In a message dated 8/31/02 1:31:49 AM, seraphim@GCI.NET writes:

> Apparently, my Van thinks she's a� Harley Davidson. When she idles,
> there's an odd, loud PUT-PUT-PUT that gets even worse when I
> accelerate. She seems to be running fine, if anything the acceleration
> seems better than normal, except that the problem she has with sort of
> hesitating at stop lights has gotten more frequent and more pronounced.
> 

Hole in the exhaust system. Might be in the pipes to the cat, or the muffler 
itself (but probably before the muffler). Since mufflers tend to 
be...slightly restrictive on the flow of exhaust gases, at least on most 
cars, when you have a hole in the system ahead of them, you may notice more 
power and an easier running motor. Of course you also notice how LOUD the 
engine is (after all, it is Exploding gas to make that power!)..