Motoring Q&A: Diagnosing a stubborn stalling issue
22.05.12
QUESTION: I have a 1996 Camry LE with a four-cylinder engine and about 165,000 miles; we've owned it since it was new. A couple of months ago, it started racing at idle - 1,100 rpm in gear and 2,000 rpm in park. If I shifted into gear from park, the engine died and wouldn't restart. A shop with a great reputation measured zero fuel pressure. They replaced the fuel pump, but the problem continued. The mechanic then replaced the fuel regulator at no labor charge. The car still dies occasionally but will usually restart. The shop is reluctant to start just replacing parts, and I'm pretty sure they've checked all the related sensors (carbon monoxide, oxygen).
ANSWER: Perhaps the shop can connect a data recorder to the diagnostic link and have you drive the car until it stalls. They may be able to download the data at the time the engine stalls and determine the cause of the shutdown.
A continuing problem with fuel pressure could obviously cause stalling, and if it were a mechanical issue it may not trigger a fault code. It's worth checking the accuracy of the coolant temperature sensor, for example, because an inaccurate signal could cause stalling without recording a fault code.
Source: Sacramento Bee