Engine stall when slowing down

[2000IntrepidSC]

That's my problem :

I own a 2000 dodge intrepid. When i drive the car for at least 5 miles at eg. 40mph and slow down to stop for a red light, the RPM goes down rapidly to 0 and the engine stall. When I stop, I can restart the engine.

I brought it to a transmission repair. They rebuild the transmission (they said that the torque converter was bad). But the engine still stall!

The check engine light comes on. I checked the computer code : The oxygen sensor heater element has a malfunction and the battery was unplugged in the last 50 starts.

I brought it back to the transmission repair. We tried it and the car never wanted to stall. But It began to stall again when I leaved the shop!!!

Does any one as the same problem else do you have any idea what's going bad.

[theFREAKnasty82]

Sounds like your torque converter clutch is still applied. A tranny rebuild was probably not necessary; with the 42LE tranny in the Intrepid, the torque converter clutch (or TCC, for short) is controlled by a single solenoid pack mounted on the valve body. The check engine light for the O2 sensor could cause a stall situation, but it sounds like you have a bad TCC solenoid.

[2000IntrepidSC]

Thank for your fast reply!

I had some other symptoms of the problem :

When the engine stop, it doesn't jerks at all (some time it's only the hardness of the steering that tell me that the engine is stalled!). When I try to start it again, (lever in park position, removed and re-enter the key) some time, the engine doesn't crank at all! I have to change the transmission lever to other position (N,R,D...) and to return it to park if I want to restart the engine. After, all go well until the next stall!

Some time, when I see that the engine go to stop, I put the transmission lever to third gear (3) and it return to normal. Some time I am able to keep th engine going on by depressing the gas pedal abruptly.

I heard about a problem with the interlock of the shift lever.

Does it change your forecast?

[TEXSRT4]

i have seen similar problem with throttle position sensors freaking out. any reving problems? either it revs itself, or the RPMs stay high when idleing

[theFREAKnasty82]

What you are describing sounds like two problems; your solenoid body is defective, because it's allowing the torque converter to remain locked up; but when you shift to 3rd gear, it doesn't stall. It's weird to me, because I specialize in Chrysler transmissions, that 1) your check engine light has not come on and 2) your transmission has not gone into "limp mode" or when it does not shift out of second gear. The other thing that it could possibly be is that your transmission range sensor has gone bad too, thus allowing the car to not re-start in P or N. In your situation, you have one of the other, or worse case, both problems. Just FYI, at Chrysler, transmission work, whether minor or major is not cheap. A solenoid pack replacement will run you around $565 and the transmission range sensor can go for arond $250.

[2000IntrepidSC]

Thanks guys for your help.

I went to the dealer to change the solenoid pack but, on the way, the check engine come on again and the engine salled every time it goes under 10mph! The copmputer code was for the EGR valve. The dealer changed the EGR valve and cleaned the injectors. Now the car goes like a brand new one!