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Bogging Down when pressing the gas pedal

14K views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  QuicksilverDon 
#1 ·
This is occuring with my girl friend's 2003 PT Cruiser (non-turbo). The problem just started today. The engine idle's just find but as soon as the gas pedal is pressed down the engine bogs down as if it were not getting enough gas. The engine dies if the pedal is not released. If you press the pedal very slowly the engine will rev up slowly (this is how i got the car home). However, when the i am pressing the pedal to accelerate there is a noise that sounds like a starter grinding. I have the car at home now and am trying to troubleshoot the problem but am not coming up with any real solution. If someone knows what to do i would be very thankful.
 
#2 ·
I don't have an answer but sure hope someone does as we are having the same problem. Got it to our mechanic and, as usual, he there are no codes. Within w few hours it is fine again. This has been going one for years. About every 4 months it just dies. Same symptoms and never any codes.
 
#3 ·
I had a Neon would do that. I'd change ignition wires and it would disappear for several thousands of miles...
 
#4 ·
I have a similar problem on my 05 Convertible 5 speed but not as bad. When I down shift to go around a corner it doesn't want to pick up speed again, or if I down shift to go up a hill on the hiway it will do the same thing. For about 2-3 seconds then it will go ahead and pick up speed and be okay.
On your problem, it sounds like it is running lean. It doesn't have the fuel to make the power. Two causes for this, one the fuel pump is weak and not getting enough fuel to the injectors. This will not throw a code, there is not pressure gauge on the fuel for the computer to check. I have a separate fuel pump with a long hose on it and speaker wire I can put in the passenger floor in a gallon container of fuel. Refrigerator jugs from Wal-Mart work great, small hole in top, gallon capacity. You can hose clamp the line to the fuel rail, be sure to take the fuel pump relay out so you don't spray fuel everywhere. I then connect the speaker wire to the battery to run the fuel pump. It works great to check fuel pumps and to get cars home or move them around when the fuel pump does go bad. You could take the car for a test drive and see if it fixes the problem. The kind and make of the fuel pump doesn't matter. I don't use the whole assembly, I just use the pump inside the assembly. It is about 1 1/4" in diameter and about 6" long with battery leads and a 5/16" hose barb on one end. They are pretty much the same on all Chrysler cars. I got mine out of a salvage yard. Works great.

Item #2 is that the O2 sensor, especially the one in the manifold is stuck rich. This makes the computer try to lean the system out when it really isn't lean to start with. You might try unplugging it and see if it makes a difference. It will still run, just throw a code. I think if it doesn't get a reading it will fault to rich to keep from damaging the engine. Which, should make it run incredibly better than it is now.
 
#5 ·
Couple of other places to look on the normally aspirated models (non-turbos) is the Plugs. The plug wires don't get as hot and don't hold as much juice as in the turbo models, but you might want to pull them one at a time, check both boots to make sure they are not cracked or split. Make sure the wires are pliable and don't have any scortch marks on them, that would indicate they were shorting against something like the manifold or valve cover.

Usually this problem is a simple indication of a fouled or burnt plug, where up at RPM's it works fine but pull that down and throw a lower charge across it and it just don't carry it as well.
 
#6 ·
I just read on another forum of someone who's PT would bog down - it ended up being a clogged catalytic converter. 8*
 
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