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  • 1996 - 2004 SN95 Mustang -General/Talk-
  • SN95 4.6L Mustang Tech

Car stuttering

  • Thread starter Thread starter JonJon
  • Start date Start date Dec 18, 2003

JonJon

Founding Member
Aug 16, 2002
4,801
1
68
back in Marylands
Dec 18, 2003
#1
  • Dec 18, 2003
  • #1
Whenever it rains hard, my car will stutter under load. Reving in neutral is fine. Start to drive though and the car will buckle, stutter, jerk, and other like terms.

I checked under the hood (It had already stopped raining), no water anywhere. Filter is dry. Just changed the spark plugs a month ago and the stuttering happened with the old plugs too.

Any idea's?
 
J

johnnymustang

New Member
Nov 17, 2003
2
0
0
Dec 18, 2003
#2
  • Dec 18, 2003
  • #2
JonJon said:
Whenever it rains hard, my car will stutter under load. Reving in neutral is fine. Start to drive though and the car will buckle, stutter, jerk, and other like terms.

I checked under the hood (It had already stopped raining), no water anywhere. Filter is dry. Just changed the spark plugs a month ago and the stuttering happened with the old plugs too.

Any idea's?
Click to expand...


I had the same problem with my car. I had removed the air silencer so nothing seems to cover the side of the air filter. When it rains it would run down between the gap in the hood and the fender and drip right on top of it. Take your filter out after it rains and check it. My filter looked dry till I ran my fingers through the pleats. Of course mine was paper if you have a K&N it might be a little more difficult to spot. I fixed mine by reinstalling and trimming the silencer flush with the fender.
 

JonJon

Founding Member
Aug 16, 2002
4,801
1
68
back in Marylands
Dec 18, 2003
#3
  • Dec 18, 2003
  • #3
johnnymustang said:
I had the same problem with my car. I had removed the air silencer so nothing seems to cover the side of the air filter. When it rains it would run down between the gap in the hood and the fender and drip right on top of it. Take your filter out after it rains and check it. My filter looked dry till I ran my fingers through the pleats. Of course mine was paper if you have a K&N it might be a little more difficult to spot. I fixed mine by reinstalling and trimming the silencer flush with the fender.
Click to expand...
I have a C&L MAF kit, it has a heat shield which also should shelter the K&N filter from water. Plus, I've had the MAF kit for 2 years, but this problem started in the last few months. The heat shield and surrounding area looked dry, it's kinda dusty so it's easy to spot where water hits.

Thanks for your input though
 

JonJon

Founding Member
Aug 16, 2002
4,801
1
68
back in Marylands
Dec 18, 2003
#4
  • Dec 18, 2003
  • #4
I think it began started happening (3x now in 4 months) after the pulleys and the x pipe. My friend thinks maybe the 02 sensors got fouled but I thought SES light would come out. He thinks there isn't enough fuel being added, maybe.
 

'96&'01Stang

New Member
Feb 10, 2003
798
0
0
Georgia
Dec 18, 2003
#5
  • Dec 18, 2003
  • #5
If something was wrong with your o2's then you would have a check engine light
 

HoustonGT

Gilded Gelding
Apr 6, 2003
1,418
0
0
Houston
Dec 18, 2003
#6
  • Dec 18, 2003
  • #6
JonJon said:
I think it began started happening (3x now in 4 months) after the pulleys and the x pipe. My friend thinks maybe the 02 sensors got fouled but I thought SES light would come out. He thinks there isn't enough fuel being added, maybe.
Click to expand...

Have you changed your fuel filter? I just changed mine today because it was about time too anyways and my car would sometimes stutter under load. Its alot smoother now, and no stuttering at all. Not a bad way to spend 9 bucks.
 

JonJon

Founding Member
Aug 16, 2002
4,801
1
68
back in Marylands
Dec 18, 2003
#7
  • Dec 18, 2003
  • #7
[QUOTE='96&'01Stang]If something was wrong with your o2's then you would have a check engine light[/QUOTE]
That's what I thought too. But I just talked to my other friend, he said his dad knows something that may help. He has to talk to him later, he still think it's the O2 sensors. Something about it being moist and more condensing wtf

HoustonGT said:
Have you changed your fuel filter? I just changed mine today because it was about time too anyways and my car would sometimes stutter under load. Its alot smoother now, and no stuttering at all. Not a bad way to spend 9 bucks.
Click to expand...

Not anytime recently, but this problem only happens when it rains... And not while raining, I went out to my car after it stopped raining and drove it. Didn't go through big puddles either.
 

Wayne S

Founding Member
Aug 2, 2002
471
0
16
Warwick RI
Dec 18, 2003
#8
  • Dec 18, 2003
  • #8
JonJon said:
Whenever it rains hard, my car will stutter under load. Reving in neutral is fine. Start to drive though and the car will buckle, stutter, jerk, and other like terms.

I checked under the hood (It had already stopped raining), no water anywhere. Filter is dry. Just changed the spark plugs a month ago and the stuttering happened with the old plugs too.

Any idea's?
Click to expand...

Did you check around the coil packs?
 

JonJon

Founding Member
Aug 16, 2002
4,801
1
68
back in Marylands
Dec 18, 2003
#9
  • Dec 18, 2003
  • #9
Wayne S said:
Did you check around the coil packs?
Click to expand...
I didn't look too closely since there was no visible water leakage through the heat shield, I'll check carefully if it happens again. Aren't the coil packs designed to be water tight though? Would it really cause a problem?
 
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