The Twilight Zone...

[Lebenz]

This is about intermittent missing.

The 400E goes unused for a week. I take it for a drive. Starts fine. Runs fine for about the first 6 miles, which includes freeway time and stop and go. The temp gage is a little over 80. Come to a stop light on a hill. The engine sputters the idle drops to about 500 and even dips below. The light changes I continue on with the low speed power drop. Clearly it is not firing on all 8. Missing is imperceptible once the tach passes about 1500 rpm. Drive it another mile and the problem is gone. On the return trip no problem. Use it the next day and the same thing happens in the same place. 2 days later, no problem. Let the car sit for 2 days. Next time I use it, the same problem in the same place? Should I just change my driving route?

Is it time for a long uphill freeway drive? I know if I take it to the shop with an intermittent problem they will never find it... The car has just shy of 80K miles on it. And had no problems until recently when it was unused for about a week. BTW I have gone many week long periods without using it in the past....

Anyone have any ideas?