When I stop for a few minutes, such as at a light, or making a left hand turn, my car hesitates. The place I take it to cannot find the problem and they have replaced a lot of things in it, but still no change. It is a 2002 car, so it is a little older, but I have always kept it in good shape, it has 65,000 miles on it. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Tha nks
Do you mean that the engine cuts out or gets very rough and won’t respond to the gas pedal, or do you mean that the engine stays smooth but just doesn’t respond to the gas pedal for a second or two, or do you mean that the gas pedal seems to stick, taking a little extra pressure momentarily.
The answres to Keith’s questions are crutial to solving this. In addition, I’d like to knowo if this is a new car to you or if you’re the original owner.
A couple of thoughts:
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your 2002 Corolla is about due for new spark plugs. I believe the owners’ manual suggests 60,000 miles, but I have to tell you that just this past weekend I changed the plugs in a 2002 Corolla with 80,000 miles that was hesitating and it runs like a champ now. The old plugs looked beautiful, the cleanest 80,000 miles plugs with the best tan I’ve ever seen, but when compared to the new plugs the gap erosion was obvious.
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your car uses an accelerator cable, with the cruise control actuator in the middle. It’s very easy to verify that the cable is or is not operating freely, and to find out of the throttle body is opening cleanly.
Those would be the places I’d start based just on the information provided.
Thank you for your replies, the engine stays smooth just doesn’t respond to the gas pedal. I have written down your suggestions and will take them to my mechanic so he can check out the things you have suggested.
I really appreciate your help, Thank You
Your new post changes everything. If the engine stays smooth and just doesn’t respond to the pedal, that pretty much eliminates erratic ignition as a cause. Assuming the cable itself isn’t lagging, it raises suspicions of a lazy throttle position sensor.
I’m thinking that if it was just a lazy TPS then the car would respond - in a bad way - b/c the throttle plate would open up but the PCM wouldn’t know it so I’d think it would end up behaving like a big old vacuum leak. Although I suppose the MAF would deliver the higher airflow info except that should come with some engine revving. I don’t know I suppose I’m just blathering about it. I’d be tempted to go with the slack cable.
@Dickens, you said that “they have replaced a lot of things” - could you provide a basic list of work that has been done including any diagnostic work & parts? If your check engine light has come on can you find out what error codes have been read? (The error codes look like “P1234”). Is your check engine light on now? If so, many auto parts stores will read those codes for free.
You may be right Cig.
And I apply that to both paragraphs. Especially the second.