1996 non-turbo stalls, then starts right up
Stroked
03-23-2004, 06:58 PM
hey - i need some help with my girlfriend's 1996 Eclipse RS (133K miles on it)
she called me and said it keeps dying on her every time she slows to a crawl or stops, but she could always get it to start back up. she meets me in a gas station and i hop in (the car is cranked and idling fine) and take it around the block. it drives fine, good power, doesnt stall even when i come to a crawl or stop. then i pull it into the parking lot, turn it off, and then try to crank it again. it turns over, runs for a second then dies. i repeat this a couple of times with the same results. then i crank it and keep the revs around 1500 - 2000 for a around 30 seconds or a minute, then i see if it will idle - it falls on its face, sputters then idles like a kitten. i turn it off again and then crank it and it immediately dies. then i crank it and hold at 2k for a little while and it idles fine. the car was warm when i started driving it, it probably hadnt warmed up yet when she called me and told me it kept dying on her.
i'm a little lost under the hood of computer-controlled cars, so any help ya'll can give will be greatly appreciated - thanks!
--john
she called me and said it keeps dying on her every time she slows to a crawl or stops, but she could always get it to start back up. she meets me in a gas station and i hop in (the car is cranked and idling fine) and take it around the block. it drives fine, good power, doesnt stall even when i come to a crawl or stop. then i pull it into the parking lot, turn it off, and then try to crank it again. it turns over, runs for a second then dies. i repeat this a couple of times with the same results. then i crank it and keep the revs around 1500 - 2000 for a around 30 seconds or a minute, then i see if it will idle - it falls on its face, sputters then idles like a kitten. i turn it off again and then crank it and it immediately dies. then i crank it and hold at 2k for a little while and it idles fine. the car was warm when i started driving it, it probably hadnt warmed up yet when she called me and told me it kept dying on her.
i'm a little lost under the hood of computer-controlled cars, so any help ya'll can give will be greatly appreciated - thanks!
--john
ozhoo
03-23-2004, 10:13 PM
This ones easy. She's got a faulty Idle Speed Controller. On some cars their called Idle Air Control Valves. It's a liitle step motor mounted to the throttle body. It's either gummed up or toasted. First step is to pull the old one and clean it up. If that doesn't fix it, replace it.
Oz
Oz
Automotive Network, Inc., Copyright ©2025