Problems just...... go away

[Garageaholic]

So i was driving home from work and all of a sudden the car started sputtering on the highway.. cruising and accelerating.. Then it was doing it for the rest of the day....kinda like fuel was cutting out... I also had a chattering in the front of the engine which nobody could explain (M30 by the way)... I went home, let it sit for an hour..

Then started it back up.. No sputtering anymore, no chattering. i feel like they were related, but the problem just.... went away... and it's been fine for 50 miles afterwards.. no problems whatsoever. I am perplexed beyond belief... If it's not broke, don't fix it, and after the chattering stopped and the car started to run fine again, things were great....

Should I leave it alone? do these problems just... "work their way out of the car"..

fuckin wierd..

[mattdk318i]

Sounds like good ole water in the fuel.
but that wouldnt explain the chattering. With these old cars. Its best to have that philosophy
Unless its maintainance related

[lordofthewaters]

I agree sounds like water, as for the rattling was it very loud? Sounds like valve clatter maybe?

[rede30]

remember: fuel pumps somtimes start failing and dont necessarily quit all together. With this said it probably isnt your fuel pump.

[AdironRider]

Fuck it man, if its running fine now dont worry about it.

Reminds me of my Pathfinder. I drove it for over 2 years with a busted temp guage then like a week before I sold it it just started working again.

[Garageaholic]

Hahahaa, I was actually thinking that the chattering/sputtering could be coming from the distributor.. the sound was coming from the front of the engine and a loose rotor or whatever could be bad timing.... sometimes?

How could water have gotten in my fuel system? I have filled up the car numerous times before this started... I mean, if it is water in the fuel system, then i'm really in luck bc only time and driving it will let it do it's thing and it will soon pass and take it's course...

[mattdk318i]

water in shitty Gas pumps. Get a clear milk carton and fill it up at your local Gas station
It will open your eyes to the shit you pump into your car.
Good Fuel Filters FTW

[Garageaholic]

Wow.. I fill it up with 91-93 though. Fuckin wierd... I mean. I only filled up the car 2x since i've started driving it.... EVER.. So maybe it's working out it's kinks....I'm really hoping....


What about the timing chain? could that be a source of chattering?

[Garageaholic]

Just drove it tonight for 20 minutes.... no problems whatsoever. I'm going to assume it was water in the gas.....If indeed water makes it hesitate/sputter


How often should the distributor/roter be replaced?? the car has 130,000 on it and It may be time, It idles fine though. If it needs to be replaced, would it idle rough too?

[mattdk318i]

i dont know alot about M30s but im almost 100% positive you need to change that rotor and cap tomm.
Ive got pictures of the rotor out of my 85 eta. The PO didnt even know that was a "wear" item.
So that could be your sputtering problem indeed. Id definitly check tomm.
Thats something that could leave you on the side of the road with no notice.

[lordofthewaters]

Wow.. I fill it up with 91-93 though. Fuckin wierd... I mean. I only filled up the car 2x since i've started driving it.... EVER.. So maybe it's working out it's kinks....I'm really hoping....

Thing about using the high octane pump, is that more people use the 89 and 87, so it doesn't get emptied up as fast giving it more chance to get water into the holding tank.

[92 mtechnic cabrio]

maybe you should find out if it was water in the fuel by putting more water in the tank!

[Garageaholic]

Lolol seriously? sounds interesting...But then i may fuck it up for a while...

[AdironRider]

I still say dont worry a second about it. The problems gone now. If it comes back, then you worry.

[asubimmer]

it wouldn't hurt to check for fault codes