When we try to restart our Toyota Ipsum after driving to an intermediate stop, it stalls when placing it in drive. Basically stalls on placing in drive when engine is warm. Never occurs when cold. Runs perfectly fine all other times. Garage said it was due to bad spark plugs. I can’t help but feel this is too simple a response. I would think it may be related to the throttle control or transmission. Any thoughts or advice?
You absolutely do start with bringing basic maintenance up to date - things like spark plugs. Spark plugs are not something that you replace in order to “repair” some problem. They are things that you regularly replace as part of basic maintenance.
On the subject of basic maintenance, no on can even get a start on giving you advice unless they know all about the state of basic maintenance items. Basically, your car is running poorly. That is why it is stalling. This can be happening for any very large number of reasons (including throttle or transmission related issues as only a couple).
I also have no idea what an “intermediate stop” is. I also can’t figure out how you drive, and then stop, and then are putting it in drive. Wasn’t it already in drive? If it wasn’t already in drive then how did you move in order to then come to an “intermediate stop.”
I think that the OP is telling us that the vehicle has a stalling problem on hot re-starts, and that the stall takes place when putting the transmission into gear. At least that is my interpretation.
As Cigroller stated, this could be a maintenance issue, or it could be the result of a sensor or other part that needs to be replaced. And, as Cigroller also stated, we need MUCH more detail regarding the vehicle.
Since this model has not been manufactured for the past 10 years, it would be helpful to know the model year of the vehicle, as well as its odometer mileage. Of course, we need the vehicle’s maintenance history–at least for the past 3 years. And, since this model could be had with either a gasoline engine or a diesel engine, we need to know which type of engine it has.
Lastly–Is the Check Engine Light illuminated?
Details please!
VDCdriver is spot on, it stalls on hot re-starts when placing the transmission into gear. The car is a 1997 Ipsum automatic, gasoline engine with 149,000 miles. The car has been maintained with regular oil and radiator fluid changes, but has not had the transmission fluid changed since 90,000 miles. The car runs fine, except for the stalling. The engine light does not come on until after it has stalled. The engine temperature runs normal. I did notice that the RPM’s dropped when stopped at a red light when the engine is warm. It typically runs around 1000 RPMs’ at idle but periodically drops to 400 RPM’s when standing at the stoplight in gear. The RPM’s also drop prior to stalling on a hot re-start and placing into gear. I did replace the spark plugs, but still no change. I am suspicious this has to do with the drop in rpm’s at idle when engine is hot. Any thoughts? Thank you.
I would suggest that 59K is a bit much before a transmission service. Not that the transmission is causing your problems, but at that mileage, with no service, it’s suspect and at the very least, overdue.
I’ll leave the engine diagnosis to the motor smart guys out here.
Ok. Skip the putting it in drive for a minute. You do a hot restart and the car basically doesn’t run well? It runs rough? What if you do a hot restart and just wait a minute (or a few) at idle? Will it eventually smooth out and idle well? If the idle does drop occasionally is this a very regular thing that might be described as a “loping” idle? Or do the rpms just randomly take a dive once in while?
I think you’re looking at either: something like a leaking fuel pressure regulator or fuel injector that is flooding the engine on a hot restart; or a bad check valve in the fuel pump that is allowing the pressure to bleed off when you shut down leaving you with a mix of liquid & vapor in the fuel lines when you restart.
Either that or you have something creating a vacuum leak-type of issue, such as an EGR system problem.
I do actually know nothing, in particular, about the Ipsum - but the basics vary little from car to car.