SR20 acting really strange-car is bucking!!!

[garagelu]

So yesterday I drove about 50 miles on the highway and when I got into town I came to a stop. When I start out in first gear at about 1500 or 2000 rpm my car starts bucking back and forth (basically my car starts jerking back and forth very violently). I wouldnt consider the engine bogging down at all.

Then I shift into 2nd gear and at low rpm it does the same thing. It really wont let me go any higher in rpm. When I shift into third gear it starts driving normal. Also when I am in 5th gear cruising my car seems like its hesitating a little and not driving smooth.

Another problem I had last night is when I got off an exit to gas my car totally died on me. It would not crank over at all. I tried for at least an hour or two to start it. I had to tow my car home and once I got home I tried to crank it again and it starts up. I let it warm up and took it for a drive. Its starts doing the same thing...jerking back and forth in low rpm low gear. And then the car dies on me again and I can't start the engine up again.

So I already checked the spark plugs and changed them and its definately not that. Do you guys have any other suggestions. I mean its obviously getting spark and fuel if I can crank it and it starts. Also its not running rich or anything and not blowing out any smoke. I am just baffled at why it acts like this.

[harlockssx]

Could be a bad electrical connection...check mafs, CAS, battery cables, etc.

[rb25_s13*CHUKI]

Bad electric.. Check maf wires,Mafs,Sounds like major boost leak also. Check all your pipes make sure they are still on and clamped down.

[Z33dori]

yea its the maf or wiring to the maf

my car was doing this b/c my turbo would shoot oil into the maf... sucks bad

[cotbu]

I second the mafs or boostleak, if there's smoke!
I had a similar situation when the fiance filled the 2fizzle up with 87oct. It bucked and jerked 3 blocks. Soon as i checked the receipt, I new what the problem was.

[Cedarcbr]

yeah mine did that when i first put the swap in. it turned out that my ecu wasnt reading my MAF correctly. changed the ecu and everything was fine. so maf, maf wiring, ecu, or boost leak. good luck.

[garagelu]

Here is an update: I tried cleaning the maf with the electrical connection spray and it is still not running right. Another thing that is strange is that it idles fine one startup but once the engine is getting to operating temperature, the problems start coming.

It doesnt want to rev smoothly. Also if it idles good, when I press the clutch in it starts to die but I think that may be just due to the extra resistance. Also all my intercooler pipes are secure and not leaking with no smoke coming out the tail pipe.

Would my car act like this if the maf was completely bad and not just dirty? Also it looked like there was a light film of oil around the sensor element before I cleaned it.

[Dutchmalmiss]

Sounds like your timing may need to be adjusted. Sometimes the bolts or clip to the CAS can get loose and advance or retard the timing which would equate to similar symptoms you're experiencing. It runs fine while it's warming up because it's in "loop" mode or "warm up" mode.

[!Zar!]

Check your coilpacks.

Just unplug them one by one while the car is running and see if nothing changes on any given piston.

[slowpokee]

check maf and wiring first..

then i would check vacuum lines..

[!Zar!]

Doesn't sound like a maf problem.

[garagelu]

Check your coilpacks.

Just unplug them one by one while the car is running and see if nothing changes on any given piston.

The only thing is that when I start it up cold it runs perfect. No misses at all. Its just when it warms up when it starts running rough. I dont think its spark related.

[Dutchmalmiss]

Like I said, check your timing. The real timing doesn't set until it's at operating temperature.

[garagelu]

Like I said, check your timing. The real timing doesn't set until it's at operating temperature.

I actually checked my timing. The marks all line up easpecially on the CAS. Is there anything I should be worried about INSIDE the CAS?

[cotbu]

CTS

You were probably running in the knock map? so your timing probably got retarded. So even if you're in the normal timing map now! You're timing may be off a few degrees. That justifies a check timing.