Stalling while in neutral?

lotusTT · 06-15-2004, 10:52 PM

So after running rich for months do to a faulty O2 sensor, my car has been running much better. I have noticed a few little wierd problems popping up though.

1) Sometimes while driving slowly through a parking lot, with steady light pressure on the gas, the RPM's will just start falling. Then all of a sudden it wakes back up and speeds back up to where it was before. Doesn't happen all the time though.

2) Sometimes when starting from a stop, the car will stutter before the RPM's start to climp. Kinda like the previous problem, but the car isn't moving. It will pop and stutter for a second, then just start going fine.

3) This one has me worried the most. I got in my car today, put it in neutral and started it up, no problems. While I was situating myself before going anywhere, the RPM's just dropped and the car stalled. The clutch was not depressed and the car definetly remained in neutral the entire time. I started it again, and it fired right up with no problems and kept running fine. Any ideas how this could happen?

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akcel · 06-16-2004, 01:25 AM

on occasion my link plus causes my car to die

White 2.5rs · 06-16-2004, 03:36 AM

Sometimes while driving slowly through a parking lot, with steady light pressure on the gas, the RPM's will just start falling. Then all of a sudden it wakes back up and speeds back up to where it was before. Doesn't happen all the time though.

only when the engines cold? or all the time
i know its a long shot but my gl always does that when its cold

Elliot · 06-16-2004, 08:23 AM

It has happend to me in my RS. I am using a SAFC. I think it is realted to the piggy backs!!

Elliot

akcel · 06-16-2004, 08:56 AM

my linkplus is not a piggy back though doh

lotusTT · 06-16-2004, 03:27 PM

now that you mention it, it might only be when the engine's cold. I'll see if I can replicate it after it warms up.

I am using an e-manage, but I'm not sure how just having a piggyback can cause a problem. If it was one specific piggyback causing problems, maybe, but piggybacks in general just doesn't seem logical to me.

benjaminetanyahoo · 06-16-2004, 04:03 PM

have you changed out your IAC solenoid? Just curious

lotusTT · 06-16-2004, 05:18 PM

haven't touched it. (don't even know where I would find it either)

benjaminetanyahoo · 06-16-2004, 06:32 PM

Just asking, but it's on your intake manifold, on the right side of the throttle body. It's the Idle Air Control solenoid, find somebody with an RS and swap them to see if it changes anything, if so, walla you have your answer. just a shot I guess

no-coast-punk · 06-16-2004, 06:50 PM

This is "normal" if you are using larger injectors with a piggyback. The stock ECU has all sorts of strange little parameters for throttle changes under light loads that no piggyback can deal with and no standalone will deal with either. Basically when you let off the throttle the ECU wants to add a little bit of fuel for various reasons that I won't get into... well it does this by saying "add X ammount to injector pulsewidth". Well with larger injectors it adds WAY more fuel than it thinks it is and the car runs hideously rich momentarily and completely chokes out the motor. It gets worse the larger your injectors are. The only way to really deal with this is to always keep the throttle cracked slightly when transitioning to a neutral/no load condition. Mine is so bad (555cc injectors) that in certain conditions the car will completely die when coming into stop lights if I let off the gas in neutral... scared the bejezus out of me the first time it happened. I was coming towards this stop light that was about 1/4 mile off and at the end of this long lazy downhill turn... instead of doing my usual downshift/double clutch thing when approaching lights, I just dropped it into neutral to coast in... only the motor died... and I was without power steering.... and lost most of my brakes.

lotusTT · 06-17-2004, 01:52 AM

I didn't let off the throttle at all when any of the problems are occuring though. When it stalled, I didn't even touch the throttle, put the clutch in to start, then let it out in nuetral with no gas pedal movement at all.

I tried it with the engine warm, and it won't let the rpms drop while cruising slowly, but when starting from a stop, the rpm's go from 700 to about 1000, then pause for a split second, then climb again. After driving for a minute or two, then coming to a stop and idling the narrowband O2 sensors will go full green and stay there regardless of the throttle position or rpm. Its not just the "normal inaccurate guage" because its never done this before, something is definetly not right.

These problems haven't existed for the past 10 months, so I don't think any of its "normal". Like I said these problems have all just popped up after an ECU reflash and O2 sensor replacement. Not sure if they're related or not though.

Mariano · 06-17-2004, 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by no-coast-punk
This is "normal" if you are using larger injectors with a piggyback. The stock ECU has all sorts of strange little parameters for throttle changes under light loads that no piggyback can deal with and no standalone will deal with either. Basically when you let off the throttle the ECU wants to add a little bit of fuel for various reasons that I won't get into... well it does this by saying "add X ammount to injector pulsewidth". Well with larger injectors it adds WAY more fuel than it thinks it is and the car runs hideously rich momentarily and completely chokes out the motor. It gets worse the larger your injectors are. The only way to really deal with this is to always keep the throttle cracked slightly when transitioning to a neutral/no load condition........

This makes a lot of sense....I have WRX 420s installed on my 99RS-T, and although the car doesn't stalls, I see the revs sometimes going up and down while on neutral. It's more of a hesitation than a stall but only momentarily; I guess I have "mastered" my S-AFC...

maxiav · 06-17-2004, 09:27 AM

Just experienced the same thing last week. I thought it was my link plus. I was driving on the highway for about 20 mins ~85mph, then came to a construction zone, and went into neutral... and the car almost stalled. Revs dropped. I turned off the car, and started it up again, and perfect. It has done it 3 times so far, and I can't replicate the problem. It does it whenever she feels like doing it.

incognito351 · 06-18-2004, 02:03 PM

I too am having a similar problem. I live up in Massachusetts and during the month of January we had a really nasty cold spell which had me ending up with a cracked fuel line. It spent about 2 months in the shop while I waited on a back ordered fuel hose from Japan. Finally got my car back and CEL was popping up EVERY time i drove for over 5 mins. Called up dealership and they told me everything was ok. Then i had my first stall at a light in downtown Hartford, CT around 6pm during a weekday. That was a nightmare because my car wouldn’t start. Sat around for 30 mins, fired up like there was no problem and drove 40 miles home. Finally get my car into the dealership and they say the O2 sensor needs replaced, free under cali emission standards. That is replaced, still CEL. They say I need a new Temp sensor for exhaust that was coupled to o2 sensor and signals were mixed up with the O2 sensor ones. Get that replaced for free under cali emissions. CEL still persists. (Mind you I have NO major modifications) The dealership says they will call me when they figure out what to do since its like 430 on Friday and the main office is closed. They did however tell me I was safe to drive. They didn’t call me for 2 months...amongst my 3-4 calls i made to them. So i figure they said its ok to drive....so i drive. Then I have the stall happen to me again about a block from my house at a red light. Sits for an hour. Starts up like nothing was wrong and go about my business. Then last night I am FAR away from home getting 18's put on with some Falken Ziex 512s and it does it again..... wouldn’t start for the life of me. Had it towed. I definitely get the impression that its something with the fuel and I want to get a Cobb ecu flash for it but what the #*$*, if the car doesn’t work stock.... dare I get a Cobb Flash???
Well, lets see what the great and wise Subaru of America tells me today i need to get replaced.

BTW, I do realize this is aftermarket but I was hoping to get insight from you guys with similar problems.

06-15-2004, 10:52 PM	#1
lotusTT Scooby Specialist Member#: 23359 Join Date: Aug 2002 Chapter/Region: NESIC Location: San Francisco Vehicle: 2002 BMW M Coupe Steel Gray	Stalling while in neutral? So after running rich for months do to a faulty O2 sensor, my car has been running much better. I have noticed a few little wierd problems popping up though. 1) Sometimes while driving slowly through a parking lot, with steady light pressure on the gas, the RPM's will just start falling. Then all of a sudden it wakes back up and speeds back up to where it was before. Doesn't happen all the time though. 2) Sometimes when starting from a stop, the car will stutter before the RPM's start to climp. Kinda like the previous problem, but the car isn't moving. It will pop and stutter for a second, then just start going fine. 3) This one has me worried the most. I got in my car today, put it in neutral and started it up, no problems. While I was situating myself before going anywhere, the RPM's just dropped and the car stalled. The clutch was not depressed and the car definetly remained in neutral the entire time. I started it again, and it fired right up with no problems and kept running fine. Any ideas how this could happen? * Registered users of the site do not see these ads.

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06-16-2004, 01:25 AM	#2
akcel Scooby Specialist Member#: 10268 Join Date: Sep 2001 Chapter/Region: SCIC Location: San Diego Vehicle: gc8 I ride ride 24s with the top down low.	on occasion my link plus causes my car to die

06-16-2004, 03:36 AM	#3
White 2.5rs Scooby Guru Member#: 39936 Join Date: Jul 2003 Vehicle: 99RS TWE&SCAT EJ257 Hydra+HMist+PPG+35R=DEATH	Sometimes while driving slowly through a parking lot, with steady light pressure on the gas, the RPM's will just start falling. Then all of a sudden it wakes back up and speeds back up to where it was before. Doesn't happen all the time though. only when the engines cold? or all the time i know its a long shot but my gl always does that when its cold

06-16-2004, 08:23 AM	#4
Elliot Scooby Specialist Member#: 12732 Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Dorado Puerto Rico Vehicle: 2000 2.5RS-T Titanium silver	It has happend to me in my RS. I am using a SAFC. I think it is realted to the piggy backs!! Elliot

06-16-2004, 08:56 AM	#5
akcel Scooby Specialist Member#: 10268 Join Date: Sep 2001 Chapter/Region: SCIC Location: San Diego Vehicle: gc8 I ride ride 24s with the top down low.	my linkplus is not a piggy back though doh

06-16-2004, 03:27 PM	#6
lotusTT Scooby Specialist Member#: 23359 Join Date: Aug 2002 Chapter/Region: NESIC Location: San Francisco Vehicle: 2002 BMW M Coupe Steel Gray	now that you mention it, it might only be when the engine's cold. I'll see if I can replicate it after it warms up. I am using an e-manage, but I'm not sure how just having a piggyback can cause a problem. If it was one specific piggyback causing problems, maybe, but piggybacks in general just doesn't seem logical to me.

06-16-2004, 04:03 PM	#7
benjaminetanyahoo * Banned * Member#: 41300 Join Date: Aug 2003 Chapter/Region: Tri-State Location: Midtown West (Lincoln Center) Vehicle: 2000 New York MTA	have you changed out your IAC solenoid? Just curious

06-16-2004, 05:18 PM	#8
lotusTT Scooby Specialist Member#: 23359 Join Date: Aug 2002 Chapter/Region: NESIC Location: San Francisco Vehicle: 2002 BMW M Coupe Steel Gray	haven't touched it. (don't even know where I would find it either)

06-16-2004, 06:32 PM	#9
benjaminetanyahoo * Banned * Member#: 41300 Join Date: Aug 2003 Chapter/Region: Tri-State Location: Midtown West (Lincoln Center) Vehicle: 2000 New York MTA	Just asking, but it's on your intake manifold, on the right side of the throttle body. It's the Idle Air Control solenoid, find somebody with an RS and swap them to see if it changes anything, if so, walla you have your answer. just a shot I guess

06-16-2004, 06:50 PM	#10
no-coast-punk Scooby Specialist Member#: 49087 Join Date: Nov 2003 Chapter/Region: RMIC Location: Inside your carnot cycle Vehicle: 1998 RST V8 STi swap '05 R6 '95 BMW V8 hotness	This is "normal" if you are using larger injectors with a piggyback. The stock ECU has all sorts of strange little parameters for throttle changes under light loads that no piggyback can deal with and no standalone will deal with either. Basically when you let off the throttle the ECU wants to add a little bit of fuel for various reasons that I won't get into... well it does this by saying "add X ammount to injector pulsewidth". Well with larger injectors it adds WAY more fuel than it thinks it is and the car runs hideously rich momentarily and completely chokes out the motor. It gets worse the larger your injectors are. The only way to really deal with this is to always keep the throttle cracked slightly when transitioning to a neutral/no load condition. Mine is so bad (555cc injectors) that in certain conditions the car will completely die when coming into stop lights if I let off the gas in neutral... scared the bejezus out of me the first time it happened. I was coming towards this stop light that was about 1/4 mile off and at the end of this long lazy downhill turn... instead of doing my usual downshift/double clutch thing when approaching lights, I just dropped it into neutral to coast in... only the motor died... and I was without power steering.... and lost most of my brakes.

06-17-2004, 01:52 AM	#11
lotusTT Scooby Specialist Member#: 23359 Join Date: Aug 2002 Chapter/Region: NESIC Location: San Francisco Vehicle: 2002 BMW M Coupe Steel Gray	I didn't let off the throttle at all when any of the problems are occuring though. When it stalled, I didn't even touch the throttle, put the clutch in to start, then let it out in nuetral with no gas pedal movement at all. I tried it with the engine warm, and it won't let the rpms drop while cruising slowly, but when starting from a stop, the rpm's go from 700 to about 1000, then pause for a split second, then climb again. After driving for a minute or two, then coming to a stop and idling the narrowband O2 sensors will go full green and stay there regardless of the throttle position or rpm. Its not just the "normal inaccurate guage" because its never done this before, something is definetly not right. These problems haven't existed for the past 10 months, so I don't think any of its "normal". Like I said these problems have all just popped up after an ECU reflash and O2 sensor replacement. Not sure if they're related or not though.

06-17-2004, 09:27 AM	#13
maxiav Scooby Specialist Member#: 40413 Join Date: Jul 2003 Vehicle: 2001 BRP RS-T EJ257 Link'd - 252WHP 274WTQ	Just experienced the same thing last week. I thought it was my link plus. I was driving on the highway for about 20 mins ~85mph, then came to a construction zone, and went into neutral... and the car almost stalled. Revs dropped. I turned off the car, and started it up again, and perfect. It has done it 3 times so far, and I can't replicate the problem. It does it whenever she feels like doing it.

06-18-2004, 02:03 PM	#14
incognito351 Scooby Newbie Member#: 42344 Join Date: Aug 2003 Chapter/Region: MWSOC Location: Evasnville, IN Vehicle: 2002 WRX Sedan WRB	I too am having a similar problem. I live up in Massachusetts and during the month of January we had a really nasty cold spell which had me ending up with a cracked fuel line. It spent about 2 months in the shop while I waited on a back ordered fuel hose from Japan. Finally got my car back and CEL was popping up EVERY time i drove for over 5 mins. Called up dealership and they told me everything was ok. Then i had my first stall at a light in downtown Hartford, CT around 6pm during a weekday. That was a nightmare because my car wouldn’t start. Sat around for 30 mins, fired up like there was no problem and drove 40 miles home. Finally get my car into the dealership and they say the O2 sensor needs replaced, free under cali emission standards. That is replaced, still CEL. They say I need a new Temp sensor for exhaust that was coupled to o2 sensor and signals were mixed up with the O2 sensor ones. Get that replaced for free under cali emissions. CEL still persists. (Mind you I have NO major modifications) The dealership says they will call me when they figure out what to do since its like 430 on Friday and the main office is closed. They did however tell me I was safe to drive. They didn’t call me for 2 months...amongst my 3-4 calls i made to them. So i figure they said its ok to drive....so i drive. Then I have the stall happen to me again about a block from my house at a red light. Sits for an hour. Starts up like nothing was wrong and go about my business. Then last night I am FAR away from home getting 18's put on with some Falken Ziex 512s and it does it again..... wouldn’t start for the life of me. Had it towed. I definitely get the impression that its something with the fuel and I want to get a Cobb ecu flash for it but what the #$, if the car doesn’t work stock.... dare I get a Cobb Flash??? Well, lets see what the great and wise Subaru of America tells me today i need to get replaced. BTW, I do realize this is aftermarket but I was hoping to get insight from you guys with similar problems.