Lately, I can be driving for five minutes or 30 minutes and then suddenly, my car dies. It seems to happen when I let my foot off the gas. I’ve taken it in twice to a local car shop but they haven’t found anything that would cause that to happen. Ideas? Thanks! - Jodi
Jodi, It’s Not Your Fault (They Don’t Prompt You), But We Really Need A Model-Year And If You Know It, The Engine Size And Approximate Miles On The Van.
Do you adhere to a regular manufacturer advised maintenance schedule ?
CSA
then suddenly, my car dies. It seems to happen when I let my foot off the gas.
What happens after it dies? Can you start it back up? Do you need to wait for it to cool down to restart it? Do you need to have it towed somewhere to have it fixed?
Sorry, thought I added car info:
-Chrysler Town & Country Caravan - 1999 (155k miles)
-Tune up on engine and diagnostics by shop yesterday didn’t solve problem
-shop keeps trying to replicate problem on freeway but it has never happened on the freeway
-only at slow speeds and only when I take my foot off the gas
-after it dies, I put it in park and then it starts right back up…no cool down necessary
-sometimes it will happen three times in a row, stop light, slowing at a corner, etc. but then sometimes it doesn’t happen again all day
Thanks you guys!
Just offhand, this sounds like an Idle Air Control valve problem and it’s not that rare no matter the make of the vehicle.
It’s also quite possible to have an IAC problem without any computer codes being set.
(The IAC is an ECM, or computer, controlled device that regulates and maintains the engine idle speed.)
Before cleaning or replacing an IAC valve a check for vacuum leaks should be performed as it has a big influence on the IAC valve. This is best done with the use of a vacuum gauge as it’s very quick and very easy.
Hope that helps.
If this van has an egr valve, it could be that it’s sometimes staying open causing a lean stall condition.