So got in my car today and all of a sudden noticed a sputter while idling .Was very subtle at first but has started doing it somewhat frequently .the sound is coming from the exhaust, almost like a spitting/hiccup kind of sound. Not super loud . Need ideas on what it could be .

Maybe spark plugs/ignition coil? I was reading around and saw where some had said throttle body or maf, but the car seems to drive fine once not idling, just seems to be slight power loss. Haven't had a chance to dig in yet as working the next three days .any suggestions?

 

Sure, check for any ECM or BCM codes held in memory. If none found, get a few dyno pulls to verify this power loss.

 

Unfortunately I practically have zero access to a dyno lol. It's more so the cars more sluggish at low gears, and the rpm seems to fluctuate when idling

 

First thing to check is grounds and whether the ground connections are clean and non-corroded. Do you have the capability to check for codes?

 

I had been having some electrical issues with 2 of the three waterfall gauges after a new head unit install, but I've driven it for over a week without any kind of sputtering since then .the codes are for an 02 sensor high voltage, and another code for a small evap leak which popped up like 2 days prior

 

Between the new head unit, 150K mileage and replaced engine, there's bound to be plenty of potential for electrical problems. Good luck.

 

A puzzle and not a fun one

 

So replaced two coils and all plugs on my 350z, cranked it and still getting sputtering .did a power test, all of a sudden cylinder 2 is now not making a sound when I unplugged it with the car running. Pulled the plug and it smelled like gas, plugged the spark plugs into the same coil, and arced it on the bar and the spark plugs sparked. So any suggestions? All of a sudden I'm getting codes for a throttle position sensor, could my throttle body be affecting it? Anyways on how to test it? I'm at a loss so any info is helpful

 

Do you have a decent scope to perform a test with? Can you perform a relative compression test and know how to interpret the results? If not, you might want to take the car to a shop. If you can and have access to a labscope, we can help to walk you through what you need to do.

As for the TPS codes, which codes exactly are popping up?

 

I ended up putting it in the shop the next day. Still there unfortunately .Cylinder 2 lost compression and now they're gonna have to tear into it to see what's wrong with it

 

Crap dude, that sucks. I hope it's fixable.

 

So what was the issue with your car??