Here is a "brief" recap of the current and recnet repair history that is relevant to the stalling problem:
Recent repair history:
1.
10.30.04. The engine had a cold rough idle. After the engine warmed up, the engine idle speed was high. The car was hard to start when the engine was cold. When the engine was cold and it was idling rough, the car stalled, a couple of times. Once the engine warmed up, however, the engine would not stall again.
I took the car to the mechanic because of the rough and fast idle condition. The mechanic replaced the motor mounts and replaced a “close position switch.” The engine’s rough idles improved and the high idle condition is gone. Cost of repairs $384.00.
However, after the repairs made on October 30, 2004, the car began to stall.
2.
01.04.05. I take the car back to the mechanic. He replaced the fuel pump relay and adjusted the throttle linkage. Cost of repairs $190.00.
My daughter picked up the car and before she got home, the car stalled again. Back to the mechanic.
3.
01.07.05. The car is back at the shop. The mechanic replaced the oxygen sensor, cleaned the fuel injectors, and replaced the electro-hydraulic actuator (EHA). The mechanic told me that he test-drove the car for several days and the car did not stall out on him. He wrote on the service notes that the “condition (stall) cannot be replicated during operating conditions. Cost of repairs this time: $523.00.
4.
01.21.05. The car continued to stall. I took it back to the mechanic. He replaced the potentiometer and adjusted the engine idle speed (up). The mechanic said that he test-drove the car and that it ran fine; but when my daughter and I went to pick up the car on Saturday, it stalled several times on the freeway and on surface streets. We switched cars (to see if maybe it was the way my daughter drives the car that makes it stall) and it stalled on me too. The stalling problem is much worse now than before.
The car stalls when it is cold or when it is warm (doesn’t matter).
The car starts fine.
The idle is smooth.
The car stalls when it is either slowing down to a stop or when it comes to a “coasting” stop. It does not stall when the car stops hard. My daughter says she can feel the “car dying.” She also says it happens more often when coming downhill.
The car stalls during initial trip (after warm-up) or after it has been stopped for a while and then re-started (it doesn’t seem to matter).
After the car stalls, my daughter puts it in PARK and the car fires back up again with no problem.
Sometimes she can go for days without stalling. Other times it will stall once or twice during a single trip.
Relevant repair history
May 20, 2002. The car stalled while my daughter was driving. The car would not start again (now it stalls, but it starts back up again). The mechanic replaced both fuel pumps, fuel filter, and fuel pump relay. Car ran fine.
October 29, 2002. The car stalled a couple of times while my daughter was driving. Mechanic replaced the Idle Speed Control Valve and cold start valve hose, replaced the airflow sensor, replaced the hose to the idle speed control, and replaced the brake booster vacuum hose.
Nov. 1, 2002: The car was still stalling. When the car stalled, it was hard to start again. The mechanic replaced the Hall Effect Sensor and voila! no more stalling!
January 8, 2004. The car was running fine, but as part of regular service, the mechanic replaced the air hoses (vacuum) for idle circuit.
July 28, 2004. The mechanic replaced the speed regulator. (I cannot remember what the complain was at this time or why the speed regulator was replaced). After the replacement of the speed regulator, the idle was always high and the car was hard to start.
The car ran fine (well, at least no more stalling) until October of this year.
I wish one of the Techs/Moderators would take a look at this thread and offer his/their suggestions.
I could not take the car to Enrique. It was stalling so bad that I was very worried about driving it on the freeway from home to the San Fernando Valley.
So, instead, I took it to another local mechanic who, long ago, worked on my diesel (he is still working on it, because the new owner takes it to him!). This mechanic is an old school mechanic and many people swear by him. So maybe, just maybe, this time will be the charm.
Again, thanks for your posts/suggestions (Keep them coming). And if any tech/moderator wishes to chime in, please go ahead.
