2006 aveo jerking

[ToriRyuzaki]

Hi all, I have a 2006 Aveo with around 98,000 miles. I don't speak car so I'll just try to this the best I can.
All this week when I've been starting my car on a really cold morning, my car revs. As of two days ago, it jerks before it revs, usually about 2 or 3 good kicks. Now for tonight, I started it, usual kicks and revs, but this time it kicked as I started down the driveway. It didn't act up again until I started to go back home. I was accelerating up a hill and it bucked again, we were only driving for 5 minutes, so my engine was still cold. Once it warmed up it never did it again, even while going up the mountain.
Is that all the problem is? Cold weather? I didn't let it idle in the driveway today and it's in the 20s.

[avguy]

Has the Check Engine Light come on at all recently? What you're describing could be caused by a number of different things, and the right way to approach this is to systematically diagnose the problem (with hopefully an OBD code to help out). Check fuel/spark and then proceed from there.
That said, one reasonable shortcut is to focus on the spark plugs first, because that's such a frequent offender. When was the last time they were changed? If it's been a long time (or you don't know), then try that first, because it's routine maintenance that should be done in any case. If you change them and that doesn't solve the problem, then the diagnosis that I mentioned above needs to be done.

[camopaint0707]

Can you take a video of this problem?

[ToriRyuzaki]

The engine light popped on about 6 months ago for an oxygen censor, the man at auto zone saidit was no big deal and cleared it. It hasnt come on again since.
last winter it came on because the engine was running cold.

[ToriRyuzaki]

I have to drive 4 hours round trip Friday, should I be worried about it? All the shops are full due to the last round of snow...
I drove it past 90 today with no problems, the only issue now is if I accelerate a little hard, but if it's gradual, no problems. im terrified about getting stranded somewhere...

[USAFzac]

Sounds like the cold weather is giving you an issue.. Does it want to stall? If its good when it warms up that makes me wonder... If it wants to die I would go down the list, check to make sure there is no oil on your plugs, make sure your oil is utd(good answer to everything) make sure the fuel pump is OK. Is it a manual?

[ToriRyuzaki]

Sounds like the cold weather is giving you an issue.. Does it want to stall? If its good when it warms up that makes me wonder... If it wants to die I would go down the list, check to make sure there is no oil on your plugs, make sure your oil is utd(good answer to everything) make sure the fuel pump is OK. Is it a manual?

He's an automatic. I still have another thousand till I'm due for an oil change.
It acted up on me again today, this time because I punched it to make it through a yellow... Engine wasn't cold this time, but wasn't completely warmed either, it didn't jerk as violently either. And yeah, still super cold out, 30.

[USAFzac]

Check those plugs, just see if there is oil on top. When I got my car the plugs were fouled (oil on top) an it was struggling to accelerate under 32F. It also took an extra second to catch when turning it on

[EAD15]

I too had an issue with bucking/jerking in my 2009 Aveo when the engine was not up to full operating temperatures. The circumstances required to make it buck were so bizarrely specific, I was the only one that could reproduce it (A combination of Engine temperature range, engine load, and RPM all simultaneously).

Eventually, the computer spit out a code for the upstream O2 sensor. Replaced it and have never had the problem again. Sounds like a similar problem.

Also, don't use the "universal" O2 sensors. buy one already pre-wired, preferably OEM. PM me if you would like the site I buy from.

[USAFzac]

Good to know^