Transmission? Stalling? Loss of power?

[cgwidrick]

So whenever I drive my 1990 festiva it does this weird thing where it'll be driving just fine and then it will suddenly start jerking.. The rpm's are usually bouncing back and forth between 3 and 4000. I'm not changing the pressure on the gas pedal but it feels like I'm braking and gassing repeatedly. A buddy of mine said that the gears were slipping but I wanna be sure before I replaced the tranny. Any ideas of what it could be?

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

[eurotiva]

Manual or auto?
How many miles?

I'm guessing auto...
Have you checked the trans fluid levels?

I know it seems simple, but it's very important.

[shadetree]

Plugs , wires , cap , button ,fuel filter , air filter . Gas old , water in gas .
This should all be checked and confirmed good before the ? Is asked . Not always the case .

[WmWatt]

Can you put the front end on stands? Running the engine with the drive wheels off the ground and the car in gear(s) and in neutral could help locate the problem.
PS does it do it with the engine cold or only when warmed up? At idle or under load or both? Going uphill and down and when stopped?

[ricko1966]

Gears do not slip and if it is an auto they don't engine break because the are low on fluid. I would check the air boot to the airflow meter and the wiring to the air flow meter.I low would shake all wiring with engine running and see if I could cause a stumble.I will try not to make this too wordy but more than once when I was working at the dealership I got cars that when you accelerated all was good tell the engine rocked far enough that it opened a break in a wire or air boot or grounded a bare wire the engine fell on its face you flew forward the engine fell forward the problem was gone the car accelerated opened the break fell repeat repeat repeat.And it can happen fast . I've actually found this problem power braking autos or rocking the engine with a big pry bar on manuals, once it was a wire touching a pulley at just the right position of the engine dead short engine falls problem gone engine rocks shorts out get the picture.

[cgwidrick]

Can you put the front end on stands? Running the engine with the drive wheels off the ground and the car in gear(s) and in neutral could help locate the problem.
PS does it do it with the engine cold or only when warmed up? At idle or under load or both? Going uphill and down and when stopped?

It will do it anytime. Cold, after driving for a while, on flat stretches of road, on hills, down hills

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

[scitzz]

Never answered auto or manual. Also check the Throttle Position Sensor.

[cgwidrick]

Never answered auto or manual. Also check the Throttle Position Sensor.

Auto

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

[jaketlong11]

low fluid

[scitzz]

Could be slipping, depends on what you mean by "braking and gassing." If it literally loses power like stepping on the brake, probably not. If it feels like it slips into neutral and back into drive repeatedly, then that is classic slipping.

[cgwidrick]

Could be slipping, depends on what you mean by "braking and gassing." If it literally loses power like stepping on the brake, probably not. If it feels like it slips into neutral and back into drive repeatedly, then that is classic slipping.

It feels more like I'm stepping on the brake but I'm not. Beginning to think it's more electrical

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk