# Cold Stalling Grand Marquis 2001 **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** mercury\ **Created:** [February 5, 2011, 9:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cold-stalling-grand-marquis-2001/60943 "2011-02-05T21:26:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![melott](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/melott/32/10827_2.png) [@melott](https://community.cartalk.com/u/melott)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 9:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cold-stalling-grand-marquis-2001/60943/1 "2011-02-05T21:26:54Z")
I just bought this 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis with 87k on it. It runs and idles smoothly, good gas mileage, no sign of trouble–except a cold start. It actually starts fine, but when I shift into drive the engine dies. If its 0, it just dies. If I idle it a minute or two, it will do OK. At 20 degrees, it slows like its going to die, but then recovers. Once I have it running in drive (or reverse) it behaves completely normally. Since this thing is presumably computer controlled with no adjustments, I am puzzled. The only clue is that this was an estate-probated car, and probably sat around for 6 months or so. I had no clue on purchase–probably because the seller warmed it up before I got there to try it out. Any advice/ideas? ---
**Author:** ![melott](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/melott/32/10827_2.png) [@melott](https://community.cartalk.com/u/melott)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 12:09am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cold-stalling-grand-marquis-2001/60943/2 "2011-02-06T00:09:27Z")
So–all the experts out partying on a saturday evening? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 12:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cold-stalling-grand-marquis-2001/60943/3 "2011-02-06T00:55:21Z")
Sounds like the cold is causing your idle air solenoid to be slow when first started. If you can repeat it everyday it’s cold, maybe try a blow dryer to warm up the IAC before you first start it and see if it works better. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 3:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cold-stalling-grand-marquis-2001/60943/4 "2011-02-06T03:11:41Z")
What Pete said and or there will be thermometer, usually in the air intake somewhere, that provides a signal to the computer (ECM) which the computer uses to adjust the fuel mixture (sort of like a choke) during warm-up. A fault in this circuit can cause a lean start-up mixture and stalling… ---
**Author:** ![melott](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/melott/32/10827_2.png) [@melott](https://community.cartalk.com/u/melott)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 3:48am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cold-stalling-grand-marquis-2001/60943/5 "2011-02-06T03:48:06Z")
that certainly sounds like a reasonable explanation. thanks. i would think of adjusting the screw for the cold idle speed–which dates me I think. it should not be expensive to fix. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 3:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cold-stalling-grand-marquis-2001/60943/6 "2011-02-06T03:58:37Z")
[www.crownvic.net](http://www.crownvic.net) is another place to ask questions about Panthers Better link [http://www.crownvic.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=11&page=1](http://www.crownvic.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=11&page=1) ---
**Author:** ![melott](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/melott/32/10827_2.png) [@melott](https://community.cartalk.com/u/melott)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 2:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cold-stalling-grand-marquis-2001/60943/7 "2011-02-06T14:37:45Z")
Wait a minute–shouldn’t a malfunctioning sensor (thermometer) trigger a "Check Engine" light? I don’t have one. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 2:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cold-stalling-grand-marquis-2001/60943/8 "2011-02-06T14:52:21Z")
Not necessarily. Only if it’s like maybe stuck at -40 or maybe 300 degrees. A temp sensor that is askew will probably not turn on the light. However you could have a trouble code stored which may give a clue. Not all codes are going to turn on the light. There are parts stores that will scan for codes for free. Don’t forget a DTC is just that, not a part replacement code. If you have a DTC we can probably help , we just want the code, not the description. ---
**Author:** ![melott](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/melott/32/10827_2.png) [@melott](https://community.cartalk.com/u/melott)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 5:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cold-stalling-grand-marquis-2001/60943/9 "2011-02-06T17:03:07Z")
If a trouble code is read, does that erase it? I wouldn’t want to go to a parts place and lose information that a repair shop might need later. ---
**Author:** ![tardis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f0a364/32.png) [@tardis](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tardis)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 6:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cold-stalling-grand-marquis-2001/60943/10 "2011-02-06T18:30:33Z")
On most code readers, it is the operators choice to erase all stored codes or not. Ask them not to.