Motor hesitation at low RPM for few seconds when first started...

[ArlyDude]

Hello, I posted about this before and I believe I tried everything people told me. Here is the story. My 97 GTS after she is warmed up and I shut her off for a few minutes, then when I turn her on and pull out she gargles in 1st gear for about 15 seconds until I really gas it, then it goes away until I let her cool down and restart it. Then the same thing all over again. I replaced the TPS and that made the car idle like [******] and I don't think it fixed the problem anyway.

So if anyone has any input on what else I could try it would be helpful, also why when i replaced my TPS did the car idle at a much higher RPM? Also, when I was driving around town, the idle was stay at like 1500RPM when in neutral until I revved the motor up, then it would go back to the normal 500-700. Thanks.

 

[Steve-Indy]

Have you checked your intake manifold gasket?

Some 1997's had a problem with this, replaced ubder a TSB and all was well. This was the case with our 97...MY favorite Viper !!!

Good luck, and please keep us posted.

 

[ArlyDude]

I'm not much of a car knowledgable person. How can I check the intake gasket? Do I have to take the manifold off?

 

[Jeff Torrey]

The Intake Manifold is the Red Assembly on top of your motor. With the Valve Covers on either side of it. Over time the bolts that hold the intake to the Engine Block/Heads can loosen up. I check them about every 4 months and torque them back down.

The other things that can cause the same situation are tune up issues like:

Spark Plugs
Plug Wires
O2 Sensors

Having a shop manual with help with torque specs, etc. If your unsure about these things I would have a mechanic do it for you. Doesn't have to be a Viper Tech, as long as it's someone you trust.

Good Luck

 

[GTSJERRY]

My 96 GTS would hesitate really bad when the engine was cold and would jump and go at about half throttle, i ended up replacing one of my front o2 sensors. If you dont have a scanner to see o2 reading i would replace both up stream o2 sensors.

 

[ArlyDude]

I have the scanner. It came on before and said Bank 1 Sensor 1 P0132 Circuit High Volts. I replaced the O2 Sensor on the driver's side of the motor. It has yet to come on again, but I still have the hesitation. It has to be a sensor or something.

 

[Steve-Indy]

ArlyDude said: " Also, when I was driving around town, the idle was stay at like 1500RPM when in neutral until I revved the motor up, then it would go back to the normal 500-700"...and, that was the first symptom with many of the failed intake manifold gaskets on 1997 Vipers. If you are not sure about the gasket's integrity on inspection, it might be of benefit to ask a Viper Tech to look at it.

You may wish to read this thread...note my quote from JonB's post:

http://vca2.viperclub.org/forums/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Board=UBB14&Number=386769&page=&view=&sb=5&o=&vc=1

 

[ArlyDude]

That only happened when I put the new TPS in. When I put the old one back in, it idle'd and drove perfectly normal except for the usual hesitation when first started up.

 

[Steve-Indy]

I forgot to ask if you saw anything abnormal when you checked around the IM gasket...I remember that ours had "sucked in" the gasket at a couple of locations.

Sounds like the idle hang gone...agree, that IM may not be the problem.

 

[BIGBADCJ]

Whats the temp outside?