96 Cirrus v6 random intermittent stall
 

It doesn't matter if the engine is cold or hot. It doesn't matter if the weather is rainy, dry, hot, or cold.

It stalls when the engine is at idle or dropping back to idle. When it is started, it will stall when the transmission is put in gear. It will stall when slowing down or stopping for a red light. It will stall when pulling into a parking spot. It will stall when rolling down a driveway at idle. Sometimes will stall 3 to 5 times in a day...sometimes will run 3 to 5 days without stalling. We can't identify a pattern.

When it stalls, itcan be restartedimmediately. When it stalls, it acts like the idle is too low and the engine stops.

Already changed plugs, wires, fuel filter. The fuel pressure has been checked and the fuel pump is ok. We have had the induction system and fuel injectors professionally cleaned.

Had the dealer work for 3 days on it. He couldn't figure it out. We've had our private mechanic chasing this for 2 years...he can't find it. (However he has another customer with a 98 Stratus with the same engine/transmission and the same problem.)

Currently have 76K on the car...The problem started when the car had 50K on it.

RE: 96 Cirrus v6 random intermittent stall
 

hey hammer has the EGR valve been changed? there is a problem with the original. here the part # right from chrysler 4287646ac.TSB #18-020-01.let me know,moe

RE: 96 Cirrus v6 random intermittent stall
 

Sorry to bump this post, but it was the only one I found with the same problem I'm having.
1999 Cirrius, 2.5L 175,000 miles. I'm having the same issue with the engine dying out near idle. At first, I thought it might be a fuel pressure problem, but the engine runs absolutely fine at city or highway speeds. I can stomp on it for 10-15 seconds until I get up past a highway speed limit and it runs great...same amount of power it always has. But when I am coming to a stop, 1/2 the time the tach just keeps going down until I either put it in neutral and rev it, or if I don't, she dies. I've also noticed that when either taking off or driving, if I have the throttle in a certain position, which is just barely past not pushing at all, the car seems to run barely rough. It didn't do this until I started having the dying problem. It's not very rough, but something is amiss. I'm guessing there is a dead spot on the TPS, and I'm going to replace it. I don't think this would cause the stalling though. Also, I don't know if this is related, but at first I thought it might be causing the problem. I've had some tranny issues, where as when it was cold outside I'd put it in drive and the tranny would not engage. I finally realized I had a transmission leak, as the driveway where I just moved now has a big spot on it from transmission fluid. I've been searching this forum and I saw some people mention a sensor down, or near,the tranny. Could fluid have gotten on this sensor and is making it act up? Since I had problems with engaging, I wondered if maybe the torque converter wasn't letting go of the engine and that was causing the stall when stopping. But I've decided that that isn't the case, since I can throw her in Neutral when I come to a stop and it still will try to stall sometimes. The problem is getting worse and right now I cannot have it die on me. The car is paid for, and I can't get another one. Like I said, never dies or runs bad when I'm on the road. Only happens when the engine is approaching idle or at idle. Also, if I'm parked and run the car, it idles just fine for as long as I want. It's only after moving and coming to a stop does this happen. It's like the engine timing is out a bit. If I gun it a bit, or wait for a few moments while it sputters, it will sometimes "reset" itself and then idle correctly. PCV valve change did nothing. Any help is greatly appreciated.


Thanks in advance................rob


Edit:
Here's some more info from a drive I had tonight. I drove the car for 3 hours straight at highway speeds...no problems whatsoever. When I got near my town I decided to try something. I kept my foot in the same position on the gas pedal and I put it in Neutral. I was still going about 65 MPH. I then let off on the pedal and the tach swung way down to probably 200 RPM or less, almost stalling out. So it happens whenever I'm moving and when the engine is slowing down to idle. Very strange. I thought it was going to do good since I got almost all the way back home before the first attempted stall.


Thanks to all who give this their thought.

RE: 96 Cirrus v6 random intermittent stall
 

Update:

As far as I can tell, the part that I'm going to describe is maybe a vacuum operated valve that has to do with the exhaust recirculating. It's round, metal colored, and has a vacuum tube coming off of it to a solenoid in the front of the engine compartment. The valve itself is down nearer the engine. I pulled the vacuum hose off of it, I'm guessing to negate this thing from operating and the car runs fine. No stalls at all, no downward sweep of the tach when coming to idle. Is this because I was putting too much exhaust fumes into the mixture at low RPM and there wasn't enough oxygen in the chamber to give a good explosion at idle, and going down the road with acceleration was forcing air into the mix so I had enough oxygen to run well?? I have no clue....I'm not a car tech whatsoever. I'm just guessing and I'm wondering if this is right.

I'm interested in anyone's comments.

Thanks..........rob

RE: 96 Cirrus v6 random intermittent stall
 

rob thats the egr valve!read what i suggested just before your post,commom problem.moe

RE: 96 Cirrus v6 random intermittent stall
 

Thanks Moe! I'll see about ordering it and I guess the solenoid (?) that operates it.

..........rob

RE: 96 Cirrus v6 random intermittent stall
 

i don't know if it was the egr valve but i had a similar problem and it was the head valve gaskit and cylinder tubes. all i did was get a new rubber one and changed it then didn't have that problem anymore.

RE: 96 Cirrus v6 random intermittent stall
 

Hi Newby here, solved my earlier problem and dropped by on my way off the forum, but I saw this question and thought I would through in my 2 bits. DW 95 V6 Cirrus, several years ago had a similar intermittent problem of stalling. Before I took it to shop (which I trust as far as I can throw it) I removed the distributer cap andwiped it out with denatured alcohol replaced it and never had a recurrence of the stalling.

RE: 96 Cirrus v6 random intermittent stall
 

**** This will fix It ****

I had the same problem and these are the things I did to fix it.

01 - I took off the throttle body on the air intake and cleaned it from the back side - spraying cleaning
fluid while installed does nothing.

02 - While removed I noted the idle sensor on the throttle body was so gummed up
it had to be replaced. Its simply a plunger with a cone tip that extents and retracts to meter the air
into the throttle body. very basic design but can cause lots of problems, especially when it cold.

I had to order a gasket for the throttle body - no one had it in stock. Make sure you have everything
you need before you take it a part.

PS - When you take your foot off the gas pedal the throttle plate closes - the only way the engine
gets air is what this device allows to go around the throttle plate. Small item does big job !

Thats why it runs great down the road because it's only comes into play at idle...

RE: 96 Cirrus v6 random intermittent stall
 

Also when was the last time you replaced the spark plugs and wires. Check the
wire ends that plug into the cap, are they rotted off...

RE: 96 Cirrus v6 random intermittent stall
 

Look at my posts - that's exactly what my car was doing, idle dropped real low and
sometimes stalling. First I tried cleaning the throttle body by spraying cleaner inside,
didn't help, so I removed it and the back looked like I never sprayed anything in it.
Clean it and replace the the solenoid thats mounted it that meters the air flow.
You will note the solenoid has a cone that seals the air flow - it will be gummed up..

You will need a new gasket for the throttle body - I had to order it - no one had it
in stock.

RE: 96 Cirrus v6 random intermittent stall
 

Look at my posts. It was the EGR valve. When I negated this valve, the problem went away, and has not returned in 7 months.

I ask everyone this: What harm am I doing to the car by not replacing the EGR valve? I know all about recycling exhaust fumes to make emissions better, so please don't preach about this. If anyone has an answer to my specific question, then answer please. Seems to me I'm getting slightly better gas mileage while not using this valve. Also, a buddy of mine who has the same model car as mine recently took his engine out of his Cirrus. In taking the engine slightly apart, he realized that the EGR only takes exhause from ONE cylinder for recycling. That sort of seems bogus big time to me! What about the other 5 cylinders? Are we just pushing the exhaust out of those, without doing any sort of recycling? If so, then I'm laughing.

Please, someone, or a few, enlighten me on all that I've asked.

Thanks so much.......................rob

RE: 96 Cirrus v6 random intermittent stall (fixed our problem)
 

I've been researching this since my son bought his cirrus 2001 a couple months ago. It would randomly stall at least once or twice a day on his 60 min round trip to work. Not a big deal at a red light or in town but I was worried because it happened on the highway at 65 MPH. Not good to be in the passing lane with a stalled car. We tried several things ( cleaning the manifold etc...) No help.

2 weeks ago I replaced the Crankshaft sensor and it hasn't stalled since. The project only requires that you remove the air supply hose into the manifold and a couple other things that are in the way. Still it was a pain because the sensor is way down underneath. I couldn't locate it for a couple days. Took about 2 hours, and a couple scraped up hands. When we put it together the car would barely start... puffed smoke out of the intake manifold. I decided to take everything apart and reinstall the part. Funny how it only took 30 minutes the second time. This time my son held the sensor in from underneath while I tightened it. It's been working great since then.

Not meaning to bring back the dead but, my car did the same and i replaced the egr and spark plugs, and i have a weird flapping sound near the egr, does this mean it is a bad one

Same issues with my 98 Cirrus 2,5. Tried a lot and no solution. It can not be the EGR as I disconnected and did the same. Same with IAC sensor. Now I am waiting for Throttle Position Sensor. Hopefully will solve the issue.
I am running on gas and also LPG and have same symptoms.

Have you tried replacing the distributor itself?? Maybe that would be something to look into. Never(knock on wood) had this problem and still to this day don't but changed the distributor last spring(for a cylinder misfire, which, in turn, was a clogged fuel injector, FAIL). The dealership told my that the 98's were very well known for bad distributors. Hope this will help if the Throttle Sensor doesn't.

Cheers,

Steve

I just replaced the Throttle Position Sensor and it seems OK. Today didn't stop, but I was driving a short distance. Have to see next days. Anyway, the idle rotation is steady, no fluctuation whatsoever. I shall come back with updates.