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Old 16-04-2005   #1 (Post Link)
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Lurching Problem

I just had my car, a 1987 Alfa Romeo Graduate, smogged yesterday, and the smog place replaced the Oxygen sensor because it was bad, and who knows what else they adjusted. The car passed the smog check.
I drove the car around a bit yesterday and I drove it around a little today. It drove well. It seemed to have more pep than it did before the new Oxygen sensor.
When I was driving today, I stopped at a stop sign, which was on a hill. I put the emergency brake on and slowly released the clutch and then took off the brake when the car started to pull forward. This is when the car started acting up. It started lurching and I couldn't keep the engine idling speed up. So I stepped on the clutch again to prevent the car from stalling. I did the same thing again with the E-brake and again the car started lurching and the engine started stuttering. The car stalled. I tried driving up the hill without the E-brake, but this did not help. I backed down the hill to a flat street. I put the car into first gear and tried driving. When the tachometer hit about 1500-2000 rpms, the car started lurching again and eventually stalled.

I put the car into neutral and I can Rev the engine as high as I want. The car only lurches when it is under load/in gear.

I don't know if this seems like a clutch problem? or if it may have to do with an adjustment the smog place made on the car? or if this is an engine problem?

I know that the last time that the clutch burnt out, the engine was able to continue running, but the power would not transfer to the wheels. This time the car lurches and the engine stalls.
The current clutch is about a year and a half old and probably has about 6,000 miles on it.

Help is greatly appreciated.
Thx
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Old 16-04-2005   #2 (Post Link)
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Re: Lurching Problem

Check the large rubber hose from the Air Flow Meter to the intake manifold for cracks, loose clamps and deterioration. Unmetered air entering the intake system downstream of the AFM will lean the mixture. Also check the condition of the left engine mount. A worn/broken mount will allow the left side of the engine to lift up higher than normal under acceleration. When this happens, any cracks in the rubber hose can open up, lean the mixture and cause a power loss. The loss of power allows the engine to sit back down on the mount, closing the crack(s) in the hose, which enrichens the mixture allowing the engine to accelerate again which opens the crack which leans the mixture.......

Jim
68 Mk1 Italian delivery
71 Mk2 US delivery
89 Spider Veloce
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Old 16-04-2005   #3 (Post Link)
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Re: Lurching Problem

I checked the air flow meter hose. THere were cracks under the clamp. I duck taped them and that solved my idling problem, but that did not solve the lurching problem.
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Old 17-04-2005   #4 (Post Link)
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Re: Lurching Problem

Thanks for the help. It turns out that the shop did not tighten the clamp coming off of the air flow meter housing. Now it runs fine.

Thanks again
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Old 17-04-2005   #5 (Post Link)
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Re: Lurching Problem

Good show!!
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