96 G50 intermitent stall at stop?

[tkd_q45]

My local tech told me that I had a vacuum leak so he repalced the hose (don't know which one, my wife's car and she took it in). They also cleaned the TB and gave the fuel injectors a cleaning.

So - we were driving off for Christmas Eve activities and just 3 miles from home, the engine cut out at a stop light.

Any ideas?

96 G50 - approx 120K. No problems till last week (stalling at stops). Again it's somewhat infrequent. Wife told me that it did this 3 times in a one hour drive. Only when at a stop.

TIA

[elwesso]

This is what my Q did when the MAF started going bad..... It would stall at stoplights, and then stall at more stoplights, and then start bucking while driving.

[tkd_q45]

Thanks Wes - do you know if the 96 takes a different MAF than the earlier Qs? What's compatible?

[elwesso]

build dates 11/94+ have different MAF.

[tkd_q45]

I'm assuming I should bite the bullet and spend the $485 for a new one from Joe?

[96Qowner]

Not really necessary. The MAF is a wear item, so it should be replaced with new, but many of us have had good results with a used MAF. The difference in cost is huge.

Try locating one through http://www.car-part.com under "air flow meter". Either a 1995 or 1996 will work. You should be able to get one under $100. I paid $75 for mine.

Modified by 96Qowner (fixed the car-part.com link ) at 10:15 AM 12/28/2006
Modified by 96Qowner at 10:17 AM 12/28/2006

[tkd_q45]

Thanks - will check it out!

[elwesso]

You thikn you can buy 5-6 used ones for the price of one new one, certainly thatd be enough for 4-5 years assuming you get one that doesnt even work!

[tkd_q45]

All I can say is the holiday season has been $pendy! And not at all towards our Qs! Anyhow, I couldn't find any MAFs on the used sites -

[elwesso]

did you try http://www.car-part.com?

96Qowner messed up the link...

[3Q Jay]

Tom- I have a spare for the '94, but of course that won't do you any good on the '96 (different connector). Try car-part.com. also, try douching you present one with crc lectra-motive, and of course cleaning the connector. i have some stabilant-22 that texasoil swears is the dope.

[tkd_q45]

Thanks Jay - I have a feeling that the MAF will need to be replaced as symptoms are getting worse (having exacty the same symptoms as Wes).

[96Qowner]

Yeah, just swap in a used one and be done with it. Both you and the wife will be relieved. I know it drove mine crazy. It's just not worth futzing with for very long. The internal connections go bad, and no amount of cleaning will help that.

It also occurred to me that the tech may have disturbed the MAF connection when he did that work. It wouldn't hurt to wiggle the connector while the car is running, and see if the idle jumps around. If so, pull the connector, clean it up real good, spread some dielectric grease on it and snap it back together. Might be the whole problem.
Modified by 96Qowner at 11:57 AM 1/3/2007

[tkd_q45]

My local tech says that there's no MAF error code - does a failing MAF not throw an error code?

[96Qowner]

Hmmm, it doesn't throw a code on an OBD1, but I thought it did on an OBDII like the '96. No change in idle when you wiggle the connector?

If you just had a known good one to swap in .....

A second possibility is low transmission fluid level - sometimes causes the torque converter to lock up and kill the motor when coming to a stop. Check that.

[Q45tech]

Keeping the engine running is the ecu #1 Priority...................never seen a RE4R03A lock up the tiny "lock up clutch" in AT from low fluid since it uses ATF pressure to lock up in the first place.

OBD1 doesn't check many things other than at startup...............as long as there is some voltage the MAF is deemed ok [anywhere between 0.5 volts and 4.5 volts.

ODB2 double checks that the received voltage is within +-20% of what is computed to be correct.

Since altitude, barometer, and temperature can vary DENSITY by 20% from mountain top to seashore, one would need another group of extra sensors to check MAF closer than that.

Why on uses an min -max storage VOM to monitor at ecu input [reset after you crank and get running] the MAF voltage making sure that it doesn't disappear ............unfortunately when the engine dies it may drop below running threshold..............so check MAF output key on to understand your individual units minimum output with no air flow!

Same thing with FPCU current.

[96Qowner]

No doubt you're right, Dennis, but I remembered this old thread:

zerothread?id=102297

[Q45tech]

However one concerns cold ATF warm up [when engine is unstable in the first place WARMUP] and the current problem seems to be already warm ATF "in an hours drive 3 stalls"

Easy to check ATF level cold and hot.

I always ignore warm up since the car shouldn't be driven until warm, unfortunately too many are in a hurry and cannot wait 5 minutes.