'93 Mustang 2.3L Stalling at Speed

I have a '93 Mustang, 2.3L

Can cruise around at low speeds (15-45 mph) with no problems.
Try and go faster, the engine stalls then dies. After I coast off the road it will start up with no problem. This happens if the engine is cold or hot.

Idle with A/C Off: Goes to 1500 RPM, then down to 800 RPM and steady
Idel with A/C On: A/C clutch kicks on, it will idle up ok, A/C clutch kicks off the car almost dies then recovers to 800 RPM and steady.

No Check Engine Light and No Codes came up when we read them.

Changed: Fuel Filter, Fuel Pump, Mass Air Flow Sensor, PCV Valve, Spark Plugs.
Checked: Vaccum lines, fuel lines.
Tried: Diconnected Mass Air Flow sensor and tried it with same results as above.

Any suggestions?

Automatic or Manual?

Also is there a possibilty that your CEL is burned out?

It's an automatic and the CEL isn't burned out, comes on for a moment when I start the car like normal then goes off.

Did you check fuel pressure? Could be getting just enough fuel to run around at low rom but when you crack the throttle open enough it goes way lean from lack of fuel and dies? I know its a far out guess but something to consider. Does the car rev ok in park or neutral? Can you floor it in 1st gear and it pull to redline? This would rule out the fuel pressure thing.

Car revs ok in park and neutral and was able to redline it.

I then tried rev'ing the engine to different RPMs and holding it for a few seconds before letting off with the following results:
Held RPMs at 3000 = Everything ok
Held RPMs at 3500 = Everything ok
Held RPMs at 4000 = Amost died but recovered
Held RPMs at 4500 = Engine died and took 2 attempts to restart.

When I tried the 4500 RPM test, after a few seconds the RPMs starting dropping slightly and I kept having to push the gas pedal down a little more to keep it at 4500, after a few more seconds the engine died.

Not sure if the 2.3 cars have them, I dont know what all their ignition system consists of. But have you had the ignition module tested? The car isnt just missing real bad is it? Like its running off of 3 cyls? I know my truck didnt run worth a shit last week, I finally got the chance to work on it today and the spark plug wire had actually come apart on the inside. I just stuck an old wire on there and the damn thing runs perfect now. Before it would only turn 4000 rpms and it tryed to die at idle. Without that cylinder firing it was loading up with fuel some too.

The 2.3L has an EDIS ignition module and no, I haven't had it tested yet. I do happen to have a spare one laying around in the shed (long story) so I'll try swapping it out to see what that does.

To answer your other question, no, it doesn't seem to be missing.

Thank you for the help! Really appreciate it!

Mustangs aren't my forte but I am thinking A4LD tranny?
Would you be please be kind enough to count shift points and rpms and tell us what gear your dying in and if you make it to 4th?

It's now gone intermittent....:banghead:

Took the car to autozone to pick up some dielectric grease so I could swap in the spare EDIS unit I have and on the way there here is what I found.

- Yes, it's a A4LD tranny. Yes, I make it to 4th gear. (Didn't get the shift points since I left before seeing the above post)

- Found that if I let off the gas (foot off pedal) when I see the RPMs starting to go down, coast a few seconds, then get back in the gas, the RPMs would go back up a little and the car didn't stall. Was able to go 60-65 mph using this method.

- After a few miles of this I noticed the RPMs weren't going down so I floored it and got up to 80 mph. Drove for 4-5 miles at 80 mph with no problem. Pulled off the road and came to a complete stop, then gunned it to get back on the road and got up to 80 mph with no problem. Drove it around a little while longer and no stalling and no RPM drop - although it did seem to lack as much power as it usually has.

Not sure what to do now. Didn't fix anything so I know it's broke.

Took the car out for a spin again. Made several runs back and forth down a 2 mile stretch of level road and was able to do 85 mph without stalling.

During the runs I wrote down the shift points:
Shifts into 2nd between 3800-4000 RPMs (35 mph)
Shifts into 3rd between 3500-3800 RPMs (45 mph)
Shifts into 4th between 3400-3500 RPMs (varied)

Note of interest:
Twice it didn't shift into 4th gear. In third gear I got up to 80 mph, RPMs were around 3200-3500, so I backed it off.

I'll pick up the diagram to an A4LD tranny in the morning and probably tell you something by 1 or 2pm (cst)

Also I forgot to ask this earlier what is your mileage and has your tranny been rebuilt before, if so at what mileage?

I have spent the past couple of hours studying the A4LD tranny and the specs on a 2.3L Mustang and going on the assumption you haven't done anything past intake or exhaust work, I would most likely look towards yours your transmission as the problem.
Your shifts points seem a tinny bit high and the fact that you said your torque convertor failed to lock up twice makes me wonder.
What I suspect is happening is your torque convertor is not locking up due to lack of transmission fluid passing through the torque convertor for whatever reason.


Things to check or consider:
Over Drive Solenoid (faulty or damage)
EEC / EEC Controlled Valve (faulty or damage)
Transmission fluid (Flush and Change transmission fluid)
Transmission filter (change and repalced transmission fluid)
Torque convertor (faulty or damaged)

Usually the most common problem with this is is the fluid has become to thick to pump or the filter has become clogged.