Recently you guys may have noticed my more than usual posts a week. Ive been having minor problems with the cat and this one i am debating...on red lights i notice my car dying then all of a sudden coming back to life. what i mean is that the rpm is at 5-7 hundred on a redlight and then all of a sudden it will go under 500 rpms and jump back up and ive noticed this alot recently. Now could this be a misfire?? or somthing i should ignore?

 

jessy, this is not a normal thing. It sounds like the computer is having issues controlling the idle. IF I remember how the idle is controlled with this car, it sounds like your throttlebody is sticking a little bit. There is supposed to be a protective coating on the inside of your throttlebody that is supposed to prevent this build up. Some say not to spray anything inside of the throttlebody because you might damage this coating. Others have and haven't seen any negative effects. It sounds like you need to use some throttlebody cleaner (supposed to be safe on this protective coating) and clean off any residue that you see. This should take care of your idle issue.

It may be possible that if you are running your A/C system that the engine RPM may fluctuate slightly due to the compressor kicking on and off. The computer is supposed to adjust the amount of fuel to compensate, but can sometimes be a little slow.

Hope this helps.

 

You'll know it if it is a misfire. Doesn't sound like it to me. Your X should idle smoothly.

I'm guessing you are getting no warning lights? It might be worth a trip to the mechanic/dealer to have your OBD read and checked if the problem persists.

 

Thanks thermo and Chris X...how can i get to the throttle body? Is it near the mainifold?

 

Jessy, to access the throttlebody, follow the tube coming out of the air box. Where the black plastic stops and turns into metal, that is the throttlebody. If you use a set of pliers, you can undo the clamp that holds the plastic tube to the throttlebody. From there, you can spray the throttlebody. I use a screw driver with some tape over the bit end to open the throttlebody. The tape is there to not scratch the metal disk. Just don't force the disk open really fast.

 

WHat do u spray in there? compressed air or somthing? or a throttle body cleaner?

 

Jessy, you are going to be spraying the throttle body cleaner in where you remove the plastic tube from. You want to make sure that you get the edge of the disk too. Some gum (burnt oil products) can build up on the edge of the disk and lead to sticking. Please note that after spray the throttle body cleaner that the first time you start the car, it is going to be hard to start. You will have essentially flooded the engine. Give it a few more cranks and all will be fine.