Engine keeps dying...

[Atty]

1999 Camry 4Cyl

On my way home Sunday and I was breaking for a red light (at 1am this should be optional if no one is around; anyway) and without accelerating anymore my engine RPMs fell bellow 1k and were barely bouncing above 0. I just gave it gas and kept it going.

Ten minutes later I was in a parking lot and tested it again. When it fell bellow 1k RPM I could hear a metal rattling noise and it finally died. Wouldn't restart again. Gave it 15 minutes to rest, tried again, could only get it started by keeping the throttle down. Wouldn't start unless I was giving it gas at the same time and if I came off it then it dropped.

Drove the rest of my way home without taking my foot off the throttle. :-\

Culprit? Bad gas? Fuel pump? The fact it was technically Monday morning and murphy's law sucks after a 16 hour day? FML?

 

[Vetterin]

Either of your culprits could be the problem. If you recently got gas I would say that you got water with it and just pouring a bottle of heet in the tank should solve the problem. If it's the fuel pump it will usually just stop and then your SOL. I'm hoping you just got some bad gas.

 

[Atty]

I filled up a week prior. :-\

No way to test the fuel pump? Realistically, that is.

 

[SearchMaster]

Yeah, that could be a lot of things. I had a similar problem on my '00 Maxima and it turned out to be the Idle Speed Control motor (a commonly noted problem of that model).

No CEL?

 

[LTC8K6]

See if you can hear the fuel pump priming when you turn the key on.

Maybe it's the pressure regulator?

Try turning the key on and off three times before starting. That is, give the fuel pump three tries to prime the system.

On - pause a few seconds - off

three times and then start on the 4th and see if that gets it to start properly.

 

[LTC8K6]

Yeah, if it has an IAC valve I'd check that. Idle Air Control.

 

[scorp00]

I had the same problem, plugs and wires fixed it.

 

[bruceb]

First, if the fuel filter has never been changed, then do it first. If it is plugged engine will not run. Next step would be a fuel pressure check, as it sounds like a fuel delivery issue. If it was ignition related, keeping your foot on the gas would probably not help.

 

[exdeath]

Sounds like air starvation on closed throttle, Id check out the idle air valve first. Pull a small vacuum line off the plenum when it happens, see if it returns to a normal idle. Then pull a larger hose like the Evap or pcv hose. If the engine speeds up as you create a bigger vacuum leak and doesn't idle hunt or give any indication of trying to regulate engine speed, then the idle valve is at fault.

Does it correct anything if you put it in neutral or park as it's dying? Converter lockup is another possibility for the stalling at a stop problem, but unlikely because you would be able to start it again immediately upon returning to park (neutral).

I wouldn't worry about the sound, engines just sound horrible when they are sputtering along at 100 RPM and trying to stall.