1999 GA Engine Stalls

[billybob78229]

My motto: Nothing lasts forever... but I'm trying!

My GA SE has 238,000+ miles and it's been a great ride. Next to no maintenace required on my engine with routine oil changes. It has the smaller 2.4L DOHC Twin Cam L4 engine.

But now it is starting to act abnormally. Time to get a new car I think.

The idle I think has been dropping over time... today it perhaps stays steady around 600 RPM. But dips occasionally below that, starts sputtering, and ever more frequently over the last week or two. When it does this, I'll shift it into neutral and it will recover... usually. More and more often I'll come to a stop at a red light and the engine will die, and I'll need to restart.

When I ease pedal giving it more gas, sometimes the engine behaves rough, or hesitant to increase in RPMs in protest. But if I'm cruising, say at 2K RPM steady, it still acts like it is completely normal.

I'm afraid it's just getting worse. Anything I can do, before just taking it in to the shop?

[xeroinfinity]

Welcome to AF !

Could be several things causing this.

Things that will cause this; clogged fuel filter, bad plugs, incorrect plug gap, damaged ignition components, and vacum leaks around the intake.

Your idle is controled by the Idle Air Control valve-IAC, this to can cause stalling. And 600-650rpms is the aprox operating range.

Btw, those are some good miles there!
My 99 SE, V6, has just a little over 210K miles on everything in the block.

[billybob78229]

Clogged fuel filter: This was the first thing I thought of too, and I think most likely, as I can't ever remember changing it before.

Bad plugs or Incorrect plug gap: Perhaps I'd buy into this. Again I've never replaced. I'll pull 'em and check them out.

Damaged ignition components: Not sure what all goes into this, except maybe wires, the plugs themselves, or the (what is it called now, the distribution block?).

Vacuum leaks around the intake: Forget about it. SERVICE!!

Idle Air Control valve-IAC: I'd suspect rough idle if this were the culprit, but I'm old-school. Service will need to diagnose this one too.

Thanks for the tips. I'll have a fun weekend getting dirty and let y'all know what happens.

[thehated78]

my 99 GA is the same way i got 220,186 miles on mine but mine mainly does it when its hot outside in the winter and at night it runs fine i changed the plugs and i gaped them right and changed the fuel filter too but still does the same thing the thing is drivin me crazy so if you get your fixed let me no PLEASE