Idling Along

[ghengishahn]

As a new first time owner, other than my own Viper, I have not driven any other Vipers.

So here's my question. Should or does the Viper idle smoothly? When I am in first gear idling along it tends be pretty rough and often will buck. It runs great otherwise. Is this normal?

 

[steve911]

That is part of the Viper mystique. It will buck somewhat.

 

[ghengishahn]

Thanks Steve for the response and that was quick.

 

[Texas1]

Also try a search on here. Lot's of info. Mine was doing the same thing...replaced the battery & all was fine. Welcome aboard!!!

 

[JonB]

As a new first time owner, other than my own Viper, I have not driven any other Vipers.

So here's my question. Should or does the Viper idle smoothly? When I am in first gear idling along it tends be pretty rough and often will buck. It runs great otherwise. Is this normal?

THE YEAR MATTERS... a lot.

And NO, it is NOT normal. In fact it is abnormal.

If you are idling and bucking along in first gear, say at parking-lot speeds, or traffic-jam speeds, something is wrong. Depending on the year, it can be un-synchronized throttle bodies, or a bad ISM. Or old-bad degraded plug wires or plugs or both. And as noted, even a weak, old battery can cause this.

If you have a 96-98 G2, with its 'lumpy' cam, and an aftermarket Aluminum flywheel, those cars can display some idle-speed bucking, but not to any great degree.

 

[plumcrazy]

What JonB said. Not normal

 

[ghengishahn]

Will an OBDII meter read the issue?

 

[CitySnake]

Will an OBDII meter read the issue?

Are you throwing codes (i.e., check engine light (CEL) on dash)? If so, then post up the code and we can figure out the cause. May indicate some of the problem. But if there's no CEL, then it's not the issue.

 

[Dom426h]

another vote for Normal. Especially for a noob who's foot isnt properly trained to tame the beast.

JonB, He has ONE TB (Gen3)
and i think you take for granted how much harder it is to drive a viper than most manual trans vehicles since you have been driving em for years. For a first-timer, even experianced with stick, the viper can make you feal like your learning stick again for te first time

 

[JonB]

another vote for Normal. Especially for a noob who's foot isnt properly trained to tame the beast.

JonB, He has ONE TB (Gen3)
and i think you take for granted how much harder it is to drive a viper than most manual trans vehicles since you have been driving em for years. For a first-timer, even experianced with stick, the viper can make you feal like your learning stick again for te first time

I just re-read the entire thread, and my eyesight is going: I dont see the MODEL YEAR even in his follow-up questions?

IF he has a bucking Gen 3, it is NOT normal.....but you are right, it could be driver error!

 

[viper067]

another vote for Normal. Especially for a noob who's foot isnt properly trained to tame the beast.

JonB, He has ONE TB (Gen3)
and i think you take for granted how much harder it is to drive a viper than most manual trans vehicles since you have been driving em for years. For a first-timer, even experianced with stick, the viper can make you feal like your learning stick again for te first time

Funny, having gone from driving stick on significantly underpowered vehicles like a dodge charger 2.2, dodge shadow, etc ... I found the stick in the Viper to be very easy to drive. Adequate power definitely makes a stick easier to drive

 

[97GTS]

In first gear on ANY stick car that isn't driven correctly you will get some bucking. The Viper is more prone to this at a really slow speed until you get used to it.




Ron

 

[plumcrazy]

ive taught a few people to drive in my viper before it was modded. its extremely easy to drive. you dont even need to use the gas to get it moving....

easier to teach people in a viper than a civic IMO.

 

[Olddudesrule]

Another vote for "not normal". I've found mine as easy a car to drive as any manual I've owned. I had a 02 Z06 and a FFR Cobra (5 speed Tremec) before the Viper, but I think even if I was less experienced, it wouldn't be an issue. I think he needs to learn his clutches engagement point and some throttle control.

 

[SlateEd]

ive taught a few people to drive in my viper before it was modded. its extremely easy to drive. you dont even need to use the gas to get it moving....

easier to teach people in a viper than a civic IMO.

I agree Phil - although I won't try to teach my girlfriend to drive stick on the Viper anyway because we don't have anyplace with the space to do it safely if she makes it into 2nd gear

...but, yeah, my Honda/Acura clutch is much more abrupt coming up, and you need more gas to get it rolling... almost as bad as the 1982 Toyota Corolla that I learned on.

 

[Martin]

My '97 GTS bucked the first couple of times I drove it - but I learned pretty quick how to keep that from happening. There definitely were times where I was creeping along at parking lot speeds and got into that bucking back and forth thing. Basically have to just depress the clutch and start over when that gets going. The car has enough gear lash in it, and enough low end torque, that you can pretty easily get it bucking back and forth (with the embarassing clunking/clanking sounds) if you tap the gas just right at idle and then pull off the gas abruptly. When that happens, you blush and you basically have to 'reset' by getting on the clutch. It's never happened in the '09 though.

 

[ghengishahn]

Thanks for all the responses. Here is some additional info. It is a 03 Viper. No mods except K&N and Borla exhaust.

It has a Malfunction Indicator Light (pic of engine) but not a CEL as such. According to the manual the MIL is an indicator that can be read with OBDII.

I chalked the bucking up to a loping cam. But still have an OBDII reader coming to read the codes just in case.

The bucking is at idle (not even a little throttle)in first gear. And yes clutching in/out sort of smoothes out the keep it going smoothe, but if you did not do this it would cotinue buck.

 

[plumcrazy]

I thought of the. Heck engine light was on. A code was thrown ?

A call into chuck Tator Might be a good idea. 914-763-3136

 

[ghengishahn]

I thought of the. Heck engine light was on. A code was thrown ?

A call into chuck Tator Might be a good idea. 914-763-3136

Thanks. My son comes in with OBD II in a few days I will read the codes and post.

 

[ViperGeorge]

The MIL (Malfunction Indicator Light) is the same thing as the Check Engine Light. It means you have thrown a code. The code, which can be read by an inexpensive code reader, will tell you what the computer has determined is malfunctioning. It doesn't necessarily tell you the exact part that failed but it points you in the right direction. The correct term on a Viper is actually a MIL, some older cars would illuminate the words "Check Engine" but newer cars simply display the universal engine symbol.

 

[ghengishahn]

Just to be clear. The MIL is not illuminated at this moment. I still will see if there are any thrown codes though.

But the original question centers on if it is normal for a Viper to buck in first gear while idling let's say while loafing around the Mall.

Many emphatically say this is abnormal while others have believe this is experience is normal.

Does anyone know of any Viper owners in the Fort Wayne, IN area. I like to experience another Viper characteristics first hand.

 

[CitySnake]

Thanks for all the responses. Here is some additional info. It is a 03 Viper. No mods except K&N and Borla exhaust.

It has a Malfunction Indicator Light (pic of engine) but not a CEL as such. According to the manual the MIL is an indicator that can be read with OBDII.

I chalked the bucking up to a loping cam. But still have an OBDII reader coming to read the codes just in case.

The bucking is at idle (not even a little throttle)in first gear. And yes clutching in/out sort of smoothes out the keep it going smoothe, but if you did not do this it would cotinue buck.

Just for future reference, MIL and CEL are the same. We speak of a CEL only when it is "lit". It can be yellow or red depending on the nature of the code that caused the light. If it's not lit, then the code reader will be useless in this situation (although not a bad thing to own regardless).

If your car is bucking at idle, without any accelerator pressure, on level ground, continuously (i.e., does not buck initially when clutch is disengaged but then stops when the car speed (rear wheel rpm) matches the idle rpm) ... then that's probably not the way it should be. Does your idle speed fluctuate on it's own when the clutch is disengaged and the car is in gear?

 

[TheMilkman]

I have noticed that it's hard to run a Viper under 20MPH and not have to constantly play with the brakes/clutch to keep it from bucking/lurching on you a bit.

I finally found the easiest way to get around the neighborhood which has a 11MPh limit (Who thought of that one?) was to just speed up in first then put it in neutral and coast to the next stop sign. It's actually improved my gas mileage.

 

[bigmack339]

My bucking issue was the SCT tuner program. After a custom tune, it quit this bucking and went awy.

 

[ghengishahn]

To CitySnake: No the idle does not fluctuate with the clutch disengaged. Actually it runs fine at all rpms.

To BigMack339: SCT? Please decode.

 

[viper067]

So as a test, I took the Viper out today ... Gen 1, and drove in 1st at idle and the car was very smooth. I would think the Gen 3 having a single throttle should only be an improvement over the dual throttle's of the Gen 1