1994 3000GT VR4 Shuddering problem

JJB1702

MEMBER
1994 ALL OTHER MAKES ALL OTHER MODELS

Hi, I have a 1994 3000GT VR4 6sp manual with around 77000 miles. Under acceleration the car will shudder (shake, seems to cut out, feels like something is slipping). It's at its worst when at a low RPM, especially in the higher gears. I thought maybe the viscous coupling was slipping. Then, just recently, the turbo trouble light started coming on when the car is cold. Now it stays on most of the time. It doesn't seem to run any differently since the light came on, but got me thinking maybe it's a turbo problem instead. The boost gauge pegs at max when the throttle is opened up. It had its 60000 mile service at about 56500. It's smooth when cruising. It doesn't seem to have as much top-end power as it used to (probably the turbo problem). Can't think of anything else. Do you think I just need to replace the turbos, or could it be something else? Any ideas? Thanks.

1 Reply

DRGNFYRE

MEMBER
5 POSTS

I just got rid of my '93 VR4 which had just a bit over 67K miles on it. If I am thinking of your problem correctly, my car had an issue (just developed a few months before I got rid of it) that if I was crusing below 2,000 RPM and stepped on the gas, the car would 'stutter' where it seemed like the enging was skipping/missing and once I got above 2,000 RPM it would be fine (didn't notice it in 1st or 2nd gear reallly). I would always drive at low RPM's in higher gears to help save gas (and to keep me from speeding), and never noticed this prior. Went to the shop that did my tune-up, and he said I was getting carbon build up on the inside of the plug connection end of the wire. He cleaned off some carbon and it helped, but it never went away totally (noticed if I would go and re-seat the wires at the distributor connection by pushing down it would help, but the problem always returned). Not sure if this helps, but my shop said it was carbon build up, although I never got to the point where I was going to ask him to replace the wires (but it would have been my next step).