Random jerking drop in acceleration while driving

I have a 97 Tacoma with a new 2.7l engine and low miles transmission.

When I’m driving at any speed my truck stutters, jerks, drops in acceleration.

It feels like it’s misfiring, no codes. Are being thrown.

It has new spark plugs and coolant temperature sensor.

 

fuel filter and or fuel pump is what I would suspect. Put a filter on it first.

 

You need to do some houskeeping on your throttle body.

 

Plug wires? How long since last replaced?

 

It won't stutter if you have it in neutral and raise the rpm to where you'd see it stuttering while driving?

 

Typically plug wires will throw a code.

 

At any rate : Clean your throttle body it needs it regardless

 

My truck has new plugs and wires.
My throttle body is clean as a whistle.

Tonight I was driving, and It threw a code. It threw a code for a throttle position sensor.

My question is, could a throttle position sensor cause all that jerking and stalling feeling.

 

Doesn't seem impossible - can you replicate the stutter while the truck is parked and giving it gas?

 

Yes it could was it an 0500 code?

 

Could also be your MAF sensor

 

It was The ( throttle position sensor) it just took a long time for my truck to throw that code.

 

Where is that nugget located on the tacoma?

 

Fuel filter could be the issue. It wouldn't hurt to do a tune up depending on when was the last time you had one.

 

yes the throttle position sensor can cause the bucking issue. The PCM will get confusing signals as to how much fuel to inject and how far to advance the ignition timing... the TPS says the throttle is open 20%, based on the voltage, but the MAF sensor says that it is flowing a differernt amount of air.

 

I know you said you have new plugs, but on my 3.4 I had the exact same thing going on as you and it was a cracked spark plug. I had the dealership replace the spark plugs and a couple of days later it was bucking and stalling. I was convinced the transmission (auto) was slipping, etc.
Took it to the dealer and it turned out the tech had over tightened one of the spark plugs and it cracked.
Check engine light never came on, and I have the Ultragauge installed.

 

Symptoms of a bad throttle position sensor

1. Your check engine light is on. The engine’s computer has built-in logic that monitors the TPS feedback to make sure it matches up with information sent by other engine sensors. A faulty TPS can set a trouble code in the computer if the voltage value is either not present, sporadic, slow or constant, and this can illuminate your check engine light.

2. Your engine has little or no acceleration. If the TPS fails to send the proper data back to the computer, the correct fuel calculations can’t be made. With some engines, other sensors are able to compensate and provide a guess at how much fuel is needed, but this usually causes the engine to accelerate poorly or sporadically. In other instances, the car will not accelerate at all.

3. Your car bucks or jerks violently. TPS units sometimes fail in a way that causes the voltage signal sent back to the engine’s computer to be sporadic. This can feel like you are quickly applying and releasing the gas pedal.

4. Your engine surges and stalls out. A failing TPS can cause the engine to search for an idle or surge. This is most noticeable when at idle, when on the highway with the cruise control set, or when keeping the throttle steady with your foot. You will notice your RPM gauge fluctuating up and down quickly or hear the engine revving up and down on its own. If not repaired immediately, this can eventually cause the engine to die out.

5. Your engine starts and dies immediately. A failing TPS can cause a condition where your engine starts, runs briefly, but then dies out. In some cases, you can keep the car running by pressing the accelerator pedal down slightly, but this isn’t recommended.

6. You start getting worse fuel economy.Sometimes a TPS can fail slowly over time and report a slightly incorrect value to the computer. This isn’t enough to set off a check engine light or cause a noticeable running issue, but can contribute to poor fuel economy.

7. Your car goes into limp-home mode. In some cases, a failing or faulty TPS can cause the engine to go into what’s called limp-home mode. This is a safety feature that recognizes a faulty sensor that could cause damage to the engine or drivetrain. In this situation, you will experience reduced engine power, and you may be stuck in a higher gear. This will get you off the highway and allow you to drive a few miles to a repair facility, but you shouldn’t drive any more than needed. A check engine light will be illuminated in this mode as well.

 

Anybody actually solve this issue? I have a 3.4 thats been doing the weird accel. It’ll surge up and down a little only n accel. But not in higher rpm or higher speeds, only between 0 and 40mph.. ive put new plugs, wires, new timing belt and pulleys, new fuel filter, cleaned the maf, throttle body, tps (both of em) ohmed out the throttle motor, live data says tps is correct at 11% idle and 74% wot. Ohmed out the coils and igniter, compression is all 180 +\- 2psi, timing is right, belt tensions are right. Only thing is it didnt throw a dtc but the fill up before last it did the thing where it would not take any gas in the tank no matter how slow i went. But i tested all vents , the whole charcoal canister and egr system: valves and all were operating as they should and no clogs. Then issue went away with gas fill but accel issue remains.. now i do smell what smells like old gas around it after driving for a bit but thing that’s the egr stuff.. oh and i replaced tranny filter and fluid so its topped off for sure, fresh oil, valve cover gaskets so no oil leaks or sludge, new intake mani gaskets, all grease fittings greased,ran fuel system cleaner/ injector cleaner and seafoam through it, no vacuum leaks. What am i missing? Fuel pump? Maybe.. throttle body itself.. maybe too.. ecu got the aids. Maybe three.. tps is on drugs. Possible.. interference on coils,. Could be.. truck has been possessed by the evil spirit of tah coomer.. not likely.. subconsciously fluctuating the gas pedal purposely. I doubt it, i dont do drugs anymore.. much.. but i cant figure it out.. my parts cannon is out of gun powder..

 

Yeah it could be the fuel pump - how long has it been happening and is it the original pump?

 

No clue if pumps ever been replaced or not but its done it ever since i got the truck. Sometimes it does it worse than other times.. after it warms up it seems to get a bit better i think but does it especially when motors cold still. Or maybe im just thinking about it more at first.. but even warm it will still be noticeable from takeoff every time.. reminds me of like when somebody takes off in a manual and doesnt hit the gas right making the car do the shaky thing as they speed up. Except it does it all the way up until you hit certain speeds…