1998 Riv jerking when crusing and also accelerating

Hi everyone,

I have a 1998 Riv with around 175k on it. I noticed recently the car likes to jerk. I'll have cruise control on going 60MPH, the car will make a big jerk and the cruise will turn off. It happens with and without cruise control on. It also happens when I'm accelerating, just less so. Happens at all speeds as well, not just high speeds.

Anyone have any idea? Please don't tell me my tranny is going.

18tyweslow wrote:

Hi everyone,

I have a 1998 Riv with around 175k on it. I noticed recently the car likes to jerk. I'll have cruise control on going 60MPH, the car will make a big jerk and the cruise will turn off. It happens with and without cruise control on. It also happens when I'm accelerating, just less so. Happens at all speeds as well, not just high speeds.

Have you noticed the RPMs going up, and then a big bang? Does it jerk in reverse? From a take off?

I have not noticed it jerking in reverse or take off. It’s normally just cruising. It jerks a tiny tiny bit when I’m giving it a lot of gas when already moving, for example on a 35 road turning on to an onramp. I have not noticed anything strange with the RPMs.

Does it stutter when you get on it, like misfire?

18tyweslow wrote:

I have not noticed it jerking in reverse or take off. It’s normally just cruising. It jerks a tiny tiny bit when I’m giving it a lot of gas when already moving, for example on a 35 road turning on to an onramp. I have not noticed anything strange with the RPMs.

The reason I asked is to rule out the transmission

Ignition control module starting to fail perhaps?

18tyweslow wrote:

Hi everyone,

I have a 1998 Riv with around 175k on it. I noticed recently the car likes to jerk. I'll have cruise control on going 60MPH, the car will make a big jerk and the cruise will turn off. It happens with and without cruise control on. It also happens when I'm accelerating, just less so. Happens at all speeds as well, not just high speeds.

Anyone have any idea? Please don't tell me my tranny is going.

Is the Check Engine or Service Engine Soon light on, and if so did you read the codes and what are they.

Does "jerk" mean sudden acceleration or sudden loss of power?

It is quite important to know whether you have or haven't a code set. If you have a code set, it is important to know what it is. A set code may indicate a failure in some other component.

What I would actually do: connect a Tech II or other comprehensive scanner (on my Riv I generally use CarCode and a laptop) and take a driving log of the (entire) OBD II data stream until experiencing the problem, then limp back to the shop and read the log (and review the car's maintenance history) to see what the data pattern points to.

Albertj

albertj wrote:

18tyweslow wrote:

Hi everyone,

I have a 1998 Riv with around 175k on it. I noticed recently the car likes to jerk. I'll have cruise control on going 60MPH, the car will make a big jerk and the cruise will turn off. It happens with and without cruise control on. It also happens when I'm accelerating, just less so. Happens at all speeds as well, not just high speeds.

Anyone have any idea? Please don't tell me my tranny is going.

Is the Check Engine or Service Engine Soon light on, and if so did you read the codes and what are they.  

Does "jerk" mean sudden acceleration or sudden loss of power?

It is quite important to know whether you have or haven't a code set.  If you have a code set, it is important to know what it is.  A set code may indicate a failure in some other component.

What I would actually do:  connect a Tech II or other comprehensive scanner (on my Riv I generally use CarCode and a laptop) and take a driving log of the (entire) OBD II data stream until experiencing the problem, then limp back to the shop and read the log (and review the car's maintenance history) to see what the data pattern points to.

Albertj

No, it has no check engine light on. I've scanned it and no codes are being thrown.

Off the top of my head I suspect the crank sensor or the ignition switch. What do the rest of you think?

18tyweslow wrote:

albertj wrote:

18tyweslow wrote:

Hi everyone,

I have a 1998 Riv with around 175k on it. I noticed recently the car likes to jerk. I'll have cruise control on going 60MPH, the car will make a big jerk and the cruise will turn off. It happens with and without cruise control on. It also happens when I'm accelerating, just less so. Happens at all speeds as well, not just high speeds.

Anyone have any idea? Please don't tell me my tranny is going.

Is the Check Engine or Service Engine Soon light on, and if so did you read the codes and what are they.  

Does "jerk" mean sudden acceleration or sudden loss of power?

It is quite important to know whether you have or haven't a code set.  If you have a code set, it is important to know what it is.  A set code may indicate a failure in some other component.

What I would actually do:  connect a Tech II or other comprehensive scanner (on my Riv I generally use CarCode and a laptop) and take a driving log of the (entire) OBD II data stream until experiencing the problem, then limp back to the shop and read the log (and review the car's maintenance history) to see what the data pattern points to.

Albertj

No, it has no check engine light on. I've scanned it and no codes are being thrown.

It sounds like misfire to me. Very easy to rule misfire out by using a decent (not expensive) scan tool. OBD2 has a misfire monitor for each cylinder. It keeps a running count for each cylinder. It will not light the CEL unless it is severe or often enough. If you see a single cylinder misfiring, suspect that wire or spark plug. If a pair of companion cylinders are misfiring (1-4, 2-5, 3-6), suspect that coil. The OP needs to do some scan tool diagnostics first. It could also be Torque Converter Clutch problems as well. Very difficult to diagnose this over the internet. Other than that, we can just guess, and the OP will replace parts he may not have to, and waste money.

LARRY70GS wrote:

It sounds like misfire to me.  Very easy to rule misfire out by using a decent (not expensive) scan tool.  OBD2 has a misfire monitor for each cylinder.  It keeps a running count for each cylinder.  It will not light the CEL unless it is severe or often enough.  If you see a single cylinder misfiring, suspect that wire or spark plug.  If a pair of companion cylinders are misfiring (1-4, 2-5, 3-6), suspect that coil.  The OP needs to do some scan tool diagnostics first.  It could also be Torque Converter Clutch problems as well.  Very difficult to diagnose this over the internet. Other than that, we can just guess, and the OP will replace parts he may not have to, and waste money.

+1 this.

albertj wrote:

LARRY70GS wrote:

It sounds like misfire to me.  Very easy to rule misfire out by using a decent (not expensive) scan tool.  OBD2 has a misfire monitor for each cylinder.  It keeps a running count for each cylinder.  It will not light the CEL unless it is severe or often enough.  If you see a single cylinder misfiring, suspect that wire or spark plug.  If a pair of companion cylinders are misfiring (1-4, 2-5, 3-6), suspect that coil.  The OP needs to do some scan tool diagnostics first.  It could also be Torque Converter Clutch problems as well.  Very difficult to diagnose this over the internet. Other than that, we can just guess, and the OP will replace parts he may not have to, and waste money.

+1 this.

LARRY70GS wrote:

It sounds like misfire to me.  Very easy to rule misfire out by using a decent (not expensive) scan tool.  OBD2 has a misfire monitor for each cylinder.  It keeps a running count for each cylinder.  It will not light the CEL unless it is severe or often enough.  If you see a single cylinder misfiring, suspect that wire or spark plug.  If a pair of companion cylinders are misfiring (1-4, 2-5, 3-6), suspect that coil.  The OP needs to do some scan tool diagnostics first.  It could also be Torque Converter Clutch problems as well.  Very difficult to diagnose this over the internet. Other than that, we can just guess, and the OP will replace parts he may not have to, and waste money.

LARRY70GS wrote:

Does it stutter when you get on it, like misfire?

Hiya guys, just giving a quick update.. I did some testing on the coilpacks and found that one of them was acting a little strange with the test I did with a little device that tests if a wire is live or not. I went out on a whim and tried replacing it, and viola! No more misfiring and jerking!

18tyweslow wrote:

albertj wrote:

LARRY70GS wrote:

It sounds like misfire to me.  Very easy to rule misfire out by using a decent (not expensive) scan tool.  OBD2 has a misfire monitor for each cylinder.  It keeps a running count for each cylinder.  It will not light the CEL unless it is severe or often enough.  If you see a single cylinder misfiring, suspect that wire or spark plug.  If a pair of companion cylinders are misfiring (1-4, 2-5, 3-6), suspect that coil.  The OP needs to do some scan tool diagnostics first.  It could also be Torque Converter Clutch problems as well.  Very difficult to diagnose this over the internet. Other than that, we can just guess, and the OP will replace parts he may not have to, and waste money.

+1 this.

LARRY70GS wrote:

It sounds like misfire to me.  Very easy to rule misfire out by using a decent (not expensive) scan tool.  OBD2 has a misfire monitor for each cylinder.  It keeps a running count for each cylinder.  It will not light the CEL unless it is severe or often enough.  If you see a single cylinder misfiring, suspect that wire or spark plug.  If a pair of companion cylinders are misfiring (1-4, 2-5, 3-6), suspect that coil.  The OP needs to do some scan tool diagnostics first.  It could also be Torque Converter Clutch problems as well.  Very difficult to diagnose this over the internet. Other than that, we can just guess, and the OP will replace parts he may not have to, and waste money.

LARRY70GS wrote:

Does it stutter when you get on it, like misfire?

Hiya guys, just giving a quick update.. I did some testing on the coilpacks and found that one of them was acting a little strange with the test I did with a little device that tests if a wire is live or not. I went out on a whim and tried replacing it, and viola! No more misfiring and jerking!

Looks like Larry almost nailed it, way to go. +1 to the OP for checking the coils.