My '96 3.8 liter 5 speed has been intermittently bucking/jerking on me for the past month or so and doesn't want to provide any helpful diagnostic codes. It's starting to drive me crazy. It likes to cruise at steady rpm's just fine...higher rpm's/acceleration is when it acts funny.
It doesn't feel like a misfire, more of a split second "cut-out". When it gets bad, simply shifting to the next gear and decreasing the rpm's usually clears things up. Occasionally at idle or right after engine start-up it will bog and choke a little and the tach will fluctuate...and it will stabilize after a couple seconds. I haven't had the engine completely die on me yet but it feels like it wants to sometimes.
The car's got 134K miles on it. plugs are about 30k old...wires are brand new. An ignition coil and maf sensor were recently replaced along with a new fuel filter.
The only code it has been throwing intermittently is a 0441 (canister purge code) which I don't think is related to this bucking issue. Hoping someone has had a similar experience and can shed some light on the situation. Time for a fuel pump? Sensor? Any suggestions or experiences are appreciated...