My Car is Shuddering

[erc]

My car has been acting oddly this evening. It's a 1994 Celi w/ less than 52,000 miles on it..

It's idling really rough, and accelerating rough too. My driveway is at a small incline, and when I coasted in the driveway, I got to the point where my car would no longer move foreward, and it didn't move backward either (break wasn't pressed) The car would shudder a lot, and rev every now and then and lurch forward (not violently, but enough to feel it) Also, the headlights / indiglo gauges would dim a bit.

On the way home when i stepped on it, it would tach high, but I didn't get the usual response, it was kind of weak. Then, all of a sudden, the car would shudder a bit and the car would accelerate normally.

Any guesses as to what the problem could be? I thought maybe it could be water in the distributer; I cleaned under the hood Saturday night and rinced with a hose, but haven't noticed any problems until this evening (Monday)

Any other ideas would be appreciated.

[autxr]

Manual transmission?

Automatic transmission?

You did a fine job describig the problem, but not the car.


On the way home when i stepped on it, it would tach high, but I didn't get the usual response, it was kind of weak. Then, all of a sudden, the car would shudder a bit and the car would accelerate normally.
Sounds to me like it is a manual tranny and the clutch is going.

It could be other things to, the idling souldn't be effected by a bad clutch, but you never know. If it's an auto, that coudl effect idle (make sure the fluid is at the right level).

You could have water someplace you don't want it. Replace the cap and rotor (if it has them) and plugs and wires, see if that helps. 52,000 miles isn't many, but 8 years is getting to the point where parts fail from age not from use (my 2000 Celica will have 52,000 miles this year).

Scott

[erc]

thanks for the reply. By the way, it is an auto.

[autxr]

OK, now I think you are low on tranny fluid, or the valve bodies in the tranny need to be rebuilt (revs but no-go in an auto isn't a good thing).

Scott

[erc]

Thanks for the suggestions..

Luckily it wasn't anything as serious as the tranny. I replaced the spark plugs and the fuel filter, and that cleared up the problem. Why on earth are the plug wires so ungodly expensive? First time I've priced them for the celica, and was amazed to find that the average was 80-85 bucks

[schlegelbagel]

glad to hear it was cleared up by the spark plugs. That is always the first thing I do when my car is idling funny. It's amazing what those little guys can clear up.