Intermittent hesitation in all positions of throttle and not idling?

1994 DODGE CARAVAN
118,000 MILES • 3.0L • V6 • 2WD • AUTOMATIC
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GRILLMASTER
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  • 5 POSTS
Considerable amount of hesitation in all positions of throttle on occasion, won't idle occasionally, strong odor inside vehicle.
Aug 8, 2022 at 11:54 PM
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STRAILER
  • Experienced Mechanic
  • 55,273 POSTS
This can be one of two things, either you have a vacuum leak which you should test with the engine cold, or the throttle bore needs to be serviced. These guides should be able to help us fix the problem:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/throttle-actuator-service

and

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-use-an-engine-vacuum-gauge

and

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/stall-at-idle

Please go over these and get back to me. Can you please shoot a quick video with your phone so I can see the engine idling? That way I can tell for sure what's going on.
Aug 9, 2022 at 3:53 AM
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GRILLMASTER
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Thank you, Ken for your info. And yes sir, I'll get a video sent if it'll idle again.
Aug 9, 2022 at 7:42 AM
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STRAILER
  • Experienced Mechanic
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Sounds good, let me know.
Aug 10, 2022 at 5:13 AM
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GRILLMASTER
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  • 5 POSTS
Clogged catalytic converter.
Aug 11, 2022 at 8:46 AM
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GRILLMASTER
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Don't need it where I live, straight piped it, new O2 sensors, cap, rotor, plugs, wires, filters, oil change, reset, timed it and for being a free vehicle with paper, all I had to do was bring a battery and it fired right up after 3 years of sitting in the Alaskan weather.. Not bad huh.
Aug 11, 2022 at 8:54 AM
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STRAILER
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Yep, nice work and good find! Use 2CarPros anytime, we are here to help. Please tell a friend.
Aug 12, 2022 at 3:31 AM
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GRILLMASTER
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Thank you, Ken, for the help, I did take the throttle body off and gave it a good cleaning and replaced a brittle vac line. And recently I changed the timing belt, and I assumed the belt tensioner was self-adjusting, but it isn't, so after a couple hundred miles would it be a good idea to loosen the tensioner bolt and let the slack out of the belt, if there's any? There's an access hole for that one bolt probably for that reason, huh..
Aug 12, 2022 at 7:23 AM
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STRAILER
  • Experienced Mechanic
  • 55,273 POSTS
Yep, good call, which is what it is for, let me know what happens or if you need more help, we are here.
Aug 13, 2022 at 4:17 AM
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