Weird studderin'

[SleeperSolara]

Well tonight i had to bring food to my uncles' wife, cause they had just had a baby.
Well it was rainin' outside, but not hard.
And we the front windshield was startin' to fog up alittle, and so i turned on the front defroster, and the car started to shudder like it was about to die, and then it went back to normal, had me scared.
So then i when i was near my house, i pulled into a church parkin' lot, to see wth was goin' on.
So then i turned my nusic down, and then turned on the front defroster again, and the car would shudder again like it was about to die, and i could hear air runnin' through some where in the dash, then after it finally started up the car idled the same.
After all that happened, i saw steam come out near the front passenger headlight, between the hood.
I've already had a timin' belt and water pump changed.
Changed the old radiator fluid to Toyota red coolant.
I did go to the track and when i was the car down the 1320, the car would loose traction when i floored the car, and then when i was about 1/4 down the track the car would feel like it dropped hard, which i've neva experienced before.
I'm still tryin' to figure why my car did that.
What do you guys think??

[bassthrive]

Did you get your drive belts (also called v-belts) changed with the timing belt? Your problem could be caused by something resisting or siezing up when the a/c compressor kicks in. Also, what is the condition of your battery? I had stuttering engine syndrome in the rain (my dash lights also dimmed) when my battery was on it's last legs.

[SolaraBlue]

i had a problem almost like this. no smoke though...
it was caused by the spark plug wires. changed them, all good now.

[Mole]

nothing to fear....
cold rain water just touched your hot radiator...

as for air going through the vent its normal.. thats where you fan blower sucks air for the defrost, as well as a/c.

[SleeperSolara]

Did you get your drive belts (also called v-belts) changed with the timing belt? Your problem could be caused by something resisting or siezing up when the a/c compressor kicks in. Also, what is the condition of your battery? I had stuttering engine syndrome in the rain (my dash lights also dimmed) when my battery was on it's last legs.

Yeah he did, brand new Toyota belts.
It from AutoZone, it's been good so far.
Well now the headlights dim and the dash lights dim when i pull the driver window up.

[Nyyankees3511]

Mine dim too, i think my alternator is gonna go soon and then ill put in the highlander alt.