Is anyone getting a sputter on take off when the gas engine is kicks in? Is this normal?

 

Welcome to the Green Hybrid TCH forums. Without trying to be a grinch, this has been talked about ad naseum in previous posts. Look at it from this perspective: 2.4 liters weigh 450 lbs and delivering 192 horsepower and is nudged into action by a computer that wants to make sure it's lifestyle is catered to in the manner it is accustomed. Are you sure you are sputtering? Maybe a split second of engine turning over before she fires into life and pulls all that you hold precious from the path of an 18 wheeler? If she is cough, cough, coughing into life you may want to talk to your dealer about it. Your best bet is to take a test drive in another TCH for comparison purposes and then you'll have some ammo when the service tech says those immortal words: 'They all do that'!

 

Here is an earlier discussion on that topic:
https://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/...line.8211.html

 

Welcome, and it's normal. Soon, you won't even notice it. I believe that my "sputter" went away when I stopped being overly-fascinated with the gas mileage I could get by driving like my post-mortem grandmother. When I first got my car, I was aware of the "sputter" regularly... not bothered by it, just aware. Now, I can't recall the last time I noticed it.

 

Sometimes my tires really squeal if I gun it. Why does that happen?