furthermore, the car starts nagging like a rattle snake when driving uphill, how can I fix it? Rgrds, Lars

[jeffcoslacker]

Need a description of "naggs" before can venture an opinion.

[tgregori]

I am having the same issue with my 1999 Zx2 with about 75k miles. It is the worst in traffic when I am idling forward. The car feels like it is skipping or jerking in and out of gear. Seems to be only with 1st and 2nd gears. After stopping sign and when I begin to accelerate the cars jerks almost like it has to skip into gear. Does not happen everytime but seems to be getting worse. Uphill is also very bad.

[Nilson]

Originally Posted by tgregori

I am having the same issue with my 1999 Zx2 with about 75k miles. It is the worst in traffic when I am idling forward. The car feels like it is skipping or jerking in and out of gear. Seems to be only with 1st and 2nd gears. After stopping sign and when I begin to accelerate the cars jerks almost like it has to skip into gear. Does not happen everytime but seems to be getting worse. Uphill is also very bad.

I'M HAVING EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY ZX2. WHAT'S CAUSING IT?

[tgregori]

Originally Posted by Nilson

I'M HAVING EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY ZX2. WHAT'S CAUSING IT?

I have no idea what is causing it. I have brought it in to a place and they replaced the throttle position sensor and this did not work. That was $250.00 wasted. I brought it back to the same place and they looked at it again and they were pretty confident that it was something with the transmission. They took it for a test drive for a third time and they said that the problem was not occuring again. So, they told me to drive it for a while and let them know. The problem has not gone away but i have not brought it back to the repair shop.

I am planning on bringing the car in to a trans shop but I do not want to put alot of money into the car since it is not worth that much in the first place.

Have you got any professional opinions from anybody?

[Nilson]

Originally Posted by tgregori

I have no idea what is causing it. I have brought it in to a place and they replaced the throttle position sensor and this did not work. That was $250.00 wasted. I brought it back to the same place and they looked at it again and they were pretty confident that it was something with the transmission. They took it for a test drive for a third time and they said that the problem was not occuring again. So, they told me to drive it for a while and let them know. The problem has not gone away but i have not brought it back to the repair shop.

I am planning on bringing the car in to a trans shop but I do not want to put alot of money into the car since it is not worth that much in the first place.

Have you got any professional opinions from anybody?

No, I haven't got any pro-opinions about it. If you take your car to the trans shop, pls let me know what they said? However, I am not sure if the tranny is causing the problem. Thanks. Have you changed the sparks plugs and a plug wire? Any leaks? What is causing the rattle-snake like "nagging" sound when driving uphill? Valves... maybe?

[jeffcoslacker]

Wonder if you aren't having a problem with the VCT on the exhaust cam? Reason I'm wondering, if it were failing to stay locked in when it changes cam timing, it could cause the kind of lurching I'm imagining from your description. That system also takes the place of the EGR system on this motor, EGR cools intake charge, and a combination of loss of intake charge cooling and a change in valve timing can cause pre-ignition, which produces the characteristic pinging rattle we all know.

Is that the kind of sound you are hearing?

The other thing that comes to mind is a torque convertor lockup mechanism that is malfunctioning. If the TCC is trying to lock under acceleration, it will cause surging or jerking, and the additional load on the motor could cause pinging also.

If lurches are felt as you come to a stop, the convertor may be repeatedly trying to unlock. If it were to stay locked to a stop, the engine would die. Does this ever happen to either of you?

I'm thinking out loud here, just trying to throw out as many ideas as I can, hoping you'll recognize something in what I'm saying, and we can work from there.

[jeffcoslacker]

It could just be bad plug wires too, Ford's wires have been notoriously bad in the last 10 years or so. I'd change them just because if I was having any kind of problems with acceleration, just to rule it out. As the HMFWIC on this forum says, get the Ford racing wires. Big improvement.

[tgregori]

We have just recently had a tune up as well. So sounds like we can rule out wires and plugs.
SOme of what you describe seems to be occuring. What do things like that cost if they need to be replaced? Do you have a recommendation for repair shop?

[jeffcoslacker]

I would call the dealer, and see if they are aware of any TSB's on your year first, since it seems to be common. Sometimes they are aware of it, and can tell you exactly what it is, saving time and money. At any rate, don't be scared off by a shop that charges a lot for diagnostics, if they seem to know their stuff.

I've seen people pay $1000 to fix a problem caused by a $35 part, after a shop that couldn't do diagnostic work just tried everything they could think of. Sometimes after several visits, and tons of money, the problem still existed.

There is a guy here that is an expert with diagnostics, that's all he does, and he has a mobile shop. He charges $40 an hour to diagnose the problem, and gaurantees his work. Maybe you have someone like that where you live?

[EJohnisee]

Hi everyone. I came across this post and wanted to know if anyone found a solution for this problem. I'm having the same issue with my 99 ZX2 and wanted to get more detail before I send it somewhere for the trial and error repair methods.

Any information would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Eric

[nontoxicday]

It sounds like we had the same problem. Mine continued like this for a couple days, but it would be fine once it got going for a while. Once it stopped doing it, it wouldn't do it for the rest of the day. It seemed more likely to do start doing it in wet/cold weather, but then would continue until it was messed with (i.e. taking it somewhere to have them check it out).

The first time, I was going to drive home, and it started to seem like it was staggering, kind of not wanting to go, not wanting to shift. I drove it to school, it stopped doing this halfway there, and was fine for the rest of the day. So, I made the trip home, and my dad "drove it like he stole it" to make a light come on if it would (plus, he said, if something were going to break, he might as well do it while I was in town). A light came on, it said it was a bad coil, and it was replaced to a horrible amount of money.

The next time it did this, was three months later. I'd had some issues, seemed like it was struggling some days. One day, I turned the heater on, and the car shut off (needed a new battery-got that). Then it went through the whole not wanting to go after stops, and then eventually it would just get back to normal and go again. Eventually, we got a light to come on (when I was driving to the boyfriend's house on a wet snowy day) because it just died at the end of the street. It stopped 'gagging' long enough for us to take it to AutoZone for a read. Bad coil. Replaced for FREE thankfully because it was just fixed not too long ago.

About three weeks later, I experience the same problem. No light, but I take it up there to the dealership again, and say, it's doing the same thing again, and it cannot be a third coil pack. Figure it out. Well, it took them a few days of having it (had to be left outside, once it stopped acting up for the day, they couldn't run anymore tests), but they decided it was a bad computer. Ugh.

So, it's either a coil or a computer, it seems.

Mine's a 99 with 102700+ miles on it.

[.ks]

I'd be interested to hear more about how folks have solved this problem as I am having it too. I am pretty sure mine is electrical. It behaves just as if I have a bad plug wire, but I have replaced plugs and plug wires. Occasionally my engine diagnostic light comes on, and the code is "cylinder 4 misfire". I've swapped wires around (with old set), swapped plugs, etc. -- same: cyl 4 misfire. The problem is the worst when calling for power (heavy accel, hills, etc.), but is almost goes away once I'm over 3k rpm. Can't connect to wet, dry, hot, cold, day, night, holidays, breakfast choice....

Any thoughts?

thanks,
Kevin
2000, 5sp manual, 130k miles

[kenny86_2004]

My ZX2 for a while would have trouble going up hills and going from stops but mine was the PCV valve. it only cost around 80 dollars and now it runs like new. I also thought it might be the tranny.

[nuthin2lose]

having same problem with 98 zx2 5sp only in first and second gear and seems to go away at 3xxx rpms has been parked for a month oh and it overheats after running so long took it to autozone ran check engine said that cylinder 1 and 2 had misfired before any of this happened i was driving down the road car died opened up the hood ball bearing from idle pulley for the timing belt was setting on the engine mount replaced idle pulley and timing belt drove fine for a day then catalytic converter (i assume) caught on fire as the car was jerking and nagging in low gear/low rpm somebody help me out man