Why is it stalling?

[clarks2001]

Well it stalled once but sometimes the idle dips down to right before it stalls. Usually happens when I am stopped in gear or going from reverse to drive gear. Today it died while i was at the ATM and it was in drive.
My battery is only months old and dealership said my alternator is fine. The belt is new also. I ran it to 5000 rpm during accelerating to see if it would help and it still idles the same way. Note that I dont drive it like that all the time, this is actually the first time I got the RPM up that high, I usually run up to max 3,500 rpm before the gear changes.
I may clean my MAF sensor and replace air filter to see if that helps. What should I use to clean the MAF? I was thinking that dust off stuff but open to suggestions.
I got just over 96000 miles on it (4.0L)so the plugs are soon to get swapped and coolant flushed, and differential fluids changed out and transmission fluid changed also. But thats a few months down the road yet. Any ideas would be appreciated.

 

[metallica1283]

I had a similar problem in my Taurus check your vacuum lines, could be your IAC (idle air control censor) but i would check the vacuum lines first. just an idea

 

[zerodevil]

clean the MAF, check the lines, and replace the Idle air controll valve, no CEL?

 

[clarks2001]

No CEL yet. What would be the best stuff to use to clean the MAF sensor? If the IAC is bad, wouldn't I have a CEL?

 

[zerodevil]

buy a dedicated maf cleaner at your local auto shop...its in a can and its not very expensive, i clean mine 20 miles after every filter change. THE OBD2 system is not entirely relyable...i had shot a spark plug and it didnt go off...thats right...a blow spark plug and no cel...change it and see what you get...you can test is buy putting just a LITTLE pressure on the gas pedal..by keeping the throttle body just a little open. if it keeps running...its probably your IAC.

 

[metallica1283]

wouldn't the same thing happen with the vacuum line though? rough idle and still runs with your foot on the gas?

 

[zerodevil]

potentialy, but its such a short vacume run from the intake pipe to the IAC you would be able to tell if there was a problem.

 

[High_Order1]

OP lists a 2002. It's TBW... I can't look at the disk while I'm on the net. Y'all sure there's a IAC still?

-Shawn

 

[High_Order1]

THE OBD2 system is not entirely relyable...i had shot a spark plug and it didnt go off...thats right...a blow spark plug and no cel...

The computer system would have no way to know the plug was missing. If the spark to the plug had problems, that's a code. If there was a misfire at the cylinder, there's a sensor for that.

-Shawn

 

[zerodevil]

The computer system would have no way to know the plug was missing. If the spark to the plug had problems, that's a code. If there was a misfire at the cylinder, there's a sensor for that.

-Shawn

no, but the knock and missfire sensors and stuff should have gone off (like the 1st time i shot a plug hte computer went nuts and put the engine into safe mode.). ODB2 is no where near a perfect system.

im pretty sure they didnt do away with the IAC untill 04, because my 03 v8 still has an IAC