Hey there! 2003 Impala … car starts, engine revs to 2-3,000rpms, comes down to normal (750-1,000) and dies. Thoughts? (Doofuses down at the oil change joint switched out the air filter and had a tough time putting the new one in. Could they have messed with something?)
Was the car running ok before that? I would think that they may have knocked something loose. Take off the aircleaner
cover, and check the area around it. Inspect what they did.
I assume that was a quick change place. We see so many problems from them I strongly recommend you never even ask for directions at one.
How often does it do this? When does it do it? (time - like when first started, weather, when first started etc.) How long has it been doing it?
Has a CEL (check engine light) come on? You may want to have it checked even if you did not see it come on. Some places like Autozone and Advanced Auto Parts will check it for free. Get the actual code like P0123 and post it back here.
Likely problem is they loosened the electrical connector to the air flow sensor and/or air temperature sensor. Follow wires around that area and look for a loose connector.
Okay, me again. Got oil & air filter changed two weeks before this happened and was running fine before it. My wife went out to start the car yesterday and this was the first of the start-rev-die problem. Happens every time we start the car now. (We are in Rochester, NY and it’s been 20-degree cold here too, single digits at night … probably adds a whole other realm of possibilities.)
Has anyone driven a car in this condition - I’m going to have to give it a shot to get it to AZone or the shop … just wondering what I can expect. 
Thanks all!
Because I like closure, thought I’d post the resolution to our problem. We goosed the car started, giving it some gas, and got it up to our favorite shop. Vacuum hose came loose … thanks for your help, everyone!
Thanks for posting the resolution, I wished everyone did.
How do you think it came loose? Did in not have a clamp on it? What was the diameter of the hose(approx)? Could you see both ends of the hose? Do you know what this line was supplying vacuum to? Was it clear it came off due to difficult air filter change. Was it a fairly large line that just pushed into a rubber housing and just used friction or a ribbed fitting to retain itself. New car hoses, lines,electrical connectors dont just fall off had to be somekind of outside influence.