Idle or Stalling Problems - All Vehicles

sandman46

Got the "03 Sentra back from the 5th dealer visit on Saturday afternon after they had it for 5 days with even a Nissan guy from California looking at it. Within 30 hours, the Service Engine Light reappeared so back to Nissan I went & got another rental. With only 1 week left on my 3 year warranty, they are all stumped on this one. Car still stumbles from a cold start and this started back in February.
They've already reprogrammed the computer, swapped out 3 engine coils, done the MAF sensor & replaced 4 spark plugs which are pretty black with about 1.5k miles on them.
I need some help here. Could this be a Cat Converter problem? Need to fix this car so I can sell it real soon.
Thanks for any help here...I'm desperate at this point.

the Sandman :mad:

nieds13

I have a 2002 Ford Escape. Over the summer, whenever it would be sitting outside all day and I tried to start it, it would start then die, but once I got it going it was ok. Then it would take a couple of times to get it started, but again once I got going, it was ok. Eventually, I'd get it going, but then it would die on me whenever I would stop or release gas. As long as I kept my foot on gas it would be ok. It doesn't do it when it's been in my garage all night, or even if I was out for a couple of hours, it only seemed to happen after it had been outside for 10 hours while I was at work. And it didn't matter what temperature it was. Any idea where I should start looking for problem. It wasn't the battery. Thank

mimmo10

I have a 98 Sunfire 2.2L and when i start it it starts to shake and bog. When i tried starting it i actually ahd to give it some gas to turnover and start. The Rpm's are hovering at about 1200 whenit is bogging. What can it be?? email me back at mrusso10@hotmail.com :confuse:

mkl_fiji

I have the same problem with my 99 Grand Prix. It's also a v6 3.8L (3800 Series II engine). I've tried replacing the fuel pump, fuel filter and a fuel relay fuse and have had no luck.

The problem is temperature related. It must be at least 65-70 degrees outside AND the engine has to be warm.

It only stalls out once a week. Although one time it stalled out 5x in one day.

> No error codes in the computer.
> No dashboard lights to help out
> sometimes sputters/bucks, but will then smoothen out -- may or may not stall out after that

sometimes occurs when I go shopping. I turn the car off, shop and try to start the car, but it won't start. It will crank all day long, but the engine won't turn over. My theory is that the latent heat of the engine heats up the broken part while sitting in the parking lot (no fans or anything running while the car is off so the engine gets real hot). After about 5-10 minutes, the car starts and I drive away. Stalls out again about a week later.

Each time I take it to a mechanic, the car works fine. PLEASE let me know if you find a solution.

Thanks!!!

Michael

billimpala

My name is Bill Eagle, and I drive a 1993 Buick Le Sabre with 73,000 miles on it.It has a 3.8 engine. It is in perfect condition, except it is starting to develope an idle problem. Occasionally the idle speed will stay around 1,200 RPM'S. If I shut the engine off and restart it, everything is OK and back to normal idle. This might happen two to three times during two hours of driving. Since the IAC solenoid that is mounted on the throttle body is what controls the idle speed of the engine, I unpluged it one time when the engine was idling too fast, but it did not make any difference, so I plugged it back in , shut off the engine and everything went back to normal. I took the IAC solenoid off and it looked OK so I put it back. I don't want to start spending a lot of money on solenoids and sensors, and take stabs at a lot of other things that could be. The local dealer said he would start by putting on a new intake manifold for ONLY$650.00.CRAZY Thank You in advance for any hehp you may give me in solving my occasional high idle problem. Bill Eagle

southwingg

I have exactly the same problem with a 2003 escape 4 cyc 5 spd. So far no luck. I am thinking of having the PCM reprogrammed to see if Ford has mysterisouly added updates.

heidib

ok 1996 chevy beretta just had a brand new crate engine installed engine runs great also cjanged the cat converter
when car starts idle normal then after a minute starts to jump up and down 500 rpm have to feather throttle jumps
over 1000 1500
have also changed the idle control valve and egr
does anyone have any idea whats going on
scanner is coming up clean and everything else has been perfect

thanks
heidib

dawnni

went to the store came out and my 96 Honda Civic was completely dead. Got a new battery then on my way to work when i come to a stop sign or light my car would completely die. My check engine light is not on. Can anyone give me an idea what is wrong? Thanks.

lnav

96 Mazda 626 Manual Trans (5 speed) Prior to this idle problem, the idle would fluctuate up and down. Replaced the IAC and now when I turn the a/c on, it runs rough and even stalls. Therefore I can't use the a/c on local streets. Highway driving yes, but when I slow down to exit I must turn the a/c off or the engine will die if I put it into neutral while making a turn. Help need the a/c its hot these days! Thanks

thisrocks

Ran once for a few minutes, no won't start.

Battery good
Spark plugs fire/tested with spark
Have gas

My system goes like this:
Fuel tank> HOSE > Fuel pump/filter assembly (has a return hose from
pump to filter) > HOSE > Carb

Unooked hose from carb and no gas came out when cranking.

I tried cranking again with normal setup.
Unhooked hose from the filter between the fuel tank, and no fuel came
out of it.

I don't know what to trouble shoot next, I'm not a mechanic, but have
been learning these steps via the net, and am now stuck.

Thanks

helpneeded123

Michael- mkl_fiji, Did you every find a fix for your 99 Grad Prix. We have a 99 Grand Am doing the same thing just stalling any time. Worse when the temp is warm. Thanks for any help.

mkl_fiji

nope, still stalls out.

best thing to do is sell it.

lnav

Almost a month now and I still haven't received a response to my question. Does it take that long to get one? Questions after mine have been responded to, anyone know why?

Mr_Shiftright

I answered this for you in another topic. The short answer is review your question for detail, re=post it/rewrite it, and if you get nothing, e-mail me and I'll help you.

Sometimes if you are too vague in expressing your problem, it's really hard to come up with a cogent reply, because problems like "stalling" can be caused by 100 things. When, how it stalls, etc. is very helpful (time, temperature, what was done before, etc.)

lnav

I have a 95 Mazda 626 Manual Trans (5 speed) I noticed my idle to be high 1500-2000 rpm. I was told it was my idle air control. These run about $400 so I purchased one at the salvage yard for about $8.00 Well the problem still exists. My next step was to clean the throttle body, which was a bit sticky. But that didn't help either. Now my idle is too low! Adjustments don't work. Could it be my MAS "Mass Airflow Sensor" This was replaced just last year, due to the fact there was a crack on top of it and water sepped in. Thanks for the input.

Mr_Shiftright

Is everybody guessing or has anyone plugged into the onboard diagnostics yet?

lnav

Guessing.....by onboard diagnostic. Do you mean taking the car to a shop? And having them do that $80 test? I'm being serious here, cars aren't my thing, cooking yes.
thanks

Mr_Shiftright

Yeah, I mean plugging into the car's computer and reading the error codes....these codes don't tell you the defective component but they tell you the circuit or system creating the problem. It's a first step in the diagnostic "tree". Autozone will read this for you for free.

tim15235

Hey, Ti from Pittsburgh PA. I have a 1994 Bonneville that will stall when my foot is of the gas or going down a slight hill or into a bend. I replaced the fuel pressure regulator, Mass air flow, plugs, wires, and fuel filter and still have the problem. Please help!! The car is pissing me off.

lnav

Autozone does not run codes for OBD I only II Mazda charges $80

Mr_Shiftright

Oh thanks didn't know that! I guess OBD I isn't standardized enough.

euphorbia

Turned out to be a short "formed" vacuum hose under the intake manifold. When I pulled it off it crumbled in my hands. A new hose fixed everything.

Euphorbia

ernesttt

i have a 90 maxima that bogsdown when started as if its running out of gas. after about 5 to 10 minutes the car runs fine until i shut it down again. then the same thing 5 to 10 minutes again then its fine .i've changed the fuel filter,roter, cap,wires ,plugs, air filter,checked vacume lines looks ok. with same results.ive added fuel additives injector cleaners,any help would be useful.

dmaljunk

if it was a 2000 Maxima I would say that it could be EGR valve tube clogged up, I had it on my car and heard of many people having this problem but on a 1990 - I don't know, it could be anything. I don't even know if you have an EGR valve

mon5603

Alright, so I have a problem with MY 2000 sunfire. I've recently had my engine replaced (about 4 months ago, but we won't get into that problem) and about 1 1/2 months ago it started running really rough. My engine light and T/C light come on the dash and the code says intermittent misfire on cylinders 2&3. Pretty random stuff. Tried the wires, tried coils, tried EGR valve, and even tried unplugging the battery for awhile to try and reset ECM.
The car never actually stalls, it runs rough while driving and while idling. And this starts happening right away, the engine isn't even warmed up yet. It only gets better when in neutral.
On top of all of this my car shifts really hard (auto.) and I've had my car up on the hoist and the fluid is fine.
Please help and give me some suggestions as I am really fed up with my car. I've only owned it a year and have sunk too much into it.
Thanks so much

izaquire

:sick: ive got a 77 cj-7 with a 60 something ford carburetor on it. Now i dont know anything about carbs so i thought id ask this question. when i finally get it started(after pouring gas straight into the carb) and pumping the pedal a thousand times, it will run ok until i push the gas. Then it will "gulp" like there is no air and wont idle up. and eventually will completely idle to shut off. Somebody please help me get this thing running ?!? thanks

elrechingon

I own A 1993 Altima, I replaced the distributor after attemting to repair a broken seal, around the ditributor cap due to oil intrusion.
Came to find out it was a brass bushing that was worn out what was causing the oil to seep through from the valve cover compartment.
Make a long story short 3 diffrent mechanics could not figure the problem out, a little of my persistance paid off.
You may have the same problem, take the distributor out and see if it is wet at the bottom with engine oil.
Once the oil wets the inside 360 degrees metal circle the vehicle will do what you described. It will only get worse, I paid 350.00 for a nissan new distributor, I knew the problem was at the worn bushing but I could not fix it, seems like a machinist task.
Let me know what happened.

itrpdgrl

I need help!! I have a 97 Dodge Intrepid and I am sick of paying for diagnostics test! It will not read a problem on the test!! I start my car and it idles up and down and cuts off for atleast the first 3 tries or I have to throw it in gear. Sometimes when I get to the light the idles agains go up and down the car jumps forward a couple of times (while idle jumping up and down)and it cuts off so again I have to rev it andd give it lots of gas or hurry up and throw in gear! I have had a fuel pump replaced also fuel filter and a water pump...I dont know what to ask to get fixed being that im a woman and its NOT reading any codes....what to do

autojunke

Well, not knowing what engine is in your intrepid, and performing "distance diagnosis", I can only give you a quess. I have seen a lot of intake manifold vacuum leaks cause the symptoms that you are describing, also Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) sensors. Both of those problems relate to the amount of air entering the engine. Vacuum leak problems are almost always more prominant at idle, I wont get into why, just know that it is. For Either one of those two formentioned problems you would need some equipment, ask you repair shop to "smoke" the intake, if they don't have a smoke machine, take it somewhere that does because these intakes are picky, they are hard to find and that is about the only vacuum leak test that they show up on, unfortunatly. Also, have them take a look at "fuel trim", if the TRIM is skewed one way or the other in any great amount, they need to take a close look at the MAP sensor. These things are not hard to pick out, but it does take some diagnostic ability, if your not happy with who you've been dealing with, I suggest taking it elsewhere. Codes (dtc's) are only worth so much, they are only a loose guide, even with a code, they still need to be able to navigate themselves through the diagnostic steps, rather then simply pulling a code, and throwing a part, that is not fair to us (technicians), or you (consumers), because it downgrades the value of a skilled diagnostition, and more often than not, relying on a code cost everyone time and money, spend $100 upfront for a SKILLED tech, or $500, $50 at a time for a hack. If you find one you know you can trust, tell the world. -auto junkie-

itrpdgrl

THANK you so much auto junkie...when I ask people they say its probably a vacuum leak but I definitely appreciate you taking the time out to explain to me!! Many Many THANKS!!!!

swordfish45

2001 VW Cabrio:
Recently had timing belt slip due to loose tensioner. Lined up crank, cam, & distributer timing marks. Adjusted tension.
Now very hard to start but when it does runs quite smooth & quiet until warm then stalls. Before the belt problem the I installed new plugs, air filter, dist. cap & rotot. Also new battery.
Could this be valve damage? Why would it run til warm?
ANything els?

deborahf

Ugh...My car is making me crazy. 3 cyl. 5 speed. I had a very hard time starting the other day. Finally got it started, stepped on gas, and it stalled. It also stalled on me the other day at a stop light. The day after I finally got it running I noticed a gas leak on the right side in the back. Leak in gas tank maybe? I have had gas line replaced in 04'. Can you help me?

hollyk

I have a 95 Buick Park Ave with about 200,000 miles. The problem is that it just quits with no warning signs at all as I am driving. This is an intermittent problem happening at any speed 10-50 mph or just sitting at a light. Sometimes it will restart immediately, sometimes after 2-3 attempts, (it turns over but it just won't fire up) sometimes only after it sits for a while. On occassion when I have gone to the store and come back out a few minutes later it will not start. Sometimes it goes for weeks without a problem, but I am having problems with it all the time now. I have had the ignition module and the fuel pump replaced and it is still giving me problems. The only code reads sensor signal/circuit problem which is cruise control (signal malfunction and resume signal malfunction). Cruise has never worked since I bought the car 5 years ago. One mechanic thought this was interfering with the circuit and just disconnected it since it didn't work anyhow. I need to find a reliable answer to this problem, since the mechanics I have taken it to seem to be troubleshooting in the dark ( I don't have hundreds to keep pouring into the 'this might be it hole') It was suggested to me that it may be a pickup coil. What do you think- are we on the right road are do you have a better suggestion? What steps can I take to trouble shoot this myself? Any help would be greatly appreciated- Thanks!

hollyk

I have the same engine with the same prob. I just put up a post #346. Let me know if you've had any luck. Thanks

british_rover

Hmhh do your gauges shut off right before the car stalls out?

What I mean is does your Speedo/tach just drop down to zero even though the engine is still running and you are still moving?

I had a similar problem with a Bonneville several years ago and it turned out to be a bad ECM. Had to replace the whole computer for the car but it wasn't that bad. Your car is still a OBDI computer so it shouldn't be too expensive.

I would say less then 400 dollars for the part and labor.

mkl_fiji

Hey.

Actually, sometimes the guages do shut down, but the engine is still running. It's only happened a few times. All the other times, the engine shuts down, too.

My mechanic told me that to replace the computer would cost $1000. How did you pay less than $400?

Thanks so much for the note!!!!

Michael

mkl_fiji

Also, how did you know to replace the ECM? I don't have any error codes. The car never stalls out when I take it to the mechanic. Why didn't you replace the coil packs, check wire harnessing, look for something else? My mechanic tells me the problem could be anything so throwing parts at it would be a waste of money.

Thanks!
michael

hollyk

No- absolutely no warning at all. Before I turn to the ECM I want try to troubleshoot some other options first.
Can a trouble code be current even if it is stored under history? I am wondering, b/c I have had this problem for so long now, if it is a possibility?

garth5042

any resolution??? my subaru is doing the exact same thing please help

ppvalentine

how do you tell if your fan is working without overheating the car. or how do you tell if a fuse is blown? I can't tell with these new fuses. All I know is when the car gets warm it stalls. Thanks

wayne17

I'm replying to my own message to post the solution to the problem I had. The problem was the idle air control valve. It kept getting worse until I had to bring it in to a mechanic. It would help if others would also post the solution to their problem, if it hadn't been answered on this forum. I forgot to do this until now.

kirklander

Mr Shiftright - I am new to this site and I am hoping for some good advice about my problemed VOLVO. My car has died several times in the middle of morning traffic and when I 'drift' to the emergency lane, my car won't start till I let it sit for a couple of minutes. Someone suggested that is was vapor lock. The battery died not to long ago and I got another one, but that died like 4 days later. I got a new battery, then the same thing happened. I had my alternator checked out but it turned out fine. Do you think their is something wrong with my electrical and do you think thier is any relationship to my car dying in mid driving to my battery situation? I'd really appreciate any advice you can throw my way. Thanks - Kirklander

Mr_Shiftright

Well you can forget "vapor lock"---that is highly unlikely on a modern fuel-injected car.

It's hard to say why a car just dies and then restarts, because you can't check it when it's doing the 'bad thing'.

What comes to my mind is a bad fuel pump which can very likely seize when hot and then work again when cooled off, and the second thing is some kind of electrical failure in the distributor pickup or in the ignition module.

I know my Saab, which had a vane-type fuel pump, would do that exact thing.

It may need to fail completely before you'll know for sure. You can't diagnose something that is working at the time of the diagnosis. :sick:

dmaljunk

Hi, 2000 Max, engine idles rough for 5-10 seconds when I start it shortly after turning it off when it's still warm. The idle is relatively steady but I can hear rough noise or rattle. It levels off in 5 seconds. There are no driveability issues and no error codes stored in ECU, this doesn't happen when engine is cold. Other symtom is a very rare pinging. Replaced parts/service - all coils, front pre-cat, MAF, both O2s on front bank, starter, battery, IACV, cleaned TB, cleaned EGR valve tube, intake manifold gasket, oil gaskets. I've had this issue for a while but now it happens much more often. Any advise appreciated.

mzannoni

Hi. I've had a '92 Mercury Cougar for a few months, and it always seemed to idle a bit high. Last week it seemed to get much worse, and it now idles very high, at 2500 RPM in Park and 1200 RPM in Drive with brakes on. I can drive 35-40 mph without giving gas. My mechanic checked thoroughly for vacuum leaks (lowered rpm for testing in some nifty way and carefully checked everywhere, including removing to intake manifold to check the gasket. No leak found. Sensors all test OK. Codes not showing anything (though Check Engine has come on then off a few times). The injectors, however, are showing very high voltage, so he thought brain box much be faulty. I got another for $30 from the junkyard: no change. Of course it's possible that the "new" one is bad in the exact same way . . . I don't want to drive it much, because it's bad on gas, it's stressing my brakes out and I heard it could blow a head gasket, never a strong point on these cars (Ford 3.8 V6) anyway. Can anyone help? Thanks.

toddcrowther

I have a similar problem. Please tell me what your problem was in the end.

Thanks.
Todd

toddcrowther

My 1989 Buick with the 3800 is hunting for idle, and idling low so sometimes stalling out when accelerating during hunting. Error code is 34 (Check vacuum and electrics for MAF sensor). The MAF is pretty new. New plugs and wires. I have noticed when the AC is on, the engine doesn't increase the RPM slightly like it used to do before this problem. This only seems to happen after the car is warmed up. It runs nicely as long as my foot is on the gas, but won't idle properly. Is there a way to test the throttle position sensor and the idle control motor? What else could this problem be. I don't suspect fuel pressure problems because the car runs well, except at idle. I would appreciate any suggestions or ideas.

Todd

jeffr2

I have an '02 Altima 2.5S with 108k miles. The problem is that more and more frequently, my RPMs dip when idling to where the vehicle's about to stall. Would an adjustment to the timing chain likely help? The spark plugs were replaced a couple of months ago.

acfearing

Help! My Camaro is idling too low. My family does all my repair work but they have never adjusted the idle on a fuel injected car. Please explain how to do it. Thanks :sick:

bandit6

I have had a similar problem with my 99 GTP. I found no info on the web but after some testing I found the problem with my car. The pump would come on without fail when turning the switch on. Default 3 sec delay to pressurize the system. When the car starts it has a system of interlocks. If all checks are ok the pump comes back on. I checked both relays... no problem. Checked pressure... ok. Checked oil pressure sending unit... ok. What I found was that air bag sensor was not making connection on the passenger front side. After cleaning & repairing the connection the pump comes on after starting. If this looses connection driving it can shut off the fuel also. The connector is a 2 pin going down behind the battery. I believe there is one on the drivers side at the same approx. location. If cleaning the connection be sure not to bend the female sockets so they will still make a good connection. Hope this helps if anyone has this problem.