My daughter drives a 1993 Subaru 1.8L Loyal wagon. She says it hesitates when she steps on the gas. More of a hiccup when cold than hot and less of a stomp required when cold than hot.
If it was a 64 VW I’d know just where to go but I can only guess which sensor is sick. Her husband is handy, he replaced the head gaskets (with my help) a few months ago so give us a hint where to start.
carb, or EFI?
Assuming that it is fuel-injected, which I think that it is, I would suggest a thorough cleaning of the throttle body. What you describe is pretty much the classic symptom of a dirty throttle body.
row boat or ocean liner:
has this problem been since the head gasket repair?
A big vacuum leak might cause these symptoms.
The best place to start would be at a car dealer. A newspaper too. You can’t be serious about fixing it. I know you are but somebody who fixes cars professionally may have to give it a try. Make sure all the ductwork is sealed properly and the hot air tube is still on.
I tend to agree with VDC. Or perhaps a malfunctioning Throttle Position Sensor. It sounds like the ECU is taking a moment to recognise that the pedal has been stomped. Since it’s running richer when cold anyway, it may not be as noticable.
To some of the rest of you, I’m concerned that the nasty comments and roller ball fights will erode a forum that has helped a good many decent people. And some decent people doing the helping just may disappear from not wanting to read the linguistics. I have an occasional off day too, but I try to keep it civil.
Amen, Mountainbike. Things have gotten way out of hand recently.
Thank you gentlemen, I really appreciate your help!
since the engine has been into and is equipped with computer controlled ignition timing i would advise checking the timing.
the underhood sticker MUST be adhered to. the test plug should be jumped before setting the timing or the timing will be retarded too much. retarded timing will cause a hesitation and/or sluggish performance.
the reason why it may not be as bad when the engine is cold is because there are a lot of other factors influencing the engine and the problem is being masked to some degree. hope that helps.