I have a 2007 Ford Escape with a 3.0 w/o 99k miles on it. I was driving it when all of a sudden it started quivering/ vibrating pretty strong, I had no "check engine" lights on at all. I pulled over & opened the hood, it heard what sounded like a bubbling noise coming from the driver side engine compartment but couldn't see anything apparent. I decided to drive it the 30miles home. It continued to shutter at idle at stops & intake off but smoothed out at higher speeds but could still feel it shutter. I made a stop on the way home,turned off my vehicle, restarted it & went on my way. From the point when I cut it off & restarted it the issue was gone,it ran smoothly from best I could tell. What would cause this? It has me baffled that it goes from an obvious shutter to nothing once it was off then started back. Any info is appreciated. Thanks

 

Intermittent problems can be a technician's nightmare. There may be a history code in the computer and it would require a scan tool to obtain it. If it only happened once it may not be anything to be concerned about. There is a function in a scan tool called freeze frame that might show the particular set of conditions at the time the problem occurred. That would provide an opportunity to duplicate the circumstances that produced the problem. If it cannot be duplicated , there is no direction available at the time. If the problem disappears when the ign is turned off and allows the computer to lose the info, it would need to be checked with the scan tool without shutting the ign off. Sometimes a little water can get into the fuel system and cause something like this and not set any codes. There may be some addl info I left out, but It would at this time seem to be nothing to be concerned about unless it happens again.

 

Yea it only happened that 1 time yesterday. I stopped to use the restroom & started it back up & I couldn't replicate the problem. Problem just stopped & didn't repeat its self. It was definitively nerve racking. Would water cause it to vibrate? Water usually makes a quick jerk right? & not on idle or take off like mine was doing

 

If something causes the ignition system to skip spark to one or more spark plugs the result can be felt in the vehicle as a skipping feeling. When fuel is restricted for whatever reason the vehicle can bog down, lose some power or maybe not run at all depending on the degree of fuel starvation. As you know water will not help combustion if the amount is high enough to limit combustion almost entirely and it can be confined to one or more cyls depending on quantity. This is one of those situations where you just watch it and see if it comes back.

 

Thanks appreciate your response!