Bog

I've searched under "hesitation" and got too many different scenarios. Here's my problem: I just bought this '96 (4.0, AW4) well, after it warms up to operating temperature, when stabbing the throttle I'm rewarded with a momentary bog or flat spot, it'll do it idling or moving in gear. It similar to the way a caburetor (remember those things?) with a bad accelerator pump responds. However when it's still fairly cold it's crisp, 02 sensor? (these things stay in open loop until they warm up, right so, the 02 sensor wouldn't come into play until then?) I don't know how long or how often it's been doing it as the Mrs usually drives it. I haven't picked up a repair manual for it yet........Hans

I had a similar problem on my 96. It turned out to be the coolant temp sensor. It would read cold even after the engine was hot causing the engine contoller to add more fuel, which caused the hesitation.

Pull the OBDII codes Hans

My 87 Waggy has this exact same issue. Once it warms up it sputters through about 15-1700 RPM. Sometimes it just a momentary hesitation and other times it take about 20 seconds of sputtering before she takes off. annoying as you know what. It'll do it at idle, start stop, and on the highway.

If you figure it out post the issue.

It actually stopped doing it, I don't know sometimes I think my vehicles need an exorcist........Hans

Issue solved... sort-of.

I was looking all over the engine compartment as I do every few weeks trying to figure out the problem. I thought, 'What have I not been checking???' So I started looking at the engine block itself. Anyway, It turned out to be a bad ground on the pass side of the block. I say I only sort of solved it because I haven't been able to figure out what the ground is for... yet. It attatches to the block out of a loom with a few other ground wires and is in the same spot as the battery ground.

Hope this helps on your vehicle. The sproadicness of the stutttering was because the ground wire ws resting against the others so sometime it would touch, usually not. Check all your grounds. If nothig else you'll get well aquainted with your wiring harness.