Stalling problem

spock2001us

Member
Aug 23, 2005
143
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Suddenly, my car is stalling, not always, but now and then. If it stalls, it is when maneuvering around a parking lot, or backing out in the morning. It always starts right back up, and shows no sign of a stall when driving, and it will not stall when stopping at a light.

Here are the facts:

Over the last few months, my car was having trouble starting so I replaced all the little things up front. New Ford throttle body with new IAC and TPS which come with the unit. Remanufactured: Mass Air Sensor and Distributor with Stator. New K&N (actually a million mile warranty free replacement)...and when I put the new K&N filter on, I found that I had a crack in the plastic housing of the MAF, so I was running my engine pretty dirty because the intake was by-passing the K&N and sucking air direct from the engine bay with no filter. I am sure that is what blew up my IAC.

I also put new wires, plugs, coil, and new O2's...ummmm....I guess that is about it. When I found the air leak in the MAF, I sprayed a can of throttle body cleaner into the intake (while the engine was running) and it would drain back out pretty black, so it was pretty dirty.

After replacing the MAS and the stator, my car would fire up very nicely in the morning. The rpm's would start at about 1100, but then quickly bounce down, as in 900, back to 1100, down to 800, back to 1000, etc, until it would finally settle at about 700 or so. When it idle's at 700, and crawling around in a parking lot or leaving my driveway, that is where the engine will putter down to 400, maybe bounce back up, and sometimes stall.

I ran codes, weeks ago, that is where I found the bad MAS and stator. But I have not run any codes today.

So, what give?......are my injector's clogged up?....is there a vacuum leak?....if I run the codes, will it tell me about a vacuum leak or clogged injectors. As best I can tell, I have plenty of fuel pump, but who know's?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.:shrug:
 
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Come on guys!!!.....I figured out myself what I think may have been the problem......when I would turn the wheel, while stopped, the rpm would drop to below 500 and sometimes stall. I opened up the power steering res and it was extremely low. I had worked on the suspension a few weeks ago, and at that time I had turned the wheel without the engine running....when I did that I noticed a large pool of steering fluid on the garage floor. I had forgotten all about it until this morning.

So, I filled the steering fluid and so far today, no more stalls and no more power drop when turning the wheel while stopped. Before I pat myself on the back, can anyone tell me if having low steering fluid will put enough of a draw on the belts/compressor/power or whatever.... to cause a stall? Just so I know what is going one, that is all.

Thanks
 
It could. Unlike 4 cylinder cars, the computer in the 5.0's wont compensate the idle (via the IAC) for the load of PS. I notice my idle bog a bit if I turn the wheels with the car stationary and at idle.

Like the diagnosis for feeling pain while hitting yourself in the foot with a hammer, the solution is to not do that.

It sounds like your underlying issues are exacerbating the draw of the PS.

Good luck.
 
Stalled again....while driving home, everything was fine....while stopped at a traffic light, just to see what was going to happen, I turned the wheel slightly and my car instantly stalled. It started right back up with no problem.....I do want to figure out how to make this stop happening.
 
pull the belt off and spin the power steering pully and see if it turns freely. and how was your power steering fluid level.do you have a power steering leak. i believe the pump can rob power from the motor causing motor to stall if pump is defective.
 
bill302 said:
pull the belt off and spin the power steering pully and see if it turns freely. and how was your power steering fluid level.do you have a power steering leak. i believe the pump can rob power from the motor causing motor to stall if pump is defective.

That sounds possible........and yes it was very low before I filled it, but it still stalled.

I will take off the belt this weekend and see if that is the problem....thanks.
 
What is the "normal iddle of a 94/95 GT?? Mine is even lower down 600-650, I get stalling tendancies allot as it always dips under 500. I am thinking I should adjust the idle up more like 800rpm?? idling so low just seems to wreak havoc on the ECU. when is switches modes etc it dips to the point of stalling. The Tb also feel like it I sticking at idle, maybe closed to far. I am thinking...

SPOCK have you tried raising your idle a touch to like 800 and see what happens?
 
lamrith said:
What is the "normal iddle of a 94/95 GT?? Mine is even lower down 600-650, I get stalling tendancies allot as it always dips under 500. I am thinking I should adjust the idle up more like 800rpm?? idling so low just seems to wreak havoc on the ECU. when is switches modes etc it dips to the point of stalling. The Tb also feel like it I sticking at idle, maybe closed to far. I am thinking...

SPOCK have you tried raising your idle a touch to like 800 and see what happens?
Make sure your idle stop screw didnt back out. If it did, the idle could be lower and the throttle blade might stick.

Good luck.