I have a 98 Cavalier with 22,500 miles on it that I bought used about
6 months ago (it had about 17000 miles on it then). Shortly after I
bought it, it developed a problem where it would start fine, but when
I put it into gear it would sputter heavily for a few seconds but pick
up and run fine afterward. A few times it actually stalled. This only
happens when I start it cold (ie, when the car has been sitting for a
long time) and happens both in the summer and winter. If it does
stall, it starts right back up (it might crank once or twice more than
normal before starting, but it does start without a problem) and has
no problems what-so-ever. I can immediately put it into gear and drive
away. Similarly, if the car is already warm it will start and run
fine. If I let the car warm up for a minute and a half, it has no
problems, but a five year old car with 22.5k miles on it shouldn't
need warmed up for a minute and a half in the middle of summer,
right?!??

Obviously this car did a lot of sitting without running during it's
life as the previous owner, I was told, was an older man that didn't
drive much (hence the reason why it has so little millage on it).
Perhaps this is to blame? Any help would be appriciated. This is
getting frustrating.

I assume, unless the car has been driven around the beach or alot of dust,
your air filter and pcv valve are okay. Based on its age, who drove it
before you, and based on my recent with my gas filter, I would have the gas
filter changed. Also, I hate to suggest this, but you may have a faulty
fuel pump or a leaking injector. My wife had a '95 Cavalier which required
a new injector around 60,000 miles. Her's would start, but we would get
some hesitation on putting it in gear and after turning the car off you
would start smelling gas a few minutes later. However, start with the
small stuff before moving into the fuel pump and injector, which are both
relatively expensive, especially the fuel pump.. The engine temperature
sensor is another thing to look at. Try running a bottle or two of injector
cleaner through it.



"Baughb" <hailtiki2 (AT) axcess (DOT) net> wrote