admin-ajax.php abusing CPU resources

Try:
– switching to the default theme by renaming your current theme’s folder inside wp-content/themes and adding “-old” to the end of the folder name using FTP or whatever file management application your host provides.

– resetting the plugins folder by FTP or phpMyAdmin.

That should get you back to a minimal install.

Thanks, but is there no way to figure out what is causing it?
The plugins are there cause I want them, so if something is causing an issue I want to delete only that, not all my plugins?

is there no way to figure out what is causing it?

Not from here, no. It could be combination of any number of factors – theme, plugins, traffic to the site. Have you asked your hosts if they can help? They have access to all of your usage logs. We don’t.

Yeah, I meant if there was anything I could do. I have access to whm and cpanel and FTP and all ??

Only what I have suggested above.

If you have WHM, then this is a VPS server?

Log in to your billing account at Hostgator and open a ticket with tech support. Ask if they can take a look at your running processes, let’s be sure it is WordPress that is eating the resources first.

If it turns out to be WordPress, then esmi is right, it is probably a plugin that has a memory leak, or an infinite process, or both. Nobody is asking you to give up your plugins, but if one of them is not working you need to de-activate it and contact the plugin author either directly or through the plugins and hacks forum to see if there is a fix.

If you go the route of turning off your plugins, you’ll need to know if it has an effect. Ask Support if there is something you can look at as you turn plugins back on to identify the culprit. They are good people and will help if they can, they don’t want you shut down either.

Agreed – you have to work with your hosts on this one.

Yeah, it’s a VPS, one of the reseller accounts.

I have opened a live chat ticket, I’ll see what we can sort out. Thanks =)