My 2002 Toyota Camry XLE V6 (115k miles) stalls once every 4 months (happened thrice in the last year) or so when I’m braking & bringing the care to a complete stop.
The check-engine light comes on just before the car completely stops. The steering wheel feels locked. Putting it back in parking, turning off & turning it back on doesn’t help. The car doesn’t start. After 10-15 minutes, If I put the key in, turn it on & try to turn the steering wheel while turning it on, it turns back up & runs without any issues for the next few months.
I’ve taken the car to 3 different mechanics (including a Toyota dealership mechanic) & they tell me that the car is in great condition (I’ve done a lot of preventive maintenance on the car). They can’t find any error codes & they checked everything but can’t find any issues.
What could be the problem? Appreciate any insights.
Do you know what code was set? Idle air control valve are common to fail on theese and can cause a stall and hard start. If you give the car some gas when it stalls will it start? If you replace the iac use a good phillips screwdriver and press it firmly into the screws when loosening them or else they tend to round out.
The check-engine light comes on just before the car completely stops. this is normal for any car that stalls out and there will not be a code.The steering wheel feels locked.because the engine has stopped and you have no power steering at this point. Putting it back in parking, turning off & turning it back on doesn’t help. The car doesn’t start. After 10-15 minutes, If I put the key in, turn it on & try to turn the steering wheel while turning it on, it turns back up & runs without any issues for the next few months.
I think you are dealing with a faulty crankshaft possition sensor and when it gets hot, it misreads the possition of the crankshaft, and the engine shuts down. After it cools off it begins to work normally…
@insightful , thanks a lot. The first time this happened, I tried to clean the throttle body. I didn’t have the problem for around 8 months. Now, I’ve had it again twice in the space of 4 months.
@Yosemite , thanks. One time the car stopped, the car had run for barely a mile, on a cold & rainy day. It has also run for longer periods without any issues. Would the faulty crankshaft sensor mean that when I drive for long & generate heat, it will shut down? Or can it also happen on short trips?
All good comments above. When an engine stalls when coming to a stop, the first thing I’d do is check for ECM codes, and if nothing is found I’d check for vacuum leaks and bring all the routine engine maintenance up to date first. You could simply have a clogged air filter for example.
Here’s something that is a possibility to consider too. Unlikely, but not so much as to be completely dismissed. If I understand you correctly, after this happens, the car cranks but won’t start by turning the key to “start” unless you are simultaneously turning the steering wheel. So turning the steering wheel is key to getting it to start, right? It won’t start at all otherwise? That could be an ignition switch problem, as the ignition switch also plays a roll in locking the steering wheel to prevent theft; i.e. you may be turning the key to “start” but the ignition switch isn’t sending that signal to the proper place because it is worn out or broken. When you turn the steering wheel, it positions something inside the ignition switch just enough so it temporarily works.
@GeorgeSanJose , that is a great point. You also described my engine start problem precisely. @db4690, good point about the electronic throttle. I don’t know.
There are no engine codes found. All routine maintenance has been done on the car & the engine. I changed the air filter recently as well.
Yes, I have to keep turning my steering wheel to start the car. Otherwise it won’t start. The ignition switch theory makes sense.
I see that there are in essence two symptoms. One is the car stopping when braking & coming to a halt. The other is the car not starting for a while & eventually starting while turning the key & the steering wheel.
Will the ignition switch theory explain the car stalling as well or only the engine restart issue?
@knfenimore , thanks. The engine restart problem happens only when the stall happens. Hopefully, when the stall is fixed, that other problem would go away.
I’m going to try replacing the IAC & clean the throttle body to start with. This is a great & very helpful community. Thanks to all folks who responded for your help in trying to diagnose this issue. Appreciate this a lot.
The iac looks like the picture and is on the lower portion of the throttle body. Cant get picture to upload if you go to rockautos site it is listed there with a picture.