94 850 won't idle. CE on, some work done.

[lnewby7]

Zip tied the connector. Still stalls when cold for about several minutes.After it warms up it usually runs fine stopping and starting at lights. But every now and then it will stall when stopping .It will start right back up though. I still need to figure out why it stalls when cold?

I still am having the same Problems....anyone have any more ideas ??? It is starting to get cold here and I would like to get this fixed as it is my wifes car and she is not crazy about driving for the first few minutes (until it warms up some) using the brake and gas to keep it from stalling..

Lee

[JimBee]

I have the same problem on a fixer upper '96 850, purchased with a "dead" engine. I did get it started and made it drivable, though the engine was extremely erratic, barely made it home from the first time out a couple of miles from my home.

When I had the alternator out last week to replace it I took a couple of hours and unplugged every connector I could see, cleaned up the contacts, added a bit of dialectric grease and replugged them. I found the temp sensor plug contacts were coated with corrosion—the worst of all of 'em.

So after the contact cleanup it takes a little less time after starting to be drivable, then when it warms up seems pretty normal though sometimes it will drop off and stall at stoplights. Then, like yours, it restarts easily.

In an earlier thread on this last week, we were focusing on that temp sensor. If I remember right, the temp snsr monitors coolant temperature, sends that info to the main computer which then adjusts fuel into the engine, mediated by info from the MAF re: how much air is coming in (air temp, too?).

As I think about it, when my engine's running erratically at start-up, it seems like it might be lean on gas. Before, I could smell gas as if it was running rich. Either way, if the fuel/air ratio is playing ping pong, it's going to starve, then flood, then back again, etc.

To clean the contacts on those plugs, I used a miniature cup brush on a rotary tool, and got into the male contacts pretty far. I flushed the female parts with electronic cleaner but didn't really have a way to burr them out, so I could be still getting a weak connection there that could be flickering. If so, a new temp snsr won't help because the electrical contact will still be weak.
I'm going to look for a tiny "bottle" brush that will get into those female holes.

And then will try changing the temp snsr.

Is the 02 snsr in that loop, too? I think so. That probably tells us if one or both of the temp snsr and/or MAF is not doing their job.

EDIT: As I read this, I'm thinking, Wouldn't a bad MAF create continuous problems? If it's jumping around on the air quantity and maybe incoming air temp info to the computer, wouldn't it continue to do that despite the engine warming up?

Like others here, I haven't dashed out to buy a new MAF. Maybe it will come to that. The first thing needs to be certainty about the efficacy of the coolant temp sensor.

I suppose it could be ignition, but I think (hope) those issues are less vulnerable to engine temp, and tend not to be intermittent.

And it might turn out that the Idle Air Control module is sticking on a cold engine, or for some other reason jumping around.

[lnewby7]

I don't have a lot of money to throw at this problem . MAF 180+ Sensors 60-80+ But will spend the money needed if I am sure I am not replacing a good part.. It is just not real fun driving it with both feet for the first few minutes. I defiantly would like to get to the bottom of this issue..

LEE

[jblackburn]

Are you still getting the MAF code?

Getting your hands on some used parts may help you troubleshoot the problem for much cheaper. Usually if you get a continuing code for the MAF, it is indeed bad. I'm just confused why it runs fine when the car gets up to operating temperature. The MAF should still have an effect then, but perhaps the O2 sensor is helping it guess better.