What causes a car to shutoff at idle?

[bowlofturtle]

I want to spend as little as possible on this repair as we are going to sell the car shortly.

My 03 lancer, no CEL or anything of that matter. Starts up and drives pretty nicely (lack of power IMHO but 140hp 4cylinder auto). The car has stalled out twice in about 45 days of driving. I wasn't driving it at the time but from what i can tell, it happens when coming to a stop sign. It will just just die out. You would have to put it back into park and start the car back up. It starts right back up and goes like normal.

45 days of near every driving in stop and go traffic, it happened twice. With no CEL, i'm thinking a dry rotted vac line or something with the idle air valves because it only happened when coming to a stop sign.

This is all 3rd party information from GF. I've been driving it for the past 4 days and nothing has happened yet, it actually driving pretty normally.

 

[crazyoildude]

Start by scanning it even if there is no cel there can still be a stored code.. Also clean the throttle body and put a bottle of techron in the gas tank.. Maybe take it on the highway and blow it out and see how that is.

 

[WobblyElvis]

A dirty MAF sensor can cause a rough idle and possible stall. Usually it will also cause a hesitation. Cheap to clean if it has one.

 

[Warstud]

Clean the throttle body and IAC if possible.

 

[JC1]

Originally Posted By: Warstud
Clean the throttle body and IAC if possible.


+1.

 

[bowlofturtle]

Originally Posted By: WobblyElvis
A dirty MAF sensor can cause a rough idle and possible stall. Usually it will also cause a hesitation. Cheap to clean if it has one.


There is no rough idle at all.

Honestly if i didn't know about the car stalling twice, i would say this car is perfectly healthy car.

I just got back from scanning the car, NOTHING stored/pending according to Torque Pro.

Originally Posted By: Warstud
Clean the throttle body and IAC if possible.


I will be cleaning both come turkey day with some brake/carb cleaner.

 

[Merkava_4]

At idle speed, the engine may not be getting enough air because the space between the throttle body wall and the edge of the butterfly plate is blocked by deposits. In that case, the throttle body will need to be taken off the engine and cleaned thoroughly.

 

[xxch4osxx]

Torque converter clutch solonoid possibly gone. I had that exact same problem in a 1993 Beretta I had. Replaced the TCC solonoid and problem solved. The TCC solonoid unlocks the converter at a certain speed before the vehicles comes to a stop. If the solonoid isn't working properly, it will not unlock the converter and the vehicle will stall when you come to a stop.

 

[Warstud]

Originally Posted By: bowlofturtle
I will be cleaning both come turkey day with some brake/carb cleaner.


Use Throttle Body Cleaner.

 

[wha232]

My Sentra did the same thing. Cleaning the throttle body and MAF resulted in a temporary improvement. After I cleaned the Idle Air Control (it was caked with soot) the car ran like new and the MPG jumped by 2.

 

[krismoriah72]

check fuel pressure...worn fuel pump causes no codes and shutoff random at idle.

 

[mclasser]

Originally Posted By: JC1
Originally Posted By: Warstud
Clean the throttle body and IAC if possible.


+1.

+2 Easiest place to start with hot stalling.

 

[bowlofturtle]

Originally Posted By: Warstud
Originally Posted By: bowlofturtle
I will be cleaning both come turkey day with some brake/carb cleaner.


Use Throttle Body Cleaner.


what would be the difference? I have carb and brake cleaner already on hand. TB cleaner should some type of carbon cleaner right?

Not trying to be a smart [censored], i simply dont know. The TB isn't DBW or anything, its just old school cable operated.

Originally Posted By: mclasser
Originally Posted By: JC1
Originally Posted By: Warstud
Clean the throttle body and IAC if possible.


+1.

+2 Easiest place to start with hot stalling.


Yea gotta start with the basic/easy to do ones first.

My biggest problem is duplicating said issue.

 

[Rand]

Originally Posted By: bowlofturtle
I want to spend as little as possible on this repair as we are going to sell the car shortly.



Best Answer: do nothing. It happens once a month and you are selling it.

 

[cronk]

Does the GF by any chance have a heavy key ring that could be swaying around and jarring ignition switch off?

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: Warstud
Originally Posted By: bowlofturtle
I will be cleaning both come turkey day with some brake/carb cleaner.


Use Throttle Body Cleaner.


+1

 

[nyumski]

in my opinion, the case is around about air and fuel. it means you need to check the air filter condition, if you have air restriction gauge maybe you already know the problem. check mass air flow (MAF) sensor, if you neglect or dont know anything about it, it is the time you must check. the sensor is functionalized to read the need air for running engine. if it is dirty, ECU will read wrong even there is no CEL comes. check fuel filter condition. if you never check that maybe it clogged now. check fuel pressure. it can happen if the pressure getting low.