2000 SE sputters after cold start
 

Hi,

I just bought this car last week and have already brought it back to the dealer once for this problem. When I first start the car it will start right up and idle smooth but then a few seconds later the tachometer will drop a little below 1000 RPM and the car will sputter. I give it a little gas and it smooths out again. Then when I put it in drive and hit the gas it wont accelerate for a second or two. This problem continues until the engine reaches normal operating temperature. After that it runs like a champ. The dealership told me they test drove it and couldnt replicate the problem. They also said the put it on a scanner and it came up clean. I am going to take it to a mechanic and get a second opinion. I just wanted to see if you guys have any suggestions on what the problem may be. I'm not a mechanic but I am thinking that it may just need a tune up.

Hey there,

Yeah give it a good tuneup first,

1. Plugs

2. Wires

3. Fluids

4. Most definatley a new fuel filter

Oh yeah when you do the plugs and wires make sure to use some dielectric grease.

Hope this helps,

Tim

Re: 2000 SE sputters after cold start
 

This is what bothers me, the problem goes away when engine is up to normal operating temperature. I'd follow up with the tune up anyway for good measure then go from there. Welcome to Bonneville Club.

Re: 2000 SE sputters after cold start
 

I agree with Mark. Most things that would cause the problem cold would also have some symptom when warmed up. How many miles on the car? Do you know any of the history? It's possible it could be a temperature sensor issue, but I agree with the others. If you don't know when the last tune up was done, that's always a good place to start after buying a used car.

I would try the tune up to start with aswell, if that doesnt work, another thing you can try is removing the IAC and cleaning it. make sure that the pintle isnt sticking when you press it inward, a good cleaning with some throttle body cleaner cant hurt anything

I'd also check the resistance on the secondary side of the coils. All three readings should be very close.

Thanks for all the tips you guys. I'm definitely going to bring it into my mechanic. I dont trust the dealership further than I can throw them.
The car has 36K miles on it and I have no knowledge of the maintenance history on it, except for some oil change receipts left in the glove box. Actually one of the receipts had the phone number of the guy that owned it before me. I called him and asked him about the car. He said he only owned it a few months but that he never had any problems with it except that it had started to sputter a little a few days before he had planned to trade it in. He said he took it to the dealership he bought it from and they told him to put some carb cleaner in it and remove the air filter and spray some stuff in it .I dont remember exactly what he sprayed but he said that cleared it up for him.
I'm not a gearhead (actually im a computer geek) so to be honest I dont know what a AIC, pintle or coils are or what they do. I can make an educated guess on what a temperature sensor is but would be hard pressed to find it. I do really appreciate the input. I figure I will print out these posts when I bring it to my mechanic.

IAC is the Idle Air Control Valve. The pintle (part of the IAC) is the operating shaft, or little pushrod that moves in & out. The coils are the source of ignition for the spark plugs, they supply high voltage through the spark plug wires to the spark plugs. Hang around here, you will learn a few things. We're always glad to help out. : ) Thanks for the feedback & let us know how you make out.

Absolutely, stick around. Check out some of the posts, and you'll learn a lot. There are also a lot of "computer geeks" here. Look throught some of the posts in the lounge area, and please do let us know what your mechanic finds.

Definately the IAC. Just replaced mine with the exact same problem and it fixed it like a dream. Dealears don't really have a clue about this one in my experience. And hey, it is like $30 so if it doesn't work then just take it back.