my 99 camry stalls at red lights and when i slow down. It is normally preceded by driving at higher speeds on the highway, it stalls inconsitently and b4 stalling the car jerks, makes noise and the rpm needle fluctuates rapidly b4 it sputters and dies. The toyota dealers and mechanics have been unable to diagnose the problem as it never acts up at the shop. Recently now the car has trouble starting and requires upto 7 starts to run. The check engine light has never come on, no electic faults, dealer checked for error codes and found none, the car has 130,000 miles

When asking for advice it's best to include as much information about the car as possible. What engine the car has; I4 or V6. Along with that it would be helpfull to know of any maintenance history on the car; what was done and when.

That said, I would start by cleaning out your throttle body, paying particular attention to spraying the cleaner down the square or diamond shaped hole in the base of the throttle body. That hole leads to the idle air control valve where your stalling problem may exist.

As far as your starting problem, what is actually happening when you try to start the car? Does the starter crank (spin the engine over) when you try to start the car? If it does, does it spin it over at a normal rate of speed or slower? Does nothing happen when you try to start the car?

Mike

thanks mike for reply.the car is 99 camry le 4 cylinder engine american build.cleaning throttle body was first thing i did and it didn't work.i have changed the fuel pump and the temperature regulator valve which hasnt worked either.also a tune up has been done(changed spark plugs and wires).also the cylinder head cover gasket has been changed too.first it started with the car jerking lightly when you release the gas pedal on speeds above 40 miles/hr and then when you slow down to take an exit or come to a complete stop it jerks harder and sometimes stalls.it starts right back and can do the same thing for about another 3-4 times on the same drive and then stop or when u park it and wait a few minutes it goes back to normal.recently it developed the problem of not starting after it hasnt been driven or started in 3+ hrs(basically cold engine).this is when i changed the fuel pump.it crunks but just wont start or run engine until maybe after 10 tries which can be anywhere between 4-6 mins.i also noticed today that it sounds like the exhaust has a leak(not sure if this could be a contributor). also when the car starts jerking and the rpms are riding low under 1 you can smell the exhaust gas like its misfiring at times, then it goes back to completely normal.

Stalling - Does the idle jump then stabilize when you turn on the A/C? It's an indication the IAC valve is working.

Hard starting - Check fuel pressure before starting after it's been sitting. May have a leak in the fuel system and most likely a leaky fuel injector.

Does your car have a fast idle at first start when it is morning cold? That's another indication of the idle air control valve working. Have you checked/cleaned the EGR valve and it's related metal tubing? They have a tendancy to get clogged with carbon as these cars get higher mileage on them and can cause numerous problems. It's a bit of work, but it's worth a try IMHO.

Also, for futher reference, don't pay the dealer to read trouble codes. Places like Autozone will read them for you for free. If you don't have Autozone in your area, call around to other auto parts stores and ask if they offer this free service.

Mike

A good ol' fashioned tune up can help too...check/clean/replace the plugs, wires, cap, rotor.

A good ol' fashioned tune up can help too...check/clean/replace the plugs, wires, cap, rotor.
He actually did it: post # 3.

chris2md, try to check/verify your coolant temperature sensor. Poor/bad contact may cause that kind of problems.

Are your sure there is no leak in the new valve cover seal?

Good luck,

Sam