Did the mechanic put a code reader on the car to check for any stored
codes? There could be some there even if the check engine light is
not turned on. There are so many sensors that factor in to the way a
car runs so you need to rule that out. It could be a bad mass airflow
sensor or air temperature sensor or something along those lines.
KEEP in mind, you are talking about a 17 yr old car here, so along
those lines, how many miles on the car? Have you ever had the timing
belt replaced? There are specific intervals spec'd out by the
manufacturers for the changing of the timing belts. The timing on
these are a fan belt type as opposed to a sprocket & chain, so check
for stored trouble codes first, then as TST says, check the timing. If it
is out, have the belt replaced first, if you still have the same problem,
move on to other possibilities.
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