Dangerous acceleration! Car accelerates for no reason

captainj

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My girlfriends 2003 2.2l sunfire has oil in the intake between the TB and the air filter box. MAF sensor has oil on it. It has been a problem for years. (car has 150k on it). I cleaned it out best I could last night. The entire intake system is about 1 year old and OEM (had a crack in the old one the dealer found last year. I would say PVC valve but I guess this motor has not got one.
Car is throwing a code for a vacuum leak or a bad gas cap. Gas cap replaced but code still there on and off for the past year.
Car is dangerously ac accelerating. Under normal driving the car suddenly accelerates and my gf has to ride the brake or put car in neutral to stop. Has happened four or five times now. The peddle is not sticking to the floor and is not acting like the throttle cable is not hung up or anything. I cleaned the tb and the cable anyway but they are working fine. The cable moves freely and the tb is not sticking open mechanically, that i can tell anyway. It is happening during normal driving. She is not flooring it and it is sticking for example. I am lost. This is dangerous so pleas help. I was thinking a sensor???

Sorry about the repost. I had to change the title to one that makes sense.)
 
could be throttle position sensor. What are the codes?
 
None now. It cleared. However the one it did have was for a vacuum leak.
 
This is he only can and she has to drive it. Again there are no codes at this time. I did do a search for all three issues and did not find anything. Just about PVC valves but that is only for older models. I am really concerned by this sudden acceleration to WOT. The car is a automatic and it will just go to WOT for no reason with no warning.
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It would help if you posted the codes you orginally had. Gas cap and vacuum leak are not related, gas cap and evaporative purge system are related
 
OK, that is the evaporative emission system which will not cause you problem, Again test the throttle position sensor/ idle air control valve.
 
ony way I know to test it is go to a dealer or replace. I think it would cost less to replace
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Common?

So I take it this is not a common problem and has not happened to anyone else?
 
I ordered a new TPS from rock auto. However no one seemes to have the MAF sensor and it looks like this car did not even have one (MAP sensor only). Wondering if the sensor I was looking at between the air filter and the TB was a air temp sensor.????

Should I replace the MAP sensor that I cant find? If so where is it?

My car even have a MAF sensor?

What was the sensor I was looking at that was covered in oil? Temp? Do I need a new one?
 
Get some MAF cleaner and try that but i sounds to me like you have a huge PCV issue, and I would put a catch can inline with it to begin with, and change the pcv valve iff equipped, (i'm sure there is). I bet the TPS is what caused the problem, but also with the car not in gear try to get the throttle body stuck if u know what i mean, try moving the throttle back and forth quickly to see if it seizes and look to see if the plate catches or then line catches or whatnot. If anything tear the TB apart and put new bearings in it or, just clean the bearings and get the regreased and see if that helps. Also look at the cable thru firewall connection and make sure it doesn't bind there.
 
Tb and cable are good. I was not able to make anything bind up. I can't vins a PVC valve in this thing. The book is saying there is not one. But rock auto is showing one. I might get it and cut the hose and jam it in between the valve cover and the air box. But that Jose is like four inches long max. It looks like there should be a PVC valve in the air box but it looks like it won't come out it it is in face a valve (don't think so). Catch can is a good idea! Who sells them?
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there is no pcv on the car..you have a oil air seperator. DON'T NOT ADD 1...seems you are having a fuel system problem...did you check any recalls on the car..how is the gas milage? and tell us again about the gas peddle sticking
 
I am told it just accelerates on her. I could hear her down the street it was revving do high it hit the rev limiter. However I could not get to duplicate. I did clean the tb up. Can't find a mag sensor online. Guess I do not have one. Must be a air temp sensor I found in the intake dirty. I would like a catch can. However that is not fixing the oil in the intake cause.
 
I am told it just accelerates on her. I could hear her down the street it was revving do high it hit the rev limiter. However I could not get to duplicate. I did clean the tb up. Can't find a mag sensor online. Guess I do not have one. Must be a air temp sensor I found in the intake dirty. I would like a catch can. However that is not fixing the oil in the intake cause.

you might have to much oil in the engine thats why you get alot of oil in the intake..or the wrong type of oil for you location..what the weather like where you live?...so it just revs up but does not speed up? if it was a sensor you would almost deffinetly get a code..did you check your tranny fluid? that would cause it to rev up after driving it for awhile if it's low..
 
here is some things you can do...a complete tune up..plugs "autolight double platinum" boots/wires, fuel filter, airfilter " K&N",change the o2 sensor on the exhaust manifold " DO NOT USE BOSH"when you do all this make sure to pull the neg wire off the battery so it can reset the computer to get it to start fresh with the new added parts, change the tranny fluid and filter " you want to change all the tranny fluid..not just the pan fluid", next time you go to fill the tank up throw some luckas complete fuel cleaner, then fill the thank with gas, wait a week and see how she acts..
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Dealer tune up done last summer. Also got a new air box at that time. I don't think this car has a maf sensor. Just a map sensor. I have a few here. Anyone have a photo of the exact map sensor we use? Looks like generic file photos on Rock auto but not sure. If anyone has a pic of the map or know the part number on the map itself it would help. They all probably come from the same factory.

Oil level is always low if anything. It burns a quart ever 1000 or so.
 
the map sensor on rock auto is the 1 that's in your car. I would check the spark plugs to see what color they are. I work at a dealership in a lot of the guys don't know what the hell they're doing so they could of messed up what they did or not did it correctly. when the car is on smell the exhaust pipe to see if it smells like gasoline.
 
what type of oil do you use. I think you're always low on oil because it sucks into the intake due to the weight of the oil and temperature of where you live
 
Thanks. I have a map sensor right here. Where is it located? Any idea how to change it?
 
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