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Q: Car chokes when accelerating and when at a stop

asked by on October 16, 2016

About 3 weeks ago my car started choking when accelerating and when at a stop. It happened between 30-50 miles per hour. In August the a/c was fixed. In March it had a tune up because engine light was on and the car was running rough. After that the car run smoothly until the choking started. I took the car to the shop 3 days ago and the ignition park coil was replaced. Now the car chokes even more between 30-70 miles and the engine service light is on. At the shop they want to see if the catalyst is the problem. What do you think? Please help me because I don' t want to pay for services my car doesn't need. Checking for answers I read the fuel pump could be the problem and the catalyst presents different symptoms when it is failing. Please advise. Thanks so much, Nadia

My car has 103000 miles.
My car's transmission is unknown to me.

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Hi there. Based on the events you have described, finding another mechanic would be recommended. Your vehicle choking could be the result of a bad fuel pressure regulator, but I would not recommend replacing anything else until the vehicle is properly diagnosed. A restriction of the catalytic converter would also result in an overall lack of power, as the more you try to accelerate, the more it would hold back. A faulty fuel pump could cause what you are describing as well. The Check Engine Light leads me to believe the vehicle’s computer is recognizing the fault. Accessing the computer for codes may help with the diagnosis. I recommend having your vehicle’s choking problem properly diagnosed and repaired by a certified technician, such as one from YourMechanic.

Ford
catalytic converters
Check Engine Light
acceleration
1999
L4-2.0L
Escort
fuel pumps
running rough
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