Car Hiccups/jerking? Urgent Problem to me!, :(( Hope it doesnt die at work!! Options

[cHinaman727]

Situation: I was doing a 15 mile delivery today, and after driving for about 10, my car started hiccuping. I was in 5th gear at the time and was doing about 3500 rpms. After that started, it happened when I was as low as first or second and accelerating from a stop. When that happened, it was more of a jerk than a hiccup. This feeling can be reproduced by quickly tapping the breaks while cruising, or quickly tapping and releasing the gas. I don't know what this is, but it has been doing this for the last two tanks of gas, and just as I was almost done, my check engine light blinked on for maybe two-five seconds.

Problem: I need to get this resolved if this is something very bad! I don't have another car to do my deliveries so I need to know ASAP if I should still be driving it or not.

I looked up "car hiccups" and found that some people have these too and call them "fuel cut", but this might only be on turbos and i only have a 5sfe.

Help PLEASE! I have to leave in an hour for work again!

edit:

What I have done recently: I changed the top radiator hose for my car after it broke and refilled the coolant. I did not empty and fill, simply replaced the lost coolant. I also reinflated my tires. And that is all!

This post has been edited by cHinaman727: Nov 4, 2007 - 10:50 AM

[Bitter]

when was the last time you changed the plugs, wires, cap, and rotor?

[stevest202]

when was the last time you changed the plugs, wires, cap, and rotor?

as above and also check fuel filter and pump

[cHinaman727]

honestly, never for the 7,000 miles i have put on it, and as far as i know the previous owner didnt at all.

how much am i looking at spending if i get all that stuff replaced

and as far as parts, i have heard of performance stuff like "NKG's" or whatever, basically i was hoping yall could tell me what I should get replaced and which brand of part i should be getting.

OH and right before I went to work, i put in about 3 oz. of fuel injector cleaner and put 5 gallons of 93 octane in my tank and the hiccups stopped.

maybe that can help with yall's diagnosis.

[tonytutino]

if your CEL Light came on for a second or two... put your car in diagnostics mode (stick a paper clip between the TE and E1 terminals in your diagnosis thing located off of the firewall on the driverside of the engine bay. see if it throws a code and that should at least give you an idea of whats going on man.

[cHinaman727]

if your CEL Light came on for a second or two... put your car in diagnostics mode (stick a paper clip between the TE and E1 terminals in your diagnosis thing located off of the firewall on the driverside of the engine bay. see if it throws a code and that should at least give you an idea of whats going on man.

don't i need a code reader?

[Chucky]

Change your fuel filter and check your distributor & cap for corrosion. But I'm pretty sure about changing the fuel filter.

[njccmd2002]

Change your fuel filter and check your distributor & cap for corrosion. But I'm pretty sure about changing the fuel filter.

where is the fuel filter..

[cHinaman727]

i dunno but my mech quoted me around 80 more or less for fuel filter and labor.

For a "tune-up" of the spark plug/wires etc, he quoted me around 250

does that sound right?

[95CelicaST]

Do it yourself. It truly is not hard.

Buy some new NGK plugs, your wires are probably fine, pop the distributor cap off and check for corrosion on the terminals, and change your fuel filter.

[cHinaman727]

Do it yourself. It truly is not hard.

Buy some new NGK plugs, your wires are probably fine, pop the distributor cap off and check for corrosion on the terminals, and change your fuel filter.

like a noob i ask, where is the fuel filter?

and which one sparks should i get?

http://www.ngksparkplugs.com/products/spar...ex.asp?mode=nml

that confuses me

[95CelicaST]

go down to the local auto store, tell them you want NKG's for a 94 Celica.

I can't recall where the stock location is... Pick up a Chiltons manual for the Celica when you're at the auto store.

[pepsiman]

On st the fuel filter is under in the air box I think...its like a little round black thing with hard lines going to and from it... so i would start looking there since you have a gt

This post has been edited by pepsiman: Nov 5, 2007 - 9:58 PM

[netrata]

About the CEL light, you have a OBD1 diagnostic system on your car so you are fortunate that you don't need the reader. So just do what tonytunino suggested for you to do to get the codes. And like 95CelicaST said, just change it yourself. In fact, do a whole basic tune-up for you celica. Replace the Spark plugs with Iridium or Platinum plugs, preferrably NGK or Denso plugs, they'll have a longer changing interval then your normal resistor-type plugs. Replace you distributer cap, rotor, and maybe your spark plug wires if they looked worn or frayed. Then recheck the timing with a timing light.

[stevest202]

[/quote]
like a noob i ask, where is the fuel filter?
[/quote]
should under your bonnet and look like this seems a good price aswell
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Fuel-Filter-for-To...VQQcmdZViewItem

[Rayme]

This kinda , happened to me on sunday.

The culprit was the distributor cap.

It suprised me as it was only changed one year ago, somehow some water got into it and the little spring loaded connectors were rusted in their "pushed-in" position, so the rotor was barely touching the cap making only sparks on occasion.

It was a really weird symptoms, from 1000-2000 RPM then engine had alot of problem going up, was burping like hell, but from 2000+ it was ok..but still running on like half the cylinders haha!

This post has been edited by Rayme: Nov 6, 2007 - 9:24 PM

[cHinaman727]

This kinda , happened to me on sunday.

The culprit was the distributor cap.

It suprised me as it was only changed one year ago, somehow some water got into it and the little spring loaded connectors were rusted in their "pushed-in" position, so the rotor was barely touching the cap making only sparks on occasion.

It was a really weird symptoms, from 1000-2000 RPM then engine had alot of problem going up, was burping like hell, but from 2000+ it was ok..but still running on like half the cylinders haha!

easy, cheap fix?

that seems like the first place im going to look

Oh and I put in that fuel injector cleaner and got 27 mpg?? i have been averaging 20-22 lately. that was totally awesome lol/

[thespacepanda]

My buddy has a GT he recently got that had a hiccuping at cruise speeds. We replaced the spark plugs, wires, distributer cap, and the distributer itself (had oil in it).

We found out that the problem was a carbon build-up in the intake manifold. If you haven't fixed it yet, see if a shop can do a full intake flush, it may just fix it.


P.S. Since we're both in Houston, if you want me and my buddy to look at it, PM me and we can meet up somewhere and take a look at it.

This post has been edited by thespacepanda: Nov 12, 2007 - 6:13 AM