What could be causing my 3.8 to stall when engine is cold or seem to be "choking out?"

127,000 MILES
Avatar
CHELSEAROSE_1
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
Check engine light is on intermittently, corresponds to problem. Sometimes it stalls out or tries to choke out when engine is cold. Sometimes it will restart right away. Other times it has to sit awhile. Sometimes accelerating to "blowout" the problem works and it will straighten out. Other times despite acceleration, it will stall or it will not exceed 25-30 MPH til it straightens out. We have replaced the temp sensor, the thermostat, the fuel filter(extremely clogged) and the coil pack. Dealer ran diagnostics with check engine light off - no codes came up.
Nov 19, 2011 at 5:02 AM
Advertisement
Avatar
HMAC300
  • ✓Experienced Mechanic
  • 48,601 POSTS
have the engine scanned again, most auto parts do this for free. Check your fuel pressure as you pum may be heating up and not working especially since you said the filter was extrememtly clogged. then clean throttle plate with choke cleaner on both sides and iac hole. they gum up and cause idle problems. One last thing your pump may be failing due to the extrememly clogged filter, hard telling how much stuff has run through it.
Nov 19, 2011 at 6:48 AM
Add a reply
Join 2CarPros for free, one of the most advanced car repair communities on the internet. From first-time drivers to seasoned mechanics, everyone is welcome to reply, share details, and get better answers. You can add a temporary image or video first; uploads are limited to 20 MB.

Frequently Asked Problems for This Vehicle