Ok, so i've been chasing this problem on and off for the last year.... 1997 Xlt 2.3l 5spd 2wd.

1. Truck runs perfectly fine, MOST of the time.
2. Only notice it sputtering at lower rpm's(Below 3k) (Not that it may not be at higher rpm's, but it gets much harder to tell.)
3. New Plugs, Fuel Filter, Wires, Coils, Checked EGR, Head gasket, Compression, Different types of fuels, Tried Seafoam in the Vaccuum lines, Changed Oil, Clean air filter, Replaced MAF, New battery/alternator, Checked O2 sensors and checked for exhaust leaks, Emissions are normal when not acting up. (Most of these things were just normal maintenance not random money throwing. but nothing resolved from them.)
4. Gas mileage doesn't seem greatly effected, but it has an obvious lack of power when it sputters. usually under hard acceleration, also when its in it's sputtering "Mood" it likes to dip below 1k upon returning to idle, Lope, and return back to 1k.
Any ideas? TY.

 

Anything? I even made it extra readable. :-)

 

The TPS may be getting a flat spot in it .
Check the shaft for the butterfly on the throttle body for any play. Too much and you will have a vacuum leak.
Also pull off the timing belt cover , and with the engine warm , check the tension of the timing belt. If the tesioner is frozen , it will allow slack in the belt and throw off the valve timing , albeit only a small amount.

 

i had 93 3.0 that did that and the TPS tested bad according to ohm readings i was gona replace it before i traded it but 1 of the screws holding it on stripped so i said F it and traded it in like. Probably doesnt help you much but that was my experience, im not sure of the parameters it has either i suck at electrical so had my buddy test it.

 

Thanks for the replies! i knew there was new (Creative ) ideas out there! ill check it out today :) cause now that i think of it, the throttle position sensor would make PERFECT sense...

 

ICM.... mine did the exact thing, they are termpermental bastards!

 

hey ryan how did you test your tps, when i replaced mine i didn't test it since my truck had so many symptoms of it it wasn't funny, but i think the one on my buddies contour is bad and since he's low on founds i want to know how to test it for him so he doesn't spen money on something he doesn't need