2008 Jeep Compass Stalling...Help!

Maintenance/Repairs
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1

I have taken my car to the mechanic several times now, and every single time they tell me it’s fixed…perhaps I should’ve learned by now and taken my car to someone else, but they’ve served me well up to this point for my last two cars.

My Jeep Compass is a 2008 4x4, about 2,000 under 100,000 miles on it. Normally, it runs like a champ. I get oil changes like clockwork, and every time it’s suggested to fix something, I do it. Since last October, it’s been a nightmare to drive this thing!

It stalls very frequently at stop signs / stop lights, and I need to leave lots of room between me and other cars so I can steadily inch forward while waiting at the red light, otherwise it will die. It starts up fine, but stopping again and it will die again. It’s to the point now that I would rather take the bus to college than drive the stupid thing, which defeats the purpose of having the car with the intention to drive to school.

  • Stalls / dies, especially when the A/C is on - unbearable to drive when it’s raining
  • Mechanic says they’ve run diagnostics on the car and nothing shows up…very confused!!

Any help would be incredibly appreciated.

2

The problem might be with the electronic throttle body on the engine.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=7314772&cc=1441550&jsn=354

In the past, the idle was controlled on fuel injected engines with an Idle Air Control valve. But since the advent electronic throttle body’s, the idle is controlled by the computer thru the electronic throttle body.

Sometimes the throttle body becomes dirty where even if the computer drives the throttle body to the proper position for the idle condition, not enough air enters the engine to allow the engine to idle.

This will not throw a code.

Take the vehicle to a shop that knows how to clean electronic throttle body’s.

Tester

3

Thank you for the reply!
I know the mechanic told me that they “reset” the throttle body…would that include cleaning it? The problem was fixed for a bit, maybe about two months? Then, as soon as I started using the air conditioning, it was wonky again.

Thanks again!

4

When the AC is turned on, it puts an extra load on the engine.

The throttle body plate moves to a certain position to allow more air into the engine so the engine idles under that load.

Resetting the throttle body signal doesn’t mean the throttle body itself was cleaned.

Tester

5

This references several TSBs which might apply:

6

If that is all the shop did, reset the TB, you can try it yourself and see if it makes a difference, at least for a little while until you resolve the cause.

  1. insert key into ignition but do NOT turn the key
  2. disconnect the wire going to the TB
  3. turn the key one click to the “on” position
  4. Wait about 30 seconds
  5. turn the key one click back (like when you only insert the key) and do not remove it
  6. Connect the TB wire again
    7 start your engine and see what happens

I have no idea if this works, but someone told me this once and I only copied the procedure.

Good luck

7

Very helpful, thank you! I printed a few of the probable issues out, and will bring them to the shop and see what they find. Thanks again.

8

I advise against telling the shop that you spoke to some guys on the internet and you think you know what the problem may be

You’re paying for the shop to diagnose and repair the problem

Don’t try to remove steps from their problem solving process

I’ve seen it get ugly way too many times

9

Good to know, certainly don’t want to make anything worse. Thanks for the suggestion.