intermittent sputter under acceleration - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

Strutter · 02-08-2010, 03:26 PM

My '88 350 TBI started sputtering under acceleration a few weeks ago. was acelerating up an on ramp and if i pushed the petal down to get up speed it would sputter. felt like a backfire without the noise. i could give it a little petal and it would not sputter. first thing that crossed my mind was fuel filter. so i changed it. it ran fine for aproximately 100 miles. then i was at a store one day and when i got in to leave it started sputtering again. so i figuered maybe the tank was so dirty that it clogged the filter again. so i changed it again. it ran fine for about another 100 miles. then today i drove it to the park to walk my dog it ran fine there. when i got back in it to leave it was sputtering again. i got it home, parked it, got my daughters car and bought another fuel filter. when i got back i was going to put it up on a ramp but it was running fine. so i took it for a little spin. ran fine.

so anyone have any ideas.

JWall · 02-08-2010, 05:15 PM

My 98 recently had a bad miss at cruising speeds but idled fine.
It would miss badly between 1500-2000 RPM's...and I mean badly.
It was the plug wires.

ChevLoRay · 02-09-2010, 02:59 PM

Sounds like time to start checking a little deeper into the fuel delivery system.

There are numerous posts on here that will help you check pressures under several different conditions.

89muscletruck · 02-09-2010, 04:00 PM

Just after I bought my 94, it started behaving just like what you are describing. I replaced the fuel filter, it seemed to run better, but the problem kept comming back. In the end it turned out to that the sparkies were fouled up, one sparkie had deposits that completly filled the spark gap.

sean1969c10 · 02-09-2010, 11:16 PM

I'm pretty sure I am having the same problem with my 88 GMC. I had the timming light on it a few nights ago and it would pick up a miss now and then. I'm going to replace the wires as soon as the snow melts!!

Sean

tonyp56 · 02-10-2010, 05:52 AM

Don't know if it helps but my 88 350 TBI had bad hesitation if you gave it gas quickly would die if you didn't let off, acted like it was getting flooded. Would do that in park or reverse/drive too. However, if you slowly pressed down on the gas pedal, it would do fine. Check engine light was on so I checked and I had a code 22, TPS low signal voltage. Changed out my TPS (throttle position sensor) (Along with checking 5 volt from ECM, it was good, but the connector was bad on old TPS so it wouldn't allow the plug to be fully inserted) and now it runs like a champ. Have read that you may or may not have a check engine light. Might want to check yours to see if all is good. My Haynes book has test procedures, so wouldn't think it would be hard to find it and check into it at least. New TPS only was $28.xx at Autozone.

packers05 · 02-10-2010, 10:28 PM

my experience tells me to tell you that the fuel pump and pump harness should be changed

hotrodman_crg · 03-13-2011, 01:53 AM

My 1988 chevy 1500 pick up was doing the same thing, but it got worse and worse until it was undrivable. It would start up fine idle decent but if you gave it gas even in park, it would cut out and stumble like either it was running out of fuel or losing spark. It turned out to be the spark. At first I suspected fuel, changed fuel filter... no change, checked fuel pressure... 13 lbs perfect, so... not fuel. Started looking at electronics, checked the MAP sensor... good, checked the TPS sensor... questionable... changed & re-checked TPS... good but no change in motor running, changed cap and rotor... no change, changed coil... no change, tried a new coil wire... no change. I then decided to look into the distributor, removed the ignition module and took it to the parts store to get it tested... heres where I learned something... when I was removing the module i noticed that the plug going into the distributor shaft was "sticky" and not really whole anymore, it turns out that the ignition coil pick-up was bad, and was shorting out my ignition module. The crappy part of replacing that coil pick-up, is that you have to pull the distributor out and dismantle it. I reassembled the distributor with the new pick-up and new ignition module, put it all back in and reset the timing, and so far so good. Runs great!

Good luck!

02-08-2010, 03:26 PM	#1
Strutter Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Statesville,NC Posts: 11	intermittent sputter under acceleration My '88 350 TBI started sputtering under acceleration a few weeks ago. was acelerating up an on ramp and if i pushed the petal down to get up speed it would sputter. felt like a backfire without the noise. i could give it a little petal and it would not sputter. first thing that crossed my mind was fuel filter. so i changed it. it ran fine for aproximately 100 miles. then i was at a store one day and when i got in to leave it started sputtering again. so i figuered maybe the tank was so dirty that it clogged the filter again. so i changed it again. it ran fine for about another 100 miles. then today i drove it to the park to walk my dog it ran fine there. when i got back in it to leave it was sputtering again. i got it home, parked it, got my daughters car and bought another fuel filter. when i got back i was going to put it up on a ramp but it was running fine. so i took it for a little spin. ran fine. so anyone have any ideas. __________________ 1957 Chevy 3100 1988 Chevy Silverado

02-08-2010, 05:15 PM	#2
JWall Frequent Flyer Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 2,258	Re: intermittent sputter under acceleration My 98 recently had a bad miss at cruising speeds but idled fine. It would miss badly between 1500-2000 RPM's...and I mean badly. It was the plug wires. __________________ - Justin 76 SWB C-10 - 98 SWB C1500 (x2) 1 Owner 1976 SWB

02-09-2010, 02:59 PM	#3
ChevLoRay Old Skool Club Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Benton, AR "The Heart of Arkansas" Posts: 10,880	Re: intermittent sputter under acceleration Sounds like time to start checking a little deeper into the fuel delivery system. There are numerous posts on here that will help you check pressures under several different conditions. __________________ Member Nr. 2770 '96 GMC Sportside; 4.3/SLT - Daily driven....constantly needs washed. '69 C-10 SWB; 350/TH400 - in limbo The older I get, the better I was.

02-09-2010, 04:00 PM	#4
89muscletruck Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Edmonton, Alberta Posts: 279	Re: intermittent sputter under acceleration Just after I bought my 94, it started behaving just like what you are describing. I replaced the fuel filter, it seemed to run better, but the problem kept comming back. In the end it turned out to that the sparkies were fouled up, one sparkie had deposits that completly filled the spark gap.

02-09-2010, 11:16 PM	#5
sean1969c10 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Powhatan, Va. Posts: 376	Re: intermittent sputter under acceleration I'm pretty sure I am having the same problem with my 88 GMC. I had the timming light on it a few nights ago and it would pick up a miss now and then. I'm going to replace the wires as soon as the snow melts!! Sean Last edited by sean1969c10; 02-09-2010 at 11:17 PM. Reason: spelling

02-10-2010, 05:52 AM	#6
tonyp56 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Stillwater Oklahoma Posts: 86	Re: intermittent sputter under acceleration Don't know if it helps but my 88 350 TBI had bad hesitation if you gave it gas quickly would die if you didn't let off, acted like it was getting flooded. Would do that in park or reverse/drive too. However, if you slowly pressed down on the gas pedal, it would do fine. Check engine light was on so I checked and I had a code 22, TPS low signal voltage. Changed out my TPS (throttle position sensor) (Along with checking 5 volt from ECM, it was good, but the connector was bad on old TPS so it wouldn't allow the plug to be fully inserted) and now it runs like a champ. Have read that you may or may not have a check engine light. Might want to check yours to see if all is good. My Haynes book has test procedures, so wouldn't think it would be hard to find it and check into it at least. New TPS only was $28.xx at Autozone. Last edited by tonyp56; 02-10-2010 at 05:53 AM.

02-10-2010, 10:28 PM	#7
packers05 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: minonk illinois Posts: 224	Re: intermittent sputter under acceleration my experience tells me to tell you that the fuel pump and pump harness should be changed Last edited by packers05; 02-10-2010 at 10:29 PM.

03-13-2011, 01:53 AM	#8
hotrodman_crg Registered User Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Gibsonia PA Posts: 1	Re: intermittent sputter under acceleration-my solution My 1988 chevy 1500 pick up was doing the same thing, but it got worse and worse until it was undrivable. It would start up fine idle decent but if you gave it gas even in park, it would cut out and stumble like either it was running out of fuel or losing spark. It turned out to be the spark. At first I suspected fuel, changed fuel filter... no change, checked fuel pressure... 13 lbs perfect, so... not fuel. Started looking at electronics, checked the MAP sensor... good, checked the TPS sensor... questionable... changed & re-checked TPS... good but no change in motor running, changed cap and rotor... no change, changed coil... no change, tried a new coil wire... no change. I then decided to look into the distributor, removed the ignition module and took it to the parts store to get it tested... heres where I learned something... when I was removing the module i noticed that the plug going into the distributor shaft was "sticky" and not really whole anymore, it turns out that the ignition coil pick-up was bad, and was shorting out my ignition module. The crappy part of replacing that coil pick-up, is that you have to pull the distributor out and dismantle it. I reassembled the distributor with the new pick-up and new ignition module, put it all back in and reset the timing, and so far so good. Runs great! Good luck!



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