I bought the car in January. It was heavily used and has a whole lotta miles on it. It’s been sitting for years and needed a heavy tuneup. Parts have been replaced and everything, and it was driving good.
Recently there has been an issue. The car has started to stall. If i turn on the engine, the car will soon start to shake and it’ll just shut off in a few seconds. If i change gears to reverse or drive (especially reverse), it’ll sometimes turn off. If I turn the wheel while stationary when the car is on, it’ll turn off. It’s only sometimes when i do these things the car will shake before it turns off.
It still drives well after I’ve gone several meters. It only happens when i first turn the car on and start moving and when i don’t press the gas pedal down enough to keep it from turning off, but this could be a little risky when i’m in a parking lot. If i want to keep it from stalling, i have to continue pressing down the gas a little when i put it in drive or reverse.
I haven’t had this issue before since I first started driving it. The transmission fluid and motor oil are at the perfect level. The fuel pump is new and was put on in February. When there’s a full tank of gas, the stalling still happens. I don’t know what the problem could be. If there’s anyone who could give me some kind of help in the right direction, it’d be much appreciated.
For a car that’s been sitting for years then put back into use, fuel system problems developing are a common problem reported here. Often to solve the problem the fuel tank must be removed and thoroughly cleaned or replaced.
If your engine uses an idle air control valve, that’s another common problem that can cause symptoms like this. Especially if the driver can work around the stalling problems by holding the gas pedal down slightly. You could try tapping on the IAC with the plastic handle of a screwdriver, see if that has any effect.
I found the IAC. Tapping on it didn’t change anything. I think it got worse. I’m not sure If it was due to the tapping, but now when I turn the car on, instead of turning off after a few seconds like it usually does, it just turns off immediately.
Cleaning it is a good idea but be careful to use the approved solvent. Some throttle bodies can be damaged if the wrong solvent is used. I didn’t believe it, but have heard of it often enough to advise caution.
I didn’t need to replace the IAC Valve. The throttle body air intake was dirty and filled with an orangish grime. After cleaning it with a special throttle body cleaner, I’m not facing the problems I was facing. The stalling and shaking stopped.