4cyl engine sputter

The last few mornings when i start my truck i have noticed that, while the engine is cold, the first one or two times i try to accelerate the engine will sputter like its bogging down or running out of gas. When i ease off the accelerator then accelerate again it will accelerate just fine. Once i get going and the motors starts to warm up it will run just fine. I live in south louisiana so it sure as hell isnt cold here and i have not done anything to the motor lately besides change my battery a month ago. Any suggestions?

 

Sounds like it could be a bad O2 sensor.

 

That could be any number of things. Have you kept up on maintenance? Air, fuel filters, tune up, all up to date.
Check plug wires and boots for arc marks (small lines of grey discoloration). Check cap and rotor(if equipped). The inside terminals should not be excessively pitted. Check all the temp sensors. If they don't change readings from cold to hot, replace them.
O2 usually throws a code when it's bad. Check it's output when running. Precat should fluctuate around 1vdc. Post cat should be steady. (Post cat sensor fluctuation=bad cat)

Find the problem before you replace parts and you'll save yourself mucho moola. Happy hunting.

 

x2...sounds like you're ready for a tune up. Try some fuel cleaner stuff too...I use Gumout at every oil change, can't hurt.

 

Thanks for the information but a day or two after the post, the sputtering stopped and never came back, may have been bad gas or something. Since it stopped I did change my air filter to a K&N and changed my oil(all at the specified times). Last time I had a tune up was about 2 years ago so it may be time for another. Also my o2 sensor went bad about 9 months ago and I had that replaced also

 

That's good to hear...but don't ignore it. It might have been bad gas, or your truck is trying to tell you something!

Try to further narrow it down...was the weather any different when it spuddered? Was it hotter, colder, wet, dry, humid, etc. What kind of driving were you doing? Offroading, dusty desert driving, sand/salty air driving, long highway drive, lots of stop-and-go, etc.

Just something to think about so if it happens again you might be able to pinpoint the problem. For example, maybe its a rubber vacume hose that is cracked and brittle in the cold but works fine in the heat. Same is true for moisture or dirt getting into the electrical or air system...just some ideas...good luck.