1995 Pontiac Bonneville Stumbling during acceleration

1995 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE
Avatar
JZELLER
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
Engine Performance problem
1995 Pontiac Bonneville 6 cyl Front Wheel Drive Automatic 123k miles

My Bonneville will run fine but stumbles when going up a hill or during acceleration while cruising at highway speeds. If I go into passing gear it will smooth out. Sometimes it gets so bad the fuel pump in the gas tank hums pretty lowd (can be heard over the A/C & radio). I checked the fuel pressure and it was fine. The fuel pump was changed a few years ago and tune-ups are done regularly (including air & fuel filter).
Jul 11, 2009 at 5:31 PM
Advertisement
Avatar
RASMATAZ
  • CAR REPAIR CONTRIBUTOR
  • 75,992 POSTS
1995 Pontiac Bonneville Stumbling during acceleration

Possible Causes of Engine Hesitating or Stumbling

Dirty fuel injectors (cleaning the injectors often fixes this).
Bad MAP (manifold absolute pressure) sensor
Bad TPS (throttle position) sensor
Bad or dirty MAF (mass airflow) sensor
Low fuel pressure (leaky fuel pressure regulator or weak fuel pump)
Vacuum leaks (intake manifold, vacuum hoses, throttle body, EGR valve)
Bad gasoline (fuel contaminated with water or too much alcohol)

Sometimes, what feels like a hesitation is actually ignition misfire rather than lean misfire. The causes of ignition misfire may include:

Dirty or worn spark plugs
Bad plug wires
Weak ignition coil
Wet plug wires
Jul 11, 2009 at 7:59 PM
Repair Safety Notice: This information is for general instructional purposes only. Vehicle repair can be dangerous. Verify all information, follow manufacturer service procedures, use proper tools and safety equipment, and consult a qualified repair shop when needed.