HELP! Mustangs dying during driving

OrlandoStang · Aug 25, 2004

Backstory: I have owned two 2003 mustangs. The first was an Auto GT w/ only a drop in K&N. The second, my current car, is a 5spd GT w/ K&N FIPK, 75MM TB, CL Plennum, Magnaflow X w/cats, and a Magnaflow CatBack. I have experienced this problem in both cars and my friend w/ a 01 GT 5spd, has also had the problem. All cars were running 93 octaine gas.

The Problem: The cars will "die" while driving. The engine will shut off with no warning. Yet, the power will stay on (AC, radio, ect). All engine driven parts (brakes, steering, ect) will stop functioning. This is very dangerous! I usually only realize it has died when I try to brake or turn. I can turn the key and It will start back up and drive normally.

Diagnosis: I took my Auto to the dear b/c it happend with less than 1K miles on it, and they had no clue. They replaced a sensor (just in case they said), but they said nothing was broken.

Sorry for the length, but I am very concerned about this. My only clue other than a sensor, would be GAS type. Please respond if this has happend to you or if you know a solution. Thanks

bdcardinal · Aug 25, 2004

ya, DONT RUN ANYTHING BUT 87 OCTANE. you car was not designed to use premium, or plus. just use regular. you are probably losing power with premium. you dont need premium unless you are running a lot higher compression, or forced induction. the problem sounds like it could be an IAC, however its happening while the car is off idle, which makes me wonder.

scalder · Aug 25, 2004

Maybe the IAC? I've never personally had problems w one. Maybe someone else will chime in that has some experience w these failing. Such low mileage though...hmmmmmmmmmmm

OrlandoStang · Aug 25, 2004

IAC?

Thanks for the help.
I'm assuming its a sensor but, what does IAC stand for? Intake Air C.....?

JakeDaSnake · Aug 25, 2004

Yea sounds like an Idle Air Control valve to me my car did the same thing...

Later
Jake

JakeDaSnake · Aug 25, 2004

Yea sounds like an Idle Air Control valve to me my car did the same thing... take it off and spray some carb. cleaner in it if it stops then you can keep that one or buy a new one...

Later
Jake

jbrown · Aug 26, 2004

The iac just went on my car , it would die while at idle. Is it dying while you are in gear or just when the clutch is pressed in or while your are in neutral? Do what jake said and spray off the iac with carb cleaner and see if this temporarily fixes the problem. If its the iac it should not cause the car to die while the rpm's are above idle. If you cant find the iac do a search on here for iac someone had a pic posted. Its the cylinder looking object on front of the plenum with one wire and one hose connected to it.

KaPPaBaLL · Aug 26, 2004

orlando stang. yeah maybe iac could be the problem but tell me. Were going through a turn when the car just shut off? If so powersteering sucking up the juice is making your car go under idle rpms and making shut off. It happened to me few times to. Ford denies any problems as usual.

jbrown his car i'm thinking is stalling when he's out of any gear and is in a slow turn. scary scary

white99gt · Aug 26, 2004

you say dies while driving.

After the clutch is pushed in or just dies at a steady cruise?

jbrown · Aug 27, 2004

Hmmm he said he only realized it dies when he goes to brake or turn, he would probably put the car in neutral and than brake but more info is needed here. I remember reading something in mm&ff that ford had a recall on focuses that would die while driving, I think it was the drivetrain module or something weird I had never heard of before. Since its under warranty I would take it to the dealer, Ill try to dig thru my mags but Im not sure if I'll be able to find it. Does the car die when cruising or when in neutral/clutch in??? A few months ago my car cut off a few times while driving but hasnt happened since I fixed the iac so I figured it was just the iac beginning to fail.

ForPointSex · Aug 27, 2004

When I take my car to the track, after my run and in 4th gear (about 110MPH), if I press the clutch in, the car will die. So now I keep it in gear to slow down now.

This started to happen when I bumped the timing up to 15 deg.

green-Y2k-GT · Sep 3, 2004

Me too!

I'm having a similar stalling problem when driving. Twice now I've had my 5sp GT stall while driving straight, under more or less constant throttle, in 4th gear, travelling at about 60mph.

The car stalls suddenly with no warning or other sounds and after I've coasted to a stop, I can turn the ignition off, then on, then the car will start and run as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

This has happened to me twice in the last few weeks.

Is this an intermittent electronics problem? Is there a crankshaft or cam position sensor which usually gives up at about 40,000 miles or 4 years? Do the over-plug coils start giving up at some point?

How does an Idle Air Control (IAC) work at higher RPMs; why would it affect performance when the car is turning over 3000 rpm?

I'm running a superchip and a MAC cold air intake with a well maintained K&N in the fenderwell, all installed by the previous owner, but otherwise the car is stock.

Any help would be great.

Nater · Sep 3, 2004

This thread topic popped up again. Not saying that it is bad, but my '02 GT did the same thing a few months ago. I was driving straight at about 60 mph when it just quit. I pushed the clutch in, restarted it and kept driving. Since I was taking it to the dealer within the next couple days, I let them know what happened and they said they updated the computer with more current software. Since then it hasn't happened.

myponyrocks · Sep 4, 2004

from 8k-26k miles my 03 does it too usually when coming up to a light, but not when idiling. Still trying to get ford to fix the IAC or find the real problem instead of dikin around with my idle through the PC

godsmak53190 · Sep 4, 2004

mine is doing this also, but i think it might possibly be related to my chip? im thinking it might be sitting wrong causing some weird electrical signals maybe????

Johnlas · Sep 4, 2004

my car would do this as well...but it was when I would be crusing in 4th gear then go to stop with the a/c on (clutch pressed in upon breaking). The car would die for no reason. It started after I got my diablo predator...I bumped the idle rpm up a 100 rpm's (diablo's recommendation) and have not had the problem since...

krly79 · Sep 5, 2004

A friend of a friend had a Lincoln LS that would just die when he was driving. He kept on taking it to the dealer and the dealer would say that "We can't find anything wrong." Well, one day he was going around a corner and the car cut off, he lost steering and his brakes, and he plowed head long into a telephone pole. Ford offered him his medical bills and a brand new something or other but he turned it down. They went to court and he was awarded his medical bill and $750,000. I'm still not sure if they ever released a recall or not.

99darkgreenGT · Sep 5, 2004

anyone have the part number for the IAC? i need to order one, but i am not near my car right now, so it is kind of hard to get the part number from it

thanks

HELP! Mustangs dying during driving

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