stalling when starting

[circmand]

Tried a search could not find anything. When I go to start mx VX it stalls out. If I pump the gas pedal it will stay on but seems to be trying to cut off. Any Ideas

[etlsport]

is there a certain time that it happens?

mine used to do that after the vx had sat for 30-40 minutes and i started it again.. replaced the fuel pressure regulator and ive been all good since... contact joe isuzu.. i sent him a "kit" with a tool needed and photographic directions made up by a member here.. once hes finished with it he can send it out to you

[circmand]

seems like it is always doing it but I always have left it at least the half hour.

[technocoy]

Mine does this when it's hot outside. It seemed weird to me that it was when it was hot, so I tried (completely by chance) taking the gas cap off for a second and putting it back on. This works EVERY time. It's also making me think it has something to do with pressure in the tank. I thought it may be the cap, so I bought a new one, but same thing.

Maybe it is the fuel pressure regulator. I'll have to look into it.

Try removing the cap and putting it back on as an immediate fix though.

Cheers,
technocoy

[circmand]

my area certainly qualifies. The middle of the desert but it is funny while it still hits 100 degrees most days we are not in the 110s and 120s anymore and it is worse now. What does make sense is if the fual cap is not allowing air in then the fuel pump needs to work harder but since the problem usually occurs after sitting you figure air would have gotten in overnite and it would not be as bad after sitting.

[Finnvx]

try sea foam stuff works great, it fix my high idle problem

[SilverBullet75]

Hi,
My VX started this symptom (intermittantly) the other day. I took it to a shop for an unrelated issue, and it failed to start for them. It would fire, then die, fire then die...

The guy had obviously seen this before. He went straight to the Idle Solenoid (what he called it). It has a blue/black connector and is mounted to the intake plenum by two screws. He pulled it out (It looks like a plunger with a spring around it, caked with carbon)... and had a guy turn the key to "on" without starting the engine. No movement of the plunger. So, he moved it back and forth with his hands, then asked the guy to turn the key again to "on". The plunger MOVED! So he disconnected it and took it to his bench and cleaned the carbon off real good... re-assembled it to the engine and started the motor. It ran/runs great! Actually runs better now too... smoother! Have not had the problem since.
Talk about an EASY fix to this common problem!
---JIM---

[pbkid]

hmm...ive been having fuel problems lately and have been considering doing the fuel filter, FPR, and maybe this ^^^ if you can take some pics of location..

[SilverBullet75]

Here you go!
(credit goes to CeCe. I marked up her pic... hope you don't mind CeCe!)

I was wrong about the colors of the connector... looks like yellow/black, not blue/black.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/engine.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=13185)

[CoastieCosta567]

i just finished cleaning that sensor and plus i also found out that the MAF sensor on my Veronica(VX) was backwards, hmmmm don't know how :confused:, but i fixed it, and with those two things done, and cleaned out, WOW, huge diffrence in Accel... and response, i can'tg even discribe the diffrnce but i can feel a big jump from being sluggish and slower to really feeling like i'm driving a stick car. its really that big of a jump and it's weird. Thanx for the info silverbullet.

[Riff Raff]

Hmmm, interesting thread with very credible and pertinent information. Perhaps, Moncha (Scott) can attach this thread to the "How To's" column for future reference related to fuel/starting issues.

[Baldwin]

Thanks. I'll try cleaning it. I just had the 120k tuneup 6000 miles ago and they did change the fuel filter and checked the fuel pressure regulator for leaks and it was "fine". I have a call into the tech today and they will call me back to see if i need to bring it in. They said to not worry about it yet unless it keep happening.

[Vehi-Cross-Az]

heres your fix

http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=15217

check this first

[circmand]

Here you go!
(credit goes to CeCe. I marked up her pic... hope you don't mind CeCe!)

I was wrong about the colors of the connector... looks like yellow/black, not blue/black.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/engine.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=13185)

A word of warning be careful when unhooking this as the blue rubber gasket can fall off quite easy and in some cases fall into the hole by there which is impossible to get out. On the bright side there is a purplr and black connector on the air filter tube going to the motor and the purple gasket can be used to replace the blue one til you get to the parts store and replace it.

[SilverBullet75]

heres your fix

http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=15217

check this first


One thing that may separate the symptoms from the idle solenoid and the intake manifold gasket... check engine code.

The idle solenoid problem did NOT throw a code/light. I beleive the intake manifold issue does throw a code... does it not?

[Knivx]

I've been having the same issue of it sputtering and threw a p0171 code i believe and then today it actually died after turning on. Wouldn't stay running without some throttle applied. I took the idle control out and tried turning the key to on to see what happened and it popped the whole plunger thing out, is that normal? The plunger screws back in and i can't pull it out so i'm wondering if thats normal for it to pop out like that? If it's not this then would it be the fuel pressure regulator? This is my first 'new' car with sensors and such so i'm still learning. It seems like the symptoms my buddies Cherokee had and it was the Throttle positioning sensor on that.

[WormGod]

I've been having the same issue of it sputtering and threw a p0171 code i believe and then today it actually died after turning on. Wouldn't stay running without some throttle applied. I took the idle control out and tried turning the key to on to see what happened and it popped the whole plunger thing out, is that normal? The plunger screws back in and i can't pull it out so i'm wondering if thats normal for it to pop out like that? If it's not this then would it be the fuel pressure regulator? This is my first 'new' car with sensors and such so i'm still learning. It seems like the symptoms my buddies Cherokee had and it was the Throttle positioning sensor on that.

It is possible that it is the TPS. There is a cleaning solution for that that seems to work for many, so it's worth a try.

This is pretty insane really. Recently, there has been a 171 and 174 epidemic. :eek::confused:

[l.ectric]

Yeah I just cleaned mine, too. I'm having similar issues as yours... I believe that the unit is caled the Idle Air Control Motor, or IAC. It's about $50 from the parts store.

[MSHardeman]

Wanted to resurrect this thread because I had a bit of an issue last night with Vicki. I drove to work yesterday with no problems, but I noticed that either right before or right as I put her in park that the RPM's dropped considerably (not normal for her) and actually bumped up and down a bit. Watched her for a second and it didn't happen again, so I didn't think anything of it. Turned her off and went to work. When I got back in her last night she started up just fine and I let her warm up a bit as usual (since it's below freezing here).

When I put her in reverse to back out of the parking space the engine completely died. No sputtering, no stumbling, just dead; like I turned the key off. The lights were still on, instrument cluster, radio, etc. Put her in park (with the lights still on) and she started right back up with no problem. Hmmm. Put her in reverse again, and again the engine dies. Went through that a couple of times and ended up having to put her in reverse/drive and step on the gas to stop her from stalling out again. She sputtered along for a bit and every stop sign that I can to I had to put her in neutral so she wouldn't die. Drove her all the way home (luckily catching all the green lights) and when I got near home I stopped at a stop sign without putting her in neutral and everything was fine. OK. Got home parked her in the garage and left her overnight. This morning got in and she fired right up and didn't act up at all on the way to work.

Everything that I have read here is pointing to the fuel filter, fuel pressure regulator, idle solenoid or the fuel pump. I, fairly recently, changed the fuel filter and fuel pressure regulator, but I will change them again just to be safe. I'll pull the idle solenoid and clean it out to make sure that it is working too.

My big question here is; how hard is it to pull the gas tank if I need to replace the fuel pump? The manual says that you need to remove the rear fender, rear bumper, rear inner fender, etc, etc. That's a LOT of work, and I don't mind doing it, but if I can get the tank out without having to remove half of the rear end of the VX I would rather do that. I do NOT want to cut a hole in the floor to get to the fuel pump so getting the tank out is my only option.

Anyone remove their gas tank without removing the rear fender and bumper?

[SilverBullet75]

I'll give it a 95% that the IAC will fix it.
:)

[MSHardeman]

I really do hope that it is that easy. Fingers crossed.

[vt_maverick]

While we're here... whatever happened to Dave (circmand)?

[evillecutter]

mine was doing this with a new irc (and maf sensor, tps, fpr, fuel filter) - i cleaned the throttle body and put some heat fuel additive in the gas tank (basically rubbing alcohol) and it seems to have fixed it

i think its just too damn cold!!!!!

EXACT same symptons - only dying when put in reverse and starting to move

never threw any codes

[soggybottomboyz]

Check your air filter and the connector that is attached to the air filter cover. My wife had the problem with her VX dying after I had installed new headlight bulbs. She called me from work with her story and I told her to stop at a automotive store and have one of the young bucks put some fuel cleaner in her tank (ha ha). It did ok for her running around at lunch but then acted up again on her way home. After thinking about what the problem could be I realized I had left the connector off. Just some food for thought.

[evillecutter]

Check your air filter and the connector that is attached to the air filter cover. My wife had the problem with her VX dying after I had installed new headlight bulbs. She called me from work with her story and I told her to stop at a automotive store and have one of the young bucks put some fuel cleaner in her tank (ha ha). It did ok for her running around at lunch but then acted up again on her way home. After thinking about what the problem could be I realized I had left the connector off. Just some food for thought.

i did this with my mass air flow sensor plug before - but that wasnt the case this time - checked every vacuum hose and plug i could see and everything looked good - plus, if it was a plug disconnected you should almost certainly throw a code

[ZeroSix]

had this problem... I checked the MAF, secured the ring, and warmed her up on days below 5Deg F. , Was low on oil too. I surmised it was frozen vapor through the system or something.

Did not happen again.