ok here are some facts, its an 02 se 6spd with 68k miles... this has just started happening a couple days ago, maybe the colder weather has something to do with it. here's what happens: while driving through any and all gear with the rpms up above 1k everything runs fine. but once i put it in neutral and coast, the rpms die down to normal and then bop up and down between 500 and 800 rpm and sometimes the car even dies while im still moving and in neutral... could this be just tune up? as in spark plugs, cables, etc? i know im due for the regular maintenance service but could this potentially be something worse? thanks for any and all input...

 

Your car has an electronically controlled throttle, and it sounds to me like it's trying to compensate for the RPM's dropping too low. It could be that your throttle body is not functioning properly. (That's the fist-size device between your intake plenum and your air-box.)

If you're planning on service soon, maybe sooner than later, huh? Perhaps the ECU stores the stall-out event, and that might help the mechanic diagnose the problem.

Um, there are no "cables" in your tune-up, just 6 expensive ignition coil packs.

 

My Spec V used to do that in cold weather sometimes, especially when letting off from high RPMs to idle. I never worried enough about it to figure it out

 

Body of mine had this problem in his 01 ae... We just cleaned the tb though, but that has a drive by wire.. Our 02-03 have electronically controlled ones so cleaning usually gives u a cel or you screw something up and have to buy another one... And for the few get lucky and everything works fine.. tb related imo.

 

If it is your TB, that part is somewhere north of $200, and probably 1 hour labor.

At a dealership, figure over $300 for that repair.

In case you were running $$ in your head.

 

DEfinitely not a cheap fix. If you're the original owner maybe they'll bend some rules for you, you onyl hav 68k on the car...

Also, Check junkyards. You'll prob find them cheaper.

 

Probably not a great idea, since the TB on our cars is insanely sensitive.

 

I had a similar problem with my '00. The car would start and run find but if i let it try and idle without my foot on the gas it would die. The only thing i did was clean the negative terminal at the battery and it has been fine ever since. You might want to give that a quick try

 

I thought of that, but being as we recieve a decent amount up here in Charlotte, you have nothing to lose by being the first one out there and testing it out before you buy it.. I'd spend that time rather than money..

 

I had the same problem on my 03 6 speed. Once the engine was warmed up, it would die when put in neutral. Easy and free fix: clean the throttle body.

Also check your flex boot past your maf for cracks, just in case.

 

I just had this happen to my 96 4th gen,the cold weather (40 degrees) just started today, the rpm dropped and rose back and fourth, then the car shut down, Any thoughts? does the car need to run a bit and warm up before driving in the winter months?

Sorry for thread jacking, just didn't seem necessary for another similar thread.

(Ps it is not a dirty throttle body)

 

clean the throttle body just get a rag and wet it with some carb cleaner and clean inside the throttle body with that wet rag

 

Dirty throttle body would be my first guess.

 

Do NOT touch the butterfly valve inside the TB. Don't even look at it hard.

Seriously, those things get out of alignment way too easy.