Jerking, kind of misfire feeling while driving

JACKEMILLER

MEMBER
1995 SATURN SC2
1.9L
4 CYL
FWD
AUTOMATIC
120,000 MILES

I bought this car with 85k on it and it drove amazing. I started noticing that it was using oil rather quickly. I would feel it doing a jerking feeling like it was a misfire while driving down the highway. When I slowed down to pull into my driveway I heard it ticking so I checked the oil and it was low. I have kept an eye on the oil level ever since then. Within the last couple weeks it has gone from doing it when it was low on oil to doing it all the time now. I had a GM tech give me advice and he said that it sounds like the lifters are messing up because it was low on oil and arent staying primed. Wondering if I could get some help with this

6 Replies

JACKEMILLER

MEMBER
4 POSTS

Also I have put new plugs and wires on the vehicle

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Tuesday, June 23rd, 2015 AT 6:55 AM

SATURNTECH9

MECHANIC
30,869 POSTS

I have seen the early twin cam saturn engine lifters not stay primed but that was from sitting over night. That caused a hard start no start. Are they clicking all the time now even with full oil level?I have seen the pcv hose colapse or get holes in them and cause those symptoms on the 1995 and up single cam saturn engines. Also a sticking egr valve can cause issues. Has your check engine light came on while your driving?

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Tuesday, June 23rd, 2015 AT 7:31 AM

JACKEMILLER

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4 POSTS

I havent heard them click unless it was low on oil. Even idling they dont tick or make any kind of noise. It does the "surging" or "misfire" feeling only while driving, whether it be at low speeds or highway speeds. Other than that the car runs pretty good to be 20 years old. I do believe the check engine light is on. I just have to find an OBD one connector and hook up to it and check to see what codes are present. So you think the lifters being run low on oil wouldnt have caused them to score or become faulty? I dont know if I mentioned it but it is a twin cam engine.

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Tuesday, June 23rd, 2015 AT 7:41 AM

SATURNTECH9

MECHANIC
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I really doubt its a lifter issue I haven't seen any of the lifters cause a drivability issue. Just some of the early lifters on the twin cams like 1991-1993 after sitting over night cause a really hard start. You could have bad spark plug wires or a sticking egr valve. You can flash the codes out of the check engine light.

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Tuesday, June 23rd, 2015 AT 9:59 PM

JACKEMILLER

MEMBER
4 POSTS

Ok I really appreciate that. Like I said they dont make any noise unless its low on oil and it did this feeling while it was low on oil so I thought that maybe the lifters got messed up while low and were doing it all the time now. I will flash the codes out of it and check all the vacuum lines along with the EGR valve, PCV and plug wires.