Stalls at low idle “SAFTEY ISSUE”

[Posimoto]

My daughter owns a 1999 Camry with 131k. Yesterday she was turning a corner at less then 5 mph and the engine cut out. Today she was driving on the highway and pulled over for an ambulance and the engine cut out again.

The engine runs fine beside except for the above issue. The engine has new wires and plugs and just passed inspection last Friday.

After the engine cut out yesterday I checked the computer for any codes (engine check light was NOT on) and found code p0136 (bank 1 sensor o2), p2270 (lean o2), and p2271 (rich o2). The flex pipe does have a slight leak that may be causing the p0136 code but the sensor is after the cat so I’m thinking it may have nothing to do with the engine cutting out.

Also, it was a dry day with the engine at operating temps. I bought this car for my daughter last week and do not have an option of returning it so I need to repair this safety issue (she not able to steer the car when it shuts down) as soon as possibly any help would be much appreciated.

[hill8570]

Yeah, the three DTCs (all three relating to the post-cat sensor) need to be addressed eventually, but they're not going to be causing a drivability issue.

What rpm does the rig idle at just sitting in park or drive?

Has she tried giving the car a bit of throttle when it starts to die to see if that makes it keep from dying?

While I hate to diagnose without a better set of symptoms, you might want to look into cleaning the Idle Air Control...a dirty IAC can cause a lot of interesting behavior around idle speed.

Some DIY threads that talk about this:

How to: Cleaning Throttle Body -4 Cylinder Engines- With Pictures

DIY removal & cleaning of IAC

5sfe IAC Removal (lots of pictures)

[Posimoto]

Thanks for the fast response.

Originally Posted by hill8570

What rpm does the rig idle at just sitting in park or drive?

The car idles at 600, when shifted into drive it bounces up to 1000 then settles to 600.

Originally Posted by hill8570

Has she tried giving the car a bit of throttle when it starts to die to see if that makes it keep from dying?

It was her second day of driving this car and both stalls were during braking. I drove the car for about an hour and it ran fine for me but I coast prior to braking.

Thanks for the links as well.

[Hajoca]

This looks like a V6 with traction control.

If that is the case, the bank 1 sensor 1 (fire wall side) manifold sensor is done.

[Posimoto]

I failed to mention the engine size (4 cyl) in my first post. The front o2 sensor has been replaced. Sorry for the confusion.

Edit: I plan to follow through with this thread until it is repaired as it may help others.

[hill8570]

Originally Posted by Posimoto

The car idles at 600, when shifted into drive it bounces up to 1000 then settles to 600

600 rpm in itself is a problem -- in park, A/C off, warmed up, should be idling 750 plus or minus. At 600, it's amazing it stays running at all...it's gotta be shaking like a belly dancer. Are you 100% sure about that number?

Definitely give that throttle body and IAC a good cleaning. Outside chance something is wrong with the throttle position sensor, but I'd be willing to be that the TB/IAC has never been cleaned, and do that is easier than troubleshooting the TPS.

[Posimoto]

The engine was warm, in park with ac off. I had to instructed my daughter how to read the tach gauge as the car is at her house ((45 miles away) I’m confident she got it right. I plan to clean the tb/iac this weekend.

I would agree chances are the tb/iac hasn’t been cleaned. If the only issue is carbon in the tb/iac and it is cleaned can I expect the idle to return to 750 or would there be a need to adjust the tps?

[mail2_jb]

Originally Posted by hill8570

600 rpm in itself is a problem -- in park, A/C off, warmed up, should be idling 750 plus or minus. At 600, it's amazing it stays running at all...it's gotta be shaking like a belly dancer. Are you 100% sure about that number?

Both my 2000 4cyl camry's idle at 600rpm (2nd bar below the 1k mark) with a/c on / cd on /fan on lowest setting, just checked. If I remember correctly, it was around 750/800 before my tb change. Car DOESN'T shake, make any unusal noises etc and has been running fine for a month now (never died in low speed before or after the tb change).

[Posimoto]

At 600rpm the engine seems to idle just fine as well. The problem is when she is braking and the engine stalls then cuts out the power steering. It's hard enough for a man to steer a car when the power steering cuts out with a 110 pound girl behind the wheel it's a huge concern. It's a safety issue that needs to be corrected.

[fenixus]

clean the Throttle Body and IAC valve opening first and see if anything improves, follow the links Hill posted, they are all about the same, with different approaches. start from easiest one. check resistance between IAC terminals, the valve's motor could be dead too (the one on my wife's 5s-fe is faulty, had to order replacement at $200 new from online dealer).

also it could be worth checking the resistance reading between terminals on Engine Coolant Temperature sensor for the E.F.I. at warm car and compare to a diagram like this:


It could be reporting a false coolant temperature to computer which in return will prepare wrong air/fuel mixture for current engine conditions.

[Mike Gerber]

Clean the throttle body on this 4 cylinder engine as hill8570 suggested using his first referenced link as a guide.

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/sh...d.php?t=158097


It is exactly your daughter's 5SFE 4 cylinder engine. Be sure to spray the cleaner liberally down in to the hole leading to the idle air control valve as shown in the picture on that thread. Let the cleaner soak down there while you go on to clean the rest of the throttle body. 15 or 20 minutes is usually enough soaking time. Then put everything back together and start the car. The car may be difficult to restart after the cleaning, but it will eventually restart. Then take the car for a 10 to 15 minute ride to get all of the cleaner out of the engine. The car may die a few times during this short ride but, don't be alarmed. When this procedure is completed it usually cures the stalling problem your daughter is experiencing.

Mike

[Posimoto]

Just came back from picking up a can of seaform, plan to do the cleaning Saturday morning. Kinda reminds me of spraying a light mist of water down the carb to clean the valves in the older engines. I'll post my results.

Thanks Mike, and everyone else for your helpful posts, links, and diagram.

[mail2_jb]

Originally Posted by hill8570

600 rpm in itself is a problem -- in park, A/C off, warmed up, should be idling 750 plus or minus. At 600, it's amazing it stays running at all...it's gotta be shaking like a belly dancer. Are you 100% sure about that number?

This made me nervous because my rpms are in the 600 range. Here is a pic that I took today. One in a stop light (engine has been running for 15 min) and the other in a parking lot just after a minute from the stop light.


Do you guys think I have a problem with my IAC? (sorry to hijack the thread)
IAC was cleaned using a throttle body cleaner (spray cleaning, i didn't remove and clean it). 2000 camry 4 cyl, 79K miles.

[BrightExplorer]

Originally Posted by mail2_jb

This made me nervous because my rpms are in the 600 range.

What makes me nervous is your fuel level.... lol Sorry, couldn't pass it up... I'll give the thread back now.


My vehicle also idles at 600rpm with no rattle, shimmy or anything, though I'm sure it could use a good cleaning, I don't truly think its anything to go crazy over.

[fenixus]

I have the EXACT SAME THING on wife's 5s-fe and the engine vibrates a little when idling at such.
that gauge is imprecise by the way, the first pic shows idle pretty much at 700rpm, but the second can be anywhere between 550-650.

I was double checking mine with an obd2 scanner.

I believe it's the IAC causing this problem, by Sunday will know more (replacing it).
I cleaned that IAC through TB numerous times in past and what I got now is best as it gets. it needs at least removal and thorough cleaning if not replacement if motor resistance is all wrong (I thought mine was, but that's another story).

Originally Posted by mail2_jb

This made me nervous because my rpms are in the 600 range. Here is a pic that I took today. One in a stop light (engine has been running for 15 min) and the other in a parking lot just after a minute from the stop light.


Do you guys think I have a problem with my IAC? (sorry to hijack the thread)
IAC was cleaned using a throttle body cleaner (spray cleaning, i didn't remove and clean it). 2000 camry 4 cyl, 79K miles.