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Engine stalls during idle, but when I give gas it's fine

K

krisztoforo

CEG'er
Joined
Nov 12, 2003
Messages
30
Location
San Diego, CA
My '99 SVT started acting up recently. About once a week when I start the engine (it starts right away without a problem) it won't keep the idle, the engine stalls within a second. However if I give some gas right after I start it up and keep my foot on the gas even a tiny bit the engine stays on. I can even drive it like this with no problem, however as soon as I take my foot off the gas the engine RPM falls and eventually stalls if I don't catch it in time. Then usually after a few minutes it "fixes" itself and even idle is fine. Sometimes I hear a noise that sounds like a ship's horn (sorry can't find a better way to describe it) right around the time it fixes itself.
I'd appreciate any help on how to move forward with this. Is this something that can be diagnosed/fixed at home or should I take it to a shop?
Regards,
Krisztian
 
Search for 'moose' or 'mooseing'.

Common issue in colder weather. Probably not apparent at all when warm out.

Could be IAC valve. Lots of advice/opinions to be found.

Oh yeah, should be able to be fixed at home. No need to pay a shop. They will most likely just replace the IAC.
 
Moosing is indicative of an IAC failure. The moose fix doesn't totally "fix" the problem. Replacing the IAC would be a better choice.
 
FunInNorthDakota said:
I said AND, as in do both
Click to expand...

Oh I know. I'm not exactly calling you out. I've just heard from reliable sources who KNOW these engines that the moose fix doesn't fix anything besides the sound. Many people still think it is the end-all-be-all of IAC fixes, and the OP would find that out if he dug deep and did research on it.
 
99 red SVT said:
carb cleaner tends to dry out the seals in the IAC and is usually only a temporary fix...
Click to expand...

Then I must be in deep trouble. I have cleaned mine about a dozen times during my ownership and I still have the original. It must be on the brink of failure (NOT).

When you clean the IAC, or replace it if you prefer, clean the throttle body at the same time. If you don't, junk from the throttle body can just foul it up again.

And yes, sometimes a failing IAC will not respond to cleaning, but it is worth a try. Chances are that it will work, and you may save the cost of a new one.
 
Big Jim said:
Then I must be in deep trouble. I have cleaned mine about a dozen times during my ownership and I still have the original. It must be on the brink of failure (NOT).
Click to expand...

I really don't care how many times you've cleaned your IAC, carb cleaner will still dry out the rubber in the IAC and remove any of the lubrication that is meant to be there...I've replaced the IAC only one time in my car and it has over 100k, who has ever heard of having to take off and clean the IAC "dozens of times" over the life of the vehicle? Maybe yours isn't working properly anymore :shrug:
 
99 red SVT said:
I really don't care how many times you've cleaned your IAC, carb cleaner will still dry out the rubber in the IAC and remove any of the lubrication that is meant to be there...I've replaced the IAC only one time in my car and it has over 100k, who has ever heard of having to take off and clean the IAC "dozens of times" over the life of the vehicle? Maybe yours isn't working properly anymore :shrug:
Click to expand...

Sorry to irritate you. I think it may depend on the carb cleaner used. My car has over 250,000 miles on it and the IAC works fine.

And by the way, I'm the original owner so I know the car's history.
 
Having spent several years as a technician and several more as a service manager helps. Considering the state of the auto industry at the moment, I'm grateful to have other talents as well. I've been away from dealerships for about five years.
 
I dont mean to steal your post but I have the same problem.. idles weird for a couple min and then dies. I replaced my IAC, cleaned my maf and tested battery/alternator. Still doing it. Ship horn is exactly what it sounds like. I have the copper cap with the hole in it already. The previous owner did it. but I am still moosing..? bad spark? fuel pressure??
 
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