Chevrolet - Cobalt :: 2010 - Surging When Idling Or At Low Speeds

When Idling or at low speeds my engine has been surging. When idling it surges with no changes in rpm's but the car shakes and can bee seen and felt. When at low speeds I also get a surge but the rpms will jump up and down. If I drive with the A/C on it cuts the surging down significantly. I had a friend of mine read out the check engine light codes. The are P0010- CAM POS Actuator malfunction, P0011 Cam pos actuator over retarded, C0300 random misfire, C0700 transmission control malfunction. I looked some things up online and they were saying to replace some cam shaft sensors and etc.

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Lexus ES 2013+ :: ES350 Transmission Surging Intermittently At Low Speeds

I have a 2013 ES350 with 8K miles. Since car has been new, experienced intermittent surging and uneven driving at speeds between 25-40mph. At times the RPM gauge will spike and other times RPM stays stable. It seems like it is searching for the right gear and very noticeable when it does this. I have tried different grades of gas, different driving modes. Nothing works. Problem is inconsistent but persistent.

Also, experiencing cruise control issues going up and down hills where vehicle feels like it trying slow itself down and then shifting hard to maintain speed.

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Malibu :: 1004 Chev Classic Steering Groan At Very Slow Speeds

Issue w/ my 04 Classic. At very slow speeds my car emits a groaning noise when turning hard left and also veers to the left at highway speeds. Tire pressure is ok. Didn't notice play in the ball joint or tie rod end when I checked.

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Chevrolet - Malibu :: 2009 - Violent Vibration When Braking At High Speeds

I have a 2009 Chevy Malibu that gives through rotors every 6 months. I have replaced them 3 times now in 102,000 miles and had them turned multiple times. What happens is about 6,000 miles after I put new rotors on they warp and I get a violent vibration when braking at high speeds. I have been to 3 different dealerships and none of them can figure out why they continue to warp.

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Ford Aerostar :: Engine Is Revving / Surging Then Falls Back At Highway Speeds

1995 3.0L 6 Cylinder Aero, aka the Green Goblin.

I've recently noticed that when I'm running between 50-65MPH the GG can't seem to decide whether it wants to stay in D or OD, I think. It's hard to tell whether or not the transmission is shifting or if it's just the engine revving. I don't have a tachometer but it's almost like the engine is revving /surges and then falls back, sometimes repeatedly. Could this be due to a vac line leak?

History- GG has 167K on it. I recently changed the oil, plugs, wires, distributor and air filter. Cleaned the MAF. Due to a failed AC compressor and low funds, had it removed and a bypass pulley installed. Needs a new pipe & muffler which is on the agenda.

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Phaeton :: Surging Of Engine / Momentary Loss Of Power At Normal Highway Operating Speeds

The primary electric fuel pump in the fuel tank of my 2004 W12 failed last month, shortly after I had set out on a cross-Canada trip from Vancouver Island to Toronto. The whole process of diagnosing and identifying the cause of the problem, mitigating it so that I could continue the trip, and finally replacing the fuel pump was kind of complex, so, here's the write-up.

The problem presented itself as a surging of the engine - a momentary loss of power - at normal highway operating speeds. The onset was progressive, but it didn't take very long - only about 60 miles of driving - from the first little cough of the engine until total failure of the pump. The first indication was failure of the car to maintain speed (while on cruise control) when climbing hills. That progressed to failure to maintain speed on flat surfaces, and finally led to the car coasting to a stop, engine stalled, at the side of the road.

I soon learned that if I floored the accelerator pedal and held it against the floor, the car would cough and burp for a few seconds, then take off like a rocket. So, for the next 40 miles, I coaxed the car into the next city by flooring it, accelerating to about 80 MPH, then coasting until the speed dropped to 20 MPH, and flooring it once again and accelerating to 80 MPH. Fortunately, I was on a remote road with few other cars, and no police.

I checked the fuses for the two fuel pumps - fuses 34 and 35 in panel C (above the left battery), and they were both OK.

The next day, I visited a VW dealer in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, and together with the parts manager and one of the technicians, we looked at the Self-Study Guides (SSGs) for the Phaeton, and looked at wiring diagrams. Eventually, we came to a tentative conclusion that the primary electric fuel pump in the fuel tank had failed. The SSGs stated that the primary electric fuel pump (the pump on the right side of the car) operates all the time, and the secondary electric fuel pump (the pump on the left side of the car) only operates during starting and during 'periods of high demand'. That made sense to us - the car started fine, and worked OK when the accelerator pedal was held to the floor (high demand). It just didn't work worth a darn at any other time... the engine would stall, or, the car would not accelerate at all.

Here are two illustrations taken from the SSGs that describe how the fuel delivery system works. The first image is taken from the 'Phaeton Overview' SSG, which applies to all vehicles. The second image is taken from the W12 engine SSG. I kind of suspect that all the Phaetons operate in the same way, regardless of engine, because the fuel tank in all the Phaetons has the same shape - two lower lobes, which means two pumps are required.

Descriptions from the SSGs

I think that there may be an error in the description above. My experience suggests that the right hand pump (identified as G6, above) is the primary pump, and the left hand pump (identified as G23) is the one that switches on during starting and periods of high demand. Note also how the identification of G6 and G23 in the illustration above is reversed from what is shown in the illustration below. I believe that the text and illustration below is correct, and the text and illustration above is incorrect.

The 'effects of failure' in the description above would, I believe, make sense if it was the left-hand pump that failed. In my case, the right hand pump failed, and the effects of failure that I experienced were as I set them out in the beginning paragraphs of this post - quite different from the 'effects of failure' of the left hand pump that are described in the SSG above.

After coming to the tentative diagnosis that the primary electric fuel pump (the right hand pump) had failed, we checked the parts stock status in North America. There was one pump in stock, but it was in the United States, and being that it was a Thursday, the pump could not be delivered before the following Tuesday. I didn't want to spend that much time waiting for it, so, we started thinking about other possible solutions.

If we could somehow get the secondary electric fuel pump - the pump on the left side of the car that only operated during starting and heavy demand - to operate, that just might put me back on the road again. So, I removed the plastic cover from the small relay that operates the secondary pump, and wrapped a rubber band around the relay, thus keeping the relay in the closed position. A short test drive proved that this solution worked just fine, the car once again operated normally. The only "problem" was that the last 25% of the fuel in the tank would be unusable, because that fuel would be left behind in the right-hand lobe of the tank - the lobe with the defective primary fuel pump.

Electric Fuel Pump Relays

Here is an illustration from the Phaeton wiring diagrams identifying the various relays above the left battery.

Here you can see the two relays for the electric fuel pumps. They are identical part numbers.

Here you can see the relay for the secondary electric fuel pump, with a rubber band wrapped around it to keep it continually closed.

Aside from the loss of use of the last 25% of the fuel in the fuel tank, the car worked just fine with the secondary electric fuel pump running all the time. There were no problems noted even under heavy acceleration. It was, however, necessary to physically remove the rubber-banded relay from its position in the relay panel whenever the car was shut down for more than half a hour. The power to this relay comes from Terminal 30 (battery direct) - it is not switched on and off with the ignition as Terminal 15 power is. This meant that if the rubber-banded relay was left in position overnight, the left hand battery would totally discharge, because the fuel pump would operate continuously all night. I discovered this the morning after the first night...

So, for the next 8 days, I drove across Canada, removing the relay each night and replacing it each morning. I didn't bother to remove it when I stopped for meals or fuel. The rest of the 3,000 mile trip was uneventful - except once, when I let the fuel tank run down a bit too close to the 1/4 full mark, and the car began surging again because the left hand lobe of the fuel tank (with the functional secondary pump) had emptied out. That was a close call, but I managed to get to a gas station and refuel.

After arriving in Toronto, I called the parts staff at my home VW dealer and ordered a new primary electric fuel pump. I discovered that the left and right hand pumps are slightly different (the various hoses coming out of the pumps are different), and I also discovered that a pump costs about $400. The parts staff suggested I order two seals (one for each side of the tank), because I would have to remove both the right and left fuel tank covers to change the right pump. The seals were not expensive.

Here are two pictures that illustrate where the pumps sit in each lobe of the fuel tank. Note the fuel filler port on the left side of the pictures (as we know, it is on the right side of the car) for orientation.

Phaeton Fuel Tank, showing pumps

Fuel Pump Access Panels

Below is a picture that shows where the access panels to the two fuel pumps are. It's easy to get to these access panels, just remove the carpeted panel from the floor of the trunk.

Here's a close-up of the right side (primary) electric fuel pump access panel.

The instructions (from the VW Repair Manual, or the ELSA / ErWin system) for replacing the fuel pump are quite well written. The repair manual suggests that the fuel tank be drained before replacing a pump. I didn't want to drain the tank, so, I ran the fuel level down as low as I dared (remembering that 1/4 full is effectively 'empty' with a failed primary pump). That proved to be adequate.

There are a heck of a lot of steps involved in disconnecting all the hoses and loosening the various components before the pump can be removed. I strongly suggest that anyone attempting this task have a printed set of instructions before starting disassembly.

The fuel pump has quite a few hoses and connections on it, but fortunately, each connector is unique in design, thus it is not possible to hook things up the wrong way when installing the new pump. It is possible to 'lose' a hose inside the tank... for this reason, I attached a small piece of string to each hose I disconnected from the pump.

The process goes more or less like this:

1) Remove the two 404 relays, to ensure no power is sent to either fuel pump.

2) Lift the rubber cover, and remove the electrical connections from both pumps (left and right).

3) Using a special tool, lift up the three fasteners that hold the cap over top of the access panel (these are NOT threaded fasteners!)

Here is a side view of the three fasteners that hold the plastic cap in place - they are friction fit, not threaded.

4) Now you have a clear view of the access panel. It will probably be dusty and rusty, and should be vacuumed clean before proceeding, to prevent crap from falling into the fuel tank when the cap is removed. The rust is due to condensation forming on the cold metal part whenever the car is filled with cold fuel from an underground storage tank.

5) A special VW tool is used to remove the locking ring from the access panel.

6) After removing the locking ring, I buffed it up with a wire brush to remove surface corrosion.

7) The plastic access cap can now be lifted. There are two electrical connectors on each fuel pump, but three possible fittings on the plastic cap. Fortunately, the three fittings are keyed differently.

8) This is what you see inside the tank after removing the plastic cap.

9) After following all the detailed instructions for disconnecting and stowing hoses, disconnecting the fuel measurement probe from the pump housing, etc., it is possible to lift the pump out. It will be full of fuel.

10) The old and new pumps, side by side. I was very surprised at the amount of crap that was trapped in the filter screen at the bottom of the pump. The car only has 60,000 miles on it, and I have always used premium fuel in it.

11) I was also a bit surprised at the discolouration of the pump components. Below you can see the old and new pumps side by side.

12) It is necessary to get access to the opposite side (in this case, the left side) fuel pump, because hoses from each pump travel horizontally across the tank and connect to the other pump.

13) Here you can see a new hose from the right side pump connecting into a T fitting above the left side pump. It is easy to thread this hose across the top of the inside of the tank.

14) As mentioned earlier, there are three possible fittings on the base of each plastic cap, but only two connectors within the fuel tank. Everything is keyed, thus improper assembly is not possible.

Once the new pump has been installed, the hoses connected, and the fuel measuring probe reset into the side of the new pump, re-assembly of everything is quite straightforward. I replaced the rubber ring around the access panel opening on each side of the tank, and I also buffed up the locking rings using a wire brush (to remove corrosion) on each side.

It was not a pleasant job - your hands get covered in fuel, and there are some hazards associated with working on an open fuel tank with vapour escaping, but it is not a particularly difficult job. It is time-consuming, though.

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Ford F-150 (2009-2014) :: Erratic Throttle / Surging When Moving From A Dead Stop Through Low Speeds

I have a 2009 F150 4x4, XLT crew 6.5' bed, 5.4 engine. The truck has a very strange erratic throttle behavior from a dead stop through low speeds, shifting seems very strange at low speeds too.

Dealer tried re-flashing the computer, but that didn't fix it. They talk about some valve that sounds to me like it's similar to an EGR function, but I cant remember what he called this valve. He explained the issue as exhaust gasses that are to be recirculated and burned, but the valve is opening at the wrong time, or stuck open or something so it feeds the fire so to speak.

Does any of this sound typical or common? Is this something that's hopefully easier to do than a spark plug change on a 5.4?

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Ford 7.3L Power Stroke (1999-2003) :: Surging Noise While Driving At Highway Speeds

I have a 45 min drive to work every day, all highway. Lately on the way home in the afternoon I have been experiencing a surging noise that seems to just happen while I'm doing hwy speeds. It sounds to me like the fan is tuning on and off. Is that possible? It comes on for a few min. And then off again. I have new icp ipr cps. New oil and filter and fuel filter.

Also I'm still having a battery light on and off issue while I'm driving. Is possible the two issues are connected. I plane on doing extensive search for a bad wire this weekend. Batteries and alternator have checked out and are fairly new.

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Mitsubishi - Endeavor :: Surging During Acceleration And Continual Puttering Or Bumpy Ride Feeling At High Speeds

I have a 2008 Mitsubishi Endeavor with 308,000 miles on it and am on the return portion of a road trip with 700 miles to go and my car is driving terribly. I had my oil changed today and they used a high mileage oil, said that my filters were fine and I needed to do a tranny and power steering flush which I said I would do once I got home. My service engine soon light has been on and every so often while idling or slowing down my car would putter and act as if it would bail out but never actually die. When I ran the computer it said it was an issue with the o2 sensor but after put a fuel cleaner in the system, it always felt better.

Not today I drove about 900 miles Saturday, did a little bit of in town driving Sunday and it started to putter while idling but what was new was the surging during acceleration and the continual puttering or bumpy ride feeling when I'm at high speeds and 2000 - 3000 rpms. I'm in the middle of nowhere and after talking to Autozone, my mechanics and trying to self diagnosis online, I've been told that I need to indure the bumpy ride to get home but when I do, will need to figure out what with the o2 sensor needs fixing or Ill need new spark plugs or a new fuel pump. all that sounds good but the way my car is puttering feels terrible! there's no odor, leaks or sound ... it just feels like I'm going 80 miles an hour but I'm going to stall out at the same time.

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Ford 6.0L Power Stroke Diesel :: Subtle Engine Sound Changes While Driving At Highway Speeds - Surging

I've been noticing some weird, very subtle engine sound changes while driving at highway speeds lately. Something almost like surging, but not. I don't know how to describe it. I might try to make an audio recording next time I take it out so I can explain it.

Anyway, I don't know why but ICP popped into my head. Maybe, for some reason, the engine was varying ICP causing the surging sounds.

So I hooked up AE and did a test. I've attached a screen shot.

With my idle speed actuated as high as it will go, and ICP actuated as high as it can go, I can only get a pressure of about 1450 PSI. I always thought ICP should go higher than that. I seem to recall reading somewhere around 3600 PSI.

So am I misinformed, am I reading the data wrong or do I have a problem? How high should Injector Control Pressure go? I missed it in the screen shot, but ICP is actuated to 100%.

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Chevrolet - Malibu :: 2002 Got Hot And Now Won't Start

I have an '02 malibu that got hot and now won't start I have pulled the plugs and there isn't any water in the cyliders. And none in the oil, what to check next?

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Ford F-150 - 1997-2003 :: 2002 4.2L - Surging Bad At Idle

I am having great difficulty trying to figure out why my truck is surging so bad in park or in gear at idle. I have to mat the brake while in drive to prevent me from ramming the car in front of me. It all started when I replaced the air filter. Everything I've read leads me to the EGR valve, but that has been bypassed.

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Malibu :: 2002 - Odor Of Gas And More Fuel Consumption

My 2002 6 cylinder Malibu gives an odor of gas when turning on the heater it has had a fuel pump and filter install 8 months ago and there has not been any smell until I used the heater this winter. I understand fuel consumption is more when using the heater but this is ridiculous I go around 8 or 10 miles and i've used more than a quarter of a tank.

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Chevy - Malibu :: 2002 Overheated Now Won't Start

So my Malibu overheated for the first time, and note it just won't start up..

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Malibu - Chevrolet :: 2002 Trying To Stall When At Idle

My question is what is the possible cause of my car trying to stall when it idles? Here is the scenario. There was no problem with the car this morning. I was almost out of gas and filled it up. After filling up about two miles down the road when I can to a stop sign or had to slow to an idle in traffic the car seemed like it wanted to stall. When I was driving at and speed other then idle it seemed fine. When I left work tonight the same thing. but this time when I got close to home the check engine light came on. I did check the gas cap and that seems fine. I was wondering what the possible cause could be.

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Camry :: 2002 XLE V6 3.0 Engaging / Stalling And Surging At Stop Signs

I purchased a used 2002 Camry [above model] with 99K miles on it in March, 2009. This is my 3rd Camry as the first, 1986 had 256K and the 1997 had 252K. I was very pleased with the 86 & 97 and very displeased with this new one!

I have problems with the engaging stalling, surging at stop signs as well as problems at about 40 mph.

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Camry :: 2002 Idle Surging After Throttle Body Cleaned

I recently cleaned the throttle body and now it surges up and down. Not really sure what to check next. 2002 toyota camry 4 cyl.

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Ford F-150 - 1997-2003 :: 2002 - Idle Surging When Cold

My 2002 F150 (50,000 miles) 4.2 is surging when cold. I just got done replacing the pcv valve. I noticed it was running better so I cleared the service engine light, but now is surging when the engine is cold. I live in FL so it does not get that cold like up north. The following codes were the ones that the pcu put out, P1131, P1115, P0174 and P0171. I am leaning towards changing the IAC valve and maybe the oxygen sensors.

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Malibu :: 2002 - When Take Key Out Of Ignition Switch Car Continues To Beep

Just got done installing the ignition switch on my 02 Malibu. Car starts up and runs fine, the only problem is that when I take the key out of the ignition. The car still thinks its in and continues to beep. I Checked and made sure that everything else in the car was off, and it still continues to beep and won't let me lock the car when i open the door because it believes the key is still in the ignition. I double checked and made sure all the wires were plugged in properly and still have the same issue. What is going on?

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