[jeffethan]

I just bought this 2002 se wagon with a zetec motor. It will shudder for a second while waiting at a red light. But the next time, it will shudder a lot, then just kill. It will restart, but if I try to go, it will die. Any ideas?

 

[iminhell]

Vacuum leak it sounds like to me. If it sounds like a loud sucking that be the problem and most likely the PCV elbow. It's on the back of the intake manifold. If you see a black metal tube directly under the coil pack, follow that back towards the fire wall, the elbow is at the end of it. It's common for then to degrade bad enough to cause a hole or collapse under vacuum.