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2018 Sputters when I stop accelerating uphill


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Our 2018 Dodge Journey recently started giving us an issue going uphill. We have the 4 cylinder 2.4L engine with 80k miles, and it started sputtering when I go uphill at high speeds (50+). As long as I am accelerating while going uphill, it does not sputter or jerk. As soon as I let my foot off the accelerator to maintain speed, it's like the engine misfires and the car jerks mildly. If I keep accelerating through the hill until I reach a flatter spot, it will shift back into 4th gear and there is never a sputter. It only makes this as soon as I let off the accelerator. 

 

It does this in cruise control as well (which is when I noticed it the first time). A lot of people told me it was bad spark plugs, so I changed those and it seemed to make the car run much better for a few days. It ran great the entire time we were on vacation (where it was flat), but as soon as we got back home it started doing it again. Through all of this, it's never thrown any codes on my OBD2 scanner, and the check engine light has never come on. Could it be a sensor or should I try checking the spark plugs again to see if I just got a dud? I've also used a bottle of fuel injector cleaner and it seems to help run stronger, but it still sputters at the top of the hill when I finish accelerating. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated because the dealer can't see us until September. 

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Are  you sure it is not trans gear shifting stutters? You are due for trans oil AND FILTER change. DO NOT have the trans "flush", have the pan taken down and replace the filter and @ 4.5 quarts of ATF+4.

Also should check/clean the throttle body throttle plate for oil residue buildup that is common on these motors.

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I thought about this being a possibility at first, and I do plan on having that done. When it first started doing this, I started dropping it in manual to see if it was related to the gears shifting, but it only makes the sputtering when it is in 3rd gear and I let off the accelerator. If I manually shift to 4th before I let off the pedal, it doesn't seem to do this. I appreciate the information on the throttle body and throttle plate.

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what kind of plugs did you use, i only use the chap NGK plugs off amazon for my daughters jeep patriot that has the 2.4 engine about 12 for four of them as they are the OEM plugs that the engine came with, the last ones i got they were out of the cheaper ones and sent us the more expensive kind but after 20 k she started having a miss with it so i went to auto parts store and they kept trying so sell me the same more exp. ones acting like that was all they had i kept up till he said here are the other ones....i change them out every 30 k

NGK 2262 V-Power Resistor Type Spark Plugs ZFR5F-11 - 4 PCSNEW

 

 
 
 
 

 
List Price: $33.97 Details
Price: $11.99
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also  agree with the dont flush your trans advise i believe the 4 spd trans should be changed at 60 k good luck as this can be a hard thing to chase down  P.S. could maybe a coil or short in a coil wire,same thing happened yrs ago on a van the wire inside the connector would short out at times and then run fine at times, also i had a boat almost brand new that would run great at idle and low speed but try to go fast enough to plane out and it would choke out lost a whole summer as the boat mech said be 2 months before we could check it out,,,LOL ended up being a   anti-siphon valve  between the tank in the front of the boat going to the engine at the rear it was stuck in the mid position leaving just enough gas to run but act up when trying to get up to speed

Edited by 2late4u
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17 hours ago, 2late4u said:

what kind of plugs did you use, i only use the chap NGK plugs off amazon for my daughters jeep patriot that has the 2.4 engine about 12 for four of them as they are the OEM plugs that the engine came with, the last ones i got they were out of the cheaper ones and sent us the more expensive kind but after 20 k she started having a miss with it so i went to auto parts store and they kept trying so sell me the same more exp. ones acting like that was all they had i kept up till he said here are the other ones....i change them out every 30 k

NGK 2262 V-Power Resistor Type Spark Plugs ZFR5F-11 - 4 PCSNEW

 

 
 
 
 

 
List Price: $33.97 Details
Price: $11.99

I used the Autolite Copper Spark Plugs from Autozone that are about $3 each. 

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