I’m not sure if this has been answered before in a previous thread, so I apologize in advance for asking this question again if it has. If anyone could so kindly answer or direct me in the right direction to find the answer, then it would be greatly appreciated.
I have a 1995 Nissan Altima GXE 4cyl and it has been rough idling for a while now but now I have this new problem. While I drive the car and after it has warmed up, the car shuts off when I’m at a stop. When I’m at speed, it runs just fine and smooth and I only have problems at stops. I then restart the car just fine and continue driving. I’m having to keep doing this over and over. What could be the cause or causes for this?
The first thing that I would check is the idle air control valve.
It probably needs to be cleaned, or it may need to be replaced.
And, if it has been a long time since your spark plugs were replaced, that might be another item on your to-do list.
I almost hesitate to ask this question, but…Is the Check Engine Light lit up?
It’s not my primary vehicle. My dad drives it mostly and he is terrible at upkeep with his vehicles. I asked him about that and he told me that it was on for a little while but now its gone. Not sure how and why the light went away.
My best advice, overall, is that if you and your family are planning on keeping the car for more than a very brief time, then someone (obviously NOT your father) needs to apply an adult-level of responsibility to the maintenance of the car. Diagnosing car problems is rarely an exact science, but when dealing with a car that has suffered from very little maintenance, diagnosis can become a truly hit-and-miss proposition.
So, hopefully the IAC and new spark plugs will resolve the stalling problem, but unless you want to be dealing with BIG ticket repair problems (higher than the book value of the car), you need to bring the car up to date with ALL of the required maintenance. “Cherry-picking” just one or two things to do, but skipping all other maintenance is…not wise.
There are few things that are more expensive in the long run than skipping vital maintenance on a car.
Oh I know. Agreed with everything you just said. I keep a log and check everything on all of my vehicles regularly. I have two cars that I take care of very well. Adding on a third car to upkeep and third expense especially since it’s not my primary vehicle is something I cannot afford and have time for. My dad is retiring very soon and moving out of the country and by that I mean within a year. I just need this part resolved until I scrap the car which is not far off. We’re talking about 6-8 months and after that I’m not keeping it.