Reader had similar problem with stalling

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July 24, 2010

Auto Scanner Larry Rubenstein The Salem News Sat Jul 24, 2010, 05:45 AM EDT

Reader Comment: I just read the letter from the owner of the 2007 Ford Explorer who was experiencing periodic stalling.

I own a 2005 Ford Freestyle with the continuous variable transmission, and I had a similar occurrence.

On Route 114 one morning, the car slowed to about 25 miles per hour. Fortunately, the little "wrench" symbol on the dashboard lit up, which I guess sent a code to the computer. To make a long story short, the event was caused by a bad throttle sensor.

It took the dealership three days to get the part from Ford, but since then I have not had a problem. For what it's worth, I've owned a Dodge, a Pontiac and a couple of Oldsmobiles, and I never had a throttle sensor problem in any of those cars. Your reader might want to ask the dealership to look at the throttle sensor.

Response: Thanks for sharing your experience. However, I need to say that I have had bad throttle position sensors at one time or another on all of the models listed above.

Q: I bought a used 2006 Subaru Outback with 56,000 miles on it after two very good Subaru experiences. Ever since we bought it, it lets out a huge puff of smoke when starting.

The dealer has been great about trying to find the problem, but after six months it is still not resolved. They have ruled out oil, and the computer says everything else is "normal."

They recently disconnected the remote starter, which came with the car, though not stock, thinking it could be sending a second "ignition" of fuel through the engine. So far, it has not solved the problem. The engine seems to hesitate and have a little difficulty turning over, as well, but it has never not started. Any ideas?

A: Most likely, it's a fuel injector leaking down into the cylinder. The best way to analyze this would be to put a fuel pressure gauge on the vehicle and see if the pressure drops overnight.

Car Care Tip from Ken: I like your tip concerning keeping receipts from having the car washed. A suggestion concerning having the car washed. While passing through the unit, I always activate my windshield wipers, front and rear. This facilitates the flushing of debris lodged under the wipers and helps to clean the squeegees. You need to pay attention when using wipers not to let them get in the way of any apparatus approaching either window.

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Larry Rubenstein is a master technician who owns a North Shore service station. His column appears on Saturdays. Write to Larry c/o The Salem News, 32 Dunham Road, Beverly, MA 01915, or send e-mail to scanauto@aol.com.

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