Q: I have a 2002 Acura tl 3.2, what can cause the car to do this? Hesitates and then surges con't without my foot on gas pedal.
We are driving down the street at 45 miles, suddenly the car starts to hesitate, like if it’s going to turn off, so I remove my foot from the gas pedal. And about 3 to 5 seconds later the car accelerates from 750 rpms to 2200 rpms (remember I do not have my foot on the gas pedal), the car then hesitates again and drops from 2200 rpms down to 750 rpms. This causes the car to jerk every 3 to 5 seconds violently and continues this pattern with my foot not on the gas pedal.
My car has 199000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
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| Throttle Position Sensor Replacement | $144.21 - $717.44 | Get a Quote |
First check to see if any OBD-II codes have set. A real time scanner can be used to check the operation of the throttle position sensor - TPS. TPS faults are a common cause of the symptoms you are describing. It’s possible to have multiple contributing faults, too, so while the scanner is connected, the oxygen sensor outputs should be evaluated. The idle air control valve is another common problem area. In your circumstance, if the simply request a TPS diagnostic although the mechanic will start the diagnostic by testing that component, if it is not the cause the mechanic will simply move down the decision tree until the fault is found. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.
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