RMP's Jump up and down - HELP???

I have had this problem for a month now.....2003 Outlander....when hold the speed at anywhwere between 30 and 60 km's at a steady pace or going up a hill......the engine starts to rev up and down....the RPM's jump up and down....and the car sort of chuggs........the way i stop it is to let off the gas for 5- 10 seconds and it goes back to normal....

any ideas? or fixes?   any thoughts would be appreciated....i would love to try a self fix before going to the shop...

thanks!!

Greg

I was going to replace the air filter to see if there is any effect?  I was reading...is it behind the glove box?

The air filter behind your glove box is for the air conditiner.  The filter in the engine compartment is your air filter and since you dont know where it is theres a chance it really needs to be changed. Also changing the fuel filter is a good idea as well.
 
When you get your oil changed have they ever changed the air filter?  How many miles are on the car?
 
 
 

Just bought it off someone so...dont know the details about how they serviced it that much....there is 100k on the car....just give me a heads up on where the engine airfiler is and i will change it...im off to try it now actually....thanks BGN....i will look into this stuff....

If you go to one of those auto parts places they will be more than happy to show you where the filter is. they may even be able to show you where the fuel filter is, the Japanese cars Ive owned have had the fuel filter in a reasonably easy place to change them. The american cars make the fuel filter a PITA to change.
 
 

Sounds to me like it may be a misfire under load.  Hard to tell from your description though.  Since it has 100K, and you just bought it, and you don't want to bring it to a tech, a good practice would be to replace the spark plugs and the air filter.  There is no servicable fuel filter to worry about.  No "check Engine" or "Service Soon" light right?

i just replaced the airfilter...and drove around for an hour with no reving or rpm jumps.....i would like to replace the spark plugs as well....im trying to find some documentation on how to do it right....if you guys have some ideas it would be appreciated....ill replace those spark plugs and get to it.....

what do  i have to pull off to get to the plugs......????

thanks

greg

I would suggest getting a Haynes,chilton or equivalent aftermarket repair manual if your planning on doing things yourself. I would say go for it but its aparent you arent familiar with doing this stuff and could end up costing yourself more than if you just took it somewhere.
 
You should also change the oil you never know when it was done last.
 
I dont know the set up on the outie plugs, on my minivan I had to drop the engine to get to the back plugs. Im pretty sure you wont run into that on the outie 4 cyl but you never know.
 
You want to be careful to install them correctly and dont overtighten them. Hopefully someone thats familiar with your model will chime in as to whether there are any special things to watch out for such as plug brands and such.
 
Lots of luck, hopefully the air filter took care of the rough running.

I will keep researching....i find if you ask enough questions....and do some reading the basic stuff you can get done.....i might not know now...but it can be figured out with a little help....thanks BGN.....your responses helped......

C.O.

Yup thats how I got into motorcycle repair. With one of my bikes theres pretty much all the info I need on the internet to do just about anything on it. The other bike there isnt much support so the repair manual is necessary, even though I have one for both.
 
I wish I could help you more but I have an 07 which is a different engine. Hopefully you get the info you need, Im suprised someone else hasnt chimed in yet. Did you figure out if you have a temp problem yet? Have you checked the coolant levels?

They are easy, but if you don't know what you are doing ask someone for help who does.  You can damage the head if you over/under tighten them.  NGK plugs only, and it uses a standard plug.  Paying extra for a platinum or other type of plug will get you NOTHING more.  Don't let the parts guy try to talk you into it.  The NGK number is 6953, or BKR5E-11.  The correct gap can be found under the hood on the emissions label.  You will need a plug gapper, spark plug socket, rachet and long extension.  Use a shorter rachet to put them back in as not to over tighten them and crack the plugs or strip the head.  But as I said before, it would be best to find someone who knows what they are doing to assist you with this or have it done by a pro.

Thanks for the ideas...evoracer.....i will look into this....the dam outie is still chugging with the gas this morning.....right in the 35k mark it cuts out....revs...then cuts out again.....only if i let off the gas does it correct itself.....

the good news is i changed the airfilter....(ya big step in mechanics for this lad!) the old one was soooooo dirty....so i hope the new one will let it breathe......i also got the cooling fan recall done this morning....i will update on the improvements / setnbacks.....now to figure out where the dam spark plugs are....thanks agian

G

things seem a bit better these days....i replaced the air filter...and had the cooking fan recall job done the other morining....the reving has been less frequent...and i have been crusiing around with the air condintioning on.....i have had some advice to clean the mass flow sensor....dows anyone know how to clean it? what do i clean it with....i know what it is and where it is.....any advice would be great......

quote:

ORIGINAL: CanadianOutlander

things seem a bit better these days....i replaced the air filter...and had the cooking fan recall job done the other morining....the reving has been less frequent...and i have been crusiing around with the air condintioning on.....i have had some advice to clean the mass flow sensor....dows anyone know how to clean it? what do i clean it with....i know what it is and where it is.....any advice would be great......

Spend the $20 and get the aftermarket repair manual, its worth it. Preferably Haynes if they did one for the Outie. Theres also Clymer and Chilton. I have mostly Haynes (5) and 2 Clymer for one of the motorcycles and the outboard for the boat. Chilton is good for electrical so so for mechanical.
 
EDITED to add this>> You may want to check for sure but I think that generation of engine needed a valve adjustment as regular maintenance, this is something you want to keep up on if it is supposed to be done. If the previous owner didnt replace the filter regularly its likely they blew off adjusting the valves and for that matter the timing belt.

Boldly is correct, the 4G69 requires the valve clearance to be checked, I'm not sure as I got rid of my RA but I believe it was every 50,000 miles.
 
*EDIT* I just realized that you have a 2003 wich is the 4G64 not 69, but you should check with the dealear and ask if your valves need adjusting none the less to be safe.

It's each 30k miles

Thanks for your replies....im going to buy the service manuals....this is my new hobbie.....fixin' the outlander.....this forum has a ton of good info....

I just found this on Consumer Guide Automotive....it sounds like my problem......

"The vehicle may vibrate, shudder or surge when cruising between 35-50 mph because the transmission fluid breaks down causing torque converter clutch to misbehave. (2003)"

A good reason to get my fluid replaced?

Thats very interesting, I had the same issue in my van the way to describe it is a manual tranny slipping. Or oddly enough jerkily spinning your tires in the rain.
Its a physical sensation not a stalling dying feeling. Does that make sense?
 
 

So after replacing the transmision fluid i am still having the problem.....the car stutters and the gas pedal vibrates....as the speed and rpm's go up and down.....if i keep my foot on the gas the problem remains....only if i let off on the gas does the problem stop......i have tried replacing the air filter, and getting the cooling fan recall fixed.....
 
looking for other suggestions......anyone else experienced this problem......?