# Car stuttered/jerked for a bit... but then stopped. Trying to decide how to assess **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** civic-sdn, civic, engines, honda\ **Created:** [November 25, 2022, 9:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-stuttered-jerked-for-a-bit-but-then-stopped-trying-to-decide-how-to-assess/187593 "2022-11-25T21:06:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JayZeeBee](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/jayzeebee/32/31532_2.png) [@JayZeeBee](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JayZeeBee)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 9:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-stuttered-jerked-for-a-bit-but-then-stopped-trying-to-decide-how-to-assess/187593/1 "2022-11-25T21:06:37Z")
So driving 50 miles to t-day dinner yesterday, I got gas. Soon after engine gave a little stutter/jerk, then was ok. Did this every 5-10 miles. Didn’t seem to be any pattern, like when accelerating or braking. On the way home, stuttered a bit when I started… but then was fine for the whole 50 mile trip. Trying to decide what my next move is. Thinking I will drive it and if I keep noticing it, I’ll take it in. My thought is fuel injectors are dirty, but why would it be so intermittent? ---
**Author:** ![weekend-warrior](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/weekend-warrior/32/26122_2.png) [@weekend-warrior](https://community.cartalk.com/u/weekend-warrior)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 9:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-stuttered-jerked-for-a-bit-but-then-stopped-trying-to-decide-how-to-assess/187593/2 "2022-11-25T21:54:40Z")
> [@JayZeeBee](#): > > I got gas. Soon after engine gave a little stutter/jerk, then was ok If this started happening for the first time after you got gas, then you could have gotten some bad gas. ---
**Author:** ![JayZeeBee](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/jayzeebee/32/31532_2.png) [@JayZeeBee](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JayZeeBee)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 10:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-stuttered-jerked-for-a-bit-but-then-stopped-trying-to-decide-how-to-assess/187593/3 "2022-11-25T22:37:40Z")
Any thoughts on best course of action to resolve this? ---
**Author:** ![weekend-warrior](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/weekend-warrior/32/26122_2.png) [@weekend-warrior](https://community.cartalk.com/u/weekend-warrior)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 10:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-stuttered-jerked-for-a-bit-but-then-stopped-trying-to-decide-how-to-assess/187593/4 "2022-11-25T22:45:40Z")
Top of tank with gas from a different gas station. best to always use top tier gas stations. If this is the cause of the problem, it will fix itself as you keep getting new gas and diluting the bad gas. ---
**Author:** ![JayZeeBee](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/jayzeebee/32/31532_2.png) [@JayZeeBee](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JayZeeBee)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 10:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-stuttered-jerked-for-a-bit-but-then-stopped-trying-to-decide-how-to-assess/187593/5 "2022-11-25T22:46:42Z")
Ok thanks, hopefully it does. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 10:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-stuttered-jerked-for-a-bit-but-then-stopped-trying-to-decide-how-to-assess/187593/6 "2022-11-25T22:56:20Z")
Fuel filter if you have one or do a fuel pressure test if you have that. I picked up a bad tank of diesel at a truck stop in desmoines. About 50 miles out the car started losing speed. Down to about 20 mph for the last 80 miles. After about three new filters, dumped the junk in the tank. It can happen, especially now. Or check for good spark. But how do you find an intermittent spark problem without the help of a shop or changing a bunch of parts. If not fuel, crank sensor ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 11:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-stuttered-jerked-for-a-bit-but-then-stopped-trying-to-decide-how-to-assess/187593/7 "2022-11-25T23:56:36Z")
Sea fome as the first stab at the cat along with a new fuel filter, my thought. ---
**Author:** ![Cavell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cavell/32/43396_2.png) [@Cavell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cavell)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2022, 5:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-stuttered-jerked-for-a-bit-but-then-stopped-trying-to-decide-how-to-assess/187593/8 "2022-11-26T17:01:18Z")
Probably fuel or spark. Bad elec connection? Maybe ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2022, 6:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-stuttered-jerked-for-a-bit-but-then-stopped-trying-to-decide-how-to-assess/187593/9 "2022-11-26T18:25:04Z")
> [@JayZeeBee](#): > > but then was fine for the whole 50 mile trip. Did everyone miss this from the original post? The suggestions won’t hurt, but if no CEL I would drive and see if the problem comes back. Fifty miles is a pretty short drive. ---
**Author:** ![JayZeeBee](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/jayzeebee/32/31532_2.png) [@JayZeeBee](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JayZeeBee)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2022, 6:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-stuttered-jerked-for-a-bit-but-then-stopped-trying-to-decide-how-to-assess/187593/10 "2022-11-26T18:48:23Z")
Thanks! That is a helpful perspective, and I think what I will do. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2022, 7:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-stuttered-jerked-for-a-bit-but-then-stopped-trying-to-decide-how-to-assess/187593/11 "2022-11-26T19:02:11Z")
The first thing I would do is hook a scanner to the vehicle and see if there are any pending codes. Tester ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2022, 12:36am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-stuttered-jerked-for-a-bit-but-then-stopped-trying-to-decide-how-to-assess/187593/12 "2022-11-27T00:36:30Z")
Good ideas above. I expect you got some bad gas, likely had some water in it. There are chemical treatments supposedly that will make things better, gas dryer products like below. (note: I’ve never used any of these treatments on my cars, so can’t personally verify they work.) > **[Amazon.com: ISO-HEET Water Remover And Premium Fuel Line Antifreeze + Injector...](https://www.amazon.com/ISO-HEET-28202-Fuel-line-Antifreeze-Injector/dp/B000V4HC7Y)** > > Gold Eagle 28202/HA55360 12 oz Iso Heet Fuel System Dryer and Anti-Freeze Gold Eagle 28202/HA55360 12 oz Iso Heet Fuel System Dryer and Anti-Freeze Features: Dryer and anti freeze Takes out water dissolved in gasoline or diesel fuels Provides quicker... After that, could be a problem with the evap system purge valve. That could cause fuel vapors from canister to move into intake manifold during a fill-up, creating an overly rich mixture, making engine stumble. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2022, 2:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-stuttered-jerked-for-a-bit-but-then-stopped-trying-to-decide-how-to-assess/187593/13 "2022-11-28T14:47:35Z")
I haven’t seen the need for anyone to use Heat when gas was 10% Ethanol. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2022, 2:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-stuttered-jerked-for-a-bit-but-then-stopped-trying-to-decide-how-to-assess/187593/14 "2022-11-28T14:52:41Z")
> [@MikeInNH](#): > > I haven’t seen the need for anyone to use Heat when gas was 10% Ethanol. > **[4 Things You Need to Know About Ethanol Fuel](https://www.bellperformance.com/blog/4-things-you-need-to-know-about-ethanol-fuel)** > > Ethanol is a fact of life now, with 10% ethanol blends being commonplace for a number of years. See what you need to know about ethanol. Tester