'03 Neon SXT (manual 5sp) sputtering/losing power under load -- What's wrong?!?

...other than having almost 82,000 miles on it! That's right, folks. 82,000 miles on a 3-year old car.

I bought her used (on Ebay) , for an extremely good price.

I drove her from Vermont to Michigan and then down to my home in Florida. She drove like a champ until 2 hours from her destination when -- cough, chough -- goes the engine when I switch gears at a fairly low RPM (but not low enough so that it should bogg). In other words, when you shift from 2nd to third at 30mph, or 3rd to 4th at 40 or 4th to 5th at 50, the engine will let you know that it's pissed off. It will sputter, shake and shimmy (I don't know the exact definition of a shimmy, but it's pretty close).

The weird thing is that if you keep the engine at relatively high RPMs when you shift, it's fine. So that a start that's similar to what you would do at a drag race it A-OK with the engine. Accelerating hard to the near redline and shifting is fine. The engine performs like a champ. But shift from 4th to 5th at 45mph and you'll know. Lots of sputtering.

So I've changed the air filter.
I've changed (and correctly gapped) the spark plugs.
I've ran some fuel injector cleaner through the tank.
I've pulled off the spark plug wires while the engine's running -- to make sure there's spark to each plug. There is. They're trying to complete their circuits anywhere they can.
I've used a long ratchet/socket extention to connect my ear to the fuel injectors. They're all firing.

It seems like a timing issue to me. Or possibly fuel flow (maybe fuel filter?) but if that was the case, I wouldn't be able to red-line the car in 2nd gear.


Hmmmmm...............


Any advice?

thanks!
Dave

 

you have to remeber, all cars are not made the same, they are tune for the correct sea level for that state!! meaning the timming chain and what not... And also if your going up an hill or down a hill keep it in the 4th gear it's better for your tansmission! you should get it on the scope at your local car shop!!! they should tell you how much air/fuel your getting to your engin, and they would know where your missing!!!! it's not your fuel pump or your fuel filter, there together, if it was that then you would have to get a whole new fuel pump..... and the fuel pump wouldn't just start losing power, they would give out right there and then.... so rule out your fuel pump!!!

 

You need a scan tool to check your MAP sensor and other things to see what is out of whack. TPS maybe. Something is off, not failed just off. Mine does not like 45 and 5th gear but still sluggish at 50. When at wide open it goes to default programming not just watching sensors anymore. So you need investigative look at sensors and verify them to actual readings.