why is my car stalling at red lights?
 

this is the second time in about 2 months this has happened. most of the time my car will feel like its stuttering when im stopped at a light and you can see the rpm needle dropping and jumping up a bit ... but on few occasions the car will just stall and the battery light will come on... what could be causing this and what can fix it? ahh its so annoying having to worry about my automatic car stalling.

Could be a number of things.... dirty IACV, idle set too low... but its probably the dirty IACV. I'm sre theres a DIY somewhere on how to clean your IACV.

clean your IACV and run either seafoam or BG44k through your engine.

what does IACV mean and what does it do? sorry i'm a noob.

Idle something something?

Do you have a CL or TL?

In either case --->IACV: Idle Air Control Valve

Its name describes its function. :-)

The IACV can get sticky over time and that can cause idle/stalling problems. As mentioned above, if you wanted to try to clean it yourself there is a "do-it-yourself" thread somewhere on this forum. But I thought the steps the steps are fairly involved. That DIY thread also used to have excellent photos links but those has links have since expired.)

When my 1999 TL developed stalling problems I had a local mechanic clean the IACV. He also thought that might be causing the problem.

But the stalling problems continued. It was an annoying problem and potentially a safety issue. I started to feel like I couldn't trust the car. I know how frustrating this can be.

In the end my problem turned out to be very simple and easy to fix. I was experiencing interference with a second Honda key. I had a Honda key on my keyring with the same Honda/Acura "immobilzer" feature and it interferred with my Acura's ant-theft system. There's actually a warning about this in the owner's manual. I had read that when I first bought the car but I had forgotten about it. I removed the Honda key and the stalling problems went away.

This same immobilizer problem can be caused by a defective key. These keys can be damaged by heat or water. If you have a spare key, try that. You can also look for the flashing "immobilizer key" indicator light on your dash when you have a problem. If the light is flashing when the car stalls you might be having an immobilizer problem.

Anyway, there are many things that can cause stalling problems. Do a search for "stalling" on this forum to get some more ideas. there are many threads on this topic.

Here are a couple of additional possibilities:

- Weak battery/corroded terminal connections
- Bad alternator ground connection/loose belt
- Moisture problems from heavy rain/steam cleaning of engine.
- Dirty engine air filter

Post an update when you figure it out.

Good Luck!

Bob

first of all thanks for the detailed response... unfortunately im going to have to rule out the key interference almost instantly... but as for diy... im a car noob as of now so i will probably take it to acura to get ripped off by them... however i will def come back with some info on what causes the problem.... ps with the symptoms i described how much should i probably expect to pay if it were any of the problems that were listed?

It's hard to predict what a dealer might charge for any of those things. It depends on the dealership and the particular mechanic working on it.

The air filter check and, if needed, replacement is an easy DIY task.

Aside from the key interference, your existing key might be acting up. Do you have a spare key that you can try?

Here's another thought. Maybe you got some contaminated fuel. And are you running premium fuel in your TL? If not, you should.

If you're having an alternator/battery problem, your local Sears might do a free check for you. You might want to try that before taking itto the dealership.

Good Luck!

Bob

i have a spare key but it is not an acura oem key but i will still try it... as far as fuel i run premium 93 octane and nothing else. im due for an oil change in 1000 miles but im going to get it done this week (idk if that could have anything to do with it) i may just have acura diagnose the problem while im there for my oil change... if they want to charge me im going to take your advice and try sears. thanks for all of your help

it doesnt have to be an acura OEM. if it has an honda/acura code programed into it, it could be causing it.

just to update my situation... today when pulling into a parking space my car magically shut off right when i pulled into the spot before i put it in park.. its becoming apparent that i need to find time to diagnose this problem for sure.

Thanks for the update.

Did your immobilizer key indicator flash when the car died?

And search this forum for "stalling" and you'll find a ton of posts with many possible causes.

Good Luck!

Bob

It could also be the torque converter in the tranny that stays locked up when you come to a stop. Most auto trannys have a lock-up torque converter in the overdrive gear (in this case, 5th gear) and it is supposed to disengage when you come to a stop. If it doesn't, then the engine is loaded down and starts to idle rough and stall. This is equivalent to a manual transmission car when you come to a stop without pressing the clutch in. Seeing how Acura's are famous for the crappy auto trannys, this may be the culprit.

Good luck,
Robert

nah just the battery light came on... the key indicator only comes on when i pull the key out of the ignition.. but im pretty sure thats normal...it seems like with the warmer weather we have been having in jersey it acts up less.... is temperature really a variable in this or am i just getting lucky not experiencing any problems?

by the way thanks for all of the input

Samething happened to me, You are Right. I think you have to use carbonator cleaner. I Took it to the mechanic and he used some cleaner to clean the engine inside and it was good.

so my car is at acura now... they told me that parts in the air box are causing it to stall out... including the resonator being removed.... they quoted me 325 plus tax.... is this bs? im not going to have them fix anything until i get some input from you guys.

That's pretty ridiculous... you might as well buy a CAI and install it yourself for that kind of a price (plus, you'll have cash left over for a few tanks of gas)... honestly, buy an intake and the DIY engine cleaner and chances are, you'll be fine

you make a good point... and i think i may take your advice and get an icebox

just bumping this to the top to get some more input... according to the document they gave me this is what needs to be replaced and in fact is what they say is causing the car to stall: and i quote "Found air box parts missing resonator, air tube, gasket set $225 installed plus tax" so i guess my 2 questions are ... can this even cause my car to stall and secondly will replacing this with a cold air intake solve my problem, or do these parts not have anything to do with that?

There is nothing in the airbox that would cause it, NOR would not having resonators cause it. Its BS

wow... so then i guess my question would be... what the hell is wrong with it?? i mean acura wont diagnose it correctly.. should i take it to a different mechanic?

helpppp lol my car is still crapping out

look this up... if there is a DIY out there, then do that and seafoam... If it IS because of your airbox (which, like fsttyms said, is pretty much BS), then you might as well throw down the $250 for the CAI... next time, try a different dealer, because it's hit or miss when you're looking for a dealer that won't try to take your money

Any updates. I have a 2013 TSX with exact same problem. I am frustrated as hell and cannot find a solution.

Hey Chittal, the 2013 TSX is going to be very very different from the 1999 TL. I suggest making a thread in the appropriate sub-forum for your question.
Also it's been 11 years since this thread was update haha

I fixed my rough idle by cleaning the IACV and adjusting the idle speed. But as I said, the 2013 TSX is likely to be very different.