Engine keeps hesitating

My daughter bought a 1997 Dodge Stratus with 2.5 L back in August. I replace the sparkplugs, wires, distributor, cap and rotor too.

I drove it and found that when the engine is not up to normal temperature there is no hesitation but when it does there is a bad hesitation. When I start from a stop there is a bad hesitation for about a couple seconds and then it will take off.

I used the check engine light and it gave me code 25 IAC valve circuits I also used a scan tool it gave me a P1294 fuel air metering.

I went to a junkyard and found the same ERG, IAC and TPS. I cleaned the throttle body and installed the parts one at a time to see which one was the problem but to no avail.

Today the check engine stayed off but problem is still there.

What do you think the problem is?

Please help a mom out! Sorry if I can't explain things the right way or call the parts by the right name. I have a 1999 Dodge Stratus with 2.5 L. It was having some trouble starting when it was damp or raining, and sometimes it wouldn't start at all. So I decided it needed a tune up. I had the sparkplugs, wires, cap and rotor replaced. After that it started everytime, but after I drove it in town for a while it has a very bad hesitation.

I drove it and found that when the engine is not up to normal temperature there is no hesitation but when the car has warmed up there is a bad hesitation. When I start from a stop there is a bad hesitation for about 10 seconds and then it will take off. A couple of times it has died in the middle of the turn and was kinda of hard to get it started again. It seems to be when you take off, the harder you hit the gas the worse the hesitation is. Then if you just kinda press it more easy it seems that it's not as bad.

The check engine light does not come on at all nor is it throwning any codes.

We have changed the Fuel Filter, Oxygen Sensor, the car is still doing the same thing. They say the fuel pump has right amount of pressure and the fuel enjectors where fine (but they are going to run a cleaner throught them). It has been in the shop for going on 4 wks now and NO ONE can figure it out.

Can SOMEONE PLEASE PLEASE help me. I was hoping tedv51 figured out what was wrong with his daughters car and maybe I can have them do that to mine. And PRAY that it works!

So Thank You so much for reading this and ANY HELP would be more than APPRECIATED! THANKS "Qbee23"

The Fuel Pressure was checked and checked out fine. The Coolant Temp Sensor was replaced. Still have the same problem.

Just checked with the shop. Fuel pressure was check after car had been drove around for a while. About the temp. I think I might not be saying it right. Sorry I just try and say things but it just doesn't come out the way I want. I was just meaning like when you first get into your car and just drove it's fine(when it's cold) (without letting you car sit in the drive and warm up)but after you have drove it for 30 min or longer (when it's warmed up)it does it (the hesitation thing). Does that make more since to you? If not I can try to maybe explain it another way. Sorry again.

Standard Motor Products (wires) and the plugs where Champion. The shop said they could get to the fuel filter by taking out the back set, but that didn't work so they had to drop the tank. They car was scanned & gave no codes, on Friday the 3rd about 6 days ago was scanned again. It did give a code this time the guy said, (which I wasn't told about till now) I will try and get the code by the end of the day. He just said the code it gave ment it was "running lean"!

Sorry I'm just now getting back w/you. I talked to the shop again. I guess my car when it was scanned DID NOT give a code (thought I was someone else, and it wasn't my mechanic, just got a little confused I guess.). Anyway they are still in the same spot with my car no codes and after cleaning the fuel enjectors still doing the same thing.

Yes, they said that they did that, for about 2 hrs.

Ok, this is where we are at now. I have talked to the mechanic and I have sent him a copy of this chat after he gets off work he is going to look at it. He will let me know if there is anything I need to tell you or change anything that I might have already told you. From talking with him today I guess the more he has messed with it the worse the car is getting. He is going to put it back together and I guess i'm going to have to take it to a DODGE dealer and have it flashed. Unleased he can find something different with what you have said. So cross your fingers I kinda hope he has missed something that you have mentioned! Thanks I will keep you updated!

Still don't know anything yet. I was wondering if you could email the tedv51 guy and see if he ever figured out what was wrong with his car? Thanks Andrea

YEAH WE FOUND THE PROBLEM! :-) Just wanted to let you know that we changed the fuel pump, didn't work. Then had the distributor changed. That seems to be our culprit! I have my car back and it seems to doing fine! Thank you so much for all your help. Hopefully this we help someone in the future. Thanks so much Anrdrea!

I had same problem hesitating, random misfire, replaced distributor, distributor cap and rotor from junk yard and it works great! No more problems. Thanks for the tip. BTW I also noticed that most all the 2.5l engines were missing the distributors. This must be a common problem.

2002 stratus, hesitates up to like 30 mph, drives fine after that but does struggle on inclines. Recent work new water pump, timing belt. Any ideas. Someone said might be bad cat? Has new plugs, wires, tps.

When I put my car on cruise and i'm going at about 50 mph my car lerks like it's not getting gas and it's not only in cruise it's when ever I barley touch the gas pedal to go it jerks (hesitates) please help if u know what it could be thanks