Cuts Out, Misses
Checks 
 | Action 
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DEFINITION: A steady pulsation
or   jerking that increases with the engine speed. The condition is usually
   more pronounced  when the engine load              increases. 
 | 
Preliminary 
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|     •  |  Search the service bulletins. |  
  
 | 
Fuel System 
 | Check for the following
conditions: 
|     •  | Check for a restricted fuel filter. |  
  
|     •  | Conditions which can cause an engine to run rich, indicating that
the long-term fuel trim is significantly in the negative range--Refer
    to Diagnostic Aids for 
DTC P0172 
       . |  
  
|     •  | Conditions which can cause an engine to run lean, indicating that
the long-term fuel trim is significantly in the positive range--Refer
    to Diagnostic Aids for            
DTC P0171 
   . |  
  
|     •  | Check for fuel in the fuel pressure regulator vacuum hose. |  
  
 | 
Sensor/System 
 | Check for the following conditions: 
|     •  | The oxygen sensor (O2S 1)--The O2S 1 should
quickly respond to the different throttle positions. If it does not respond,
    check the O2S 1 for silicon, or for  other     contaminants from
  the   fuel, or from the use of an improper RTV sealant.      The     sensor
   may       have a white powdery coating. Silicon contamination      causes
      a   high  but false     O2S 1 signal voltage, indicating a rich
  exhaust   indication.      The     PCM will  reduce the amount     of fuel
  that is  delivered  to the engine,     causing     a  severe driveability
   problem.  |  
  
|     •  | Proper operation of the following components: |  
  
|        -  | The manifold absolute pressure (MAP) sensor.  Refer to 
DTC P0105 
. |  
  
|        -  | The throttle position (TP) sensor. Refer to 
DTC P0105 
. |  
  
 | 
Ignition System 
 | Check for the following conditions: 
|     •  | Proper ignition voltage output--Use the J 36012-A 
 Spark Plug Jumper   Wires and the J 26792 
 Spark  Tester,    or equivalent. |  
  
|     •  | Check the spark plugs for the following conditions: |  
  
|        -  | Fuel-fouled spark plugs |  
  
|        -  | Improper spark plug gap |  
  
|     •  | If the spark plugs are fuel or oil-fouled, determine the cause
of the fouling before you replace the spark plugs. |  
  
|     •  | The ignition control module (ICM) for proper ground connection |  
  
|     •  | The ignition coils for cracks or carbon tracking |  
  
|     •  | The internal and external ignition coil housing  for cracks and
for carbon tracking |  
  
 | 
Engine Mechanical 
 | Check for the following conditions: 
|     •  | Excessive oil in the combustion chamber, caused by leaking valve
seals |  
  
|     •  | Low cylinder compression |  
  
|     •  | Incorrect basic engine parts--Inspect the following components: |  
  
Refer to 
Symptoms - Engine Mechanical 
 in Engine Mechanical 2.2 L
(L61). 
 | 
Additional Checks 
 | 
|     •  | Check the exhaust system for possible restrictions. Check for
the   following conditions: |  
  
|        -  | Inspect the exhaust system for damaged pipes, or for collapsed
pipes. |  
  
|        -  | Inspect the mufflers for heat distress, or for possible internal
failure. |  
  
|        -  | Inspect for a plugged 3-way catalytic converter. Refer to 
Restricted Exhaust 
 in Engine Exhaust. |  
  
|     •  | Electromagnetic interference (EMI) on the reference circuit can
cause an engine miss condition. You can usually detect EMI by monitoring 
    the engine RPM with a scan tool. A sudden increase in the RPM, with little
          change        in the actual engine RPM change indicates that EMI
 is    present.   If    a  problem   exists,      check  the routing for the
 following    components: |  
  
|        -  | The secondary ignition wires |  
  
|        -  | The high-voltage components, near the ignition control circuits |  
  
|     •  | The following conditions can cause an intermittent connection: |  
  
|        -  | Poor electrical connections |  
  
|        -  | Rubbed through wire insulation |  
  
|        -  | Broken wire inside the insulation |  
  
|     •  | Thoroughly check any circuitry that you suspect of causing an
intermittent complaint for the following conditions: |  
  
|        -  | Improper terminal mating |  
  
|        -  | Improperly-formed terminals |  
  
|        -  | Poor terminal-to-wire electrical connections |  
  
|        -  | A damaged wiring harness |  
  
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