Q: Car loses rpms and stalls

asked by on February 20, 2017

My car started to lose its rpms and it stalls. It sometimes stays on when pressing the gas but it also makes it stall sometimes. I also heard a slushing noise behind the dashboard , which leads me to the think that the drains are backed up. I tried looking to,it behind the firewall but no luck. I also thought it would be my massive air flow , but I checked it and its breathing well. The transmission is kinda low on fluid though. Its been raining for a couple days now , I think its the drain that I heard. In not sure though . please give me a hint.

My car has 96560 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

Cooling System Flush $201.32 - $237.92 Get a Quote
Idle Control Valve Replacement $162.54 - $1028.01 Get a Quote

Hi There, The sloshing sound you are hearing is likely your radiator low on coolant. I would suggest having it flushed to be sure there are no air pockets in it.

The stalling you are referring to is likely related to a dirty or faulty idle air control valve. The idle air control valve monitors the air intake as it is mixed with fuel prior to being injected into the engine at low speeds and at idle. This valve is controlled by the vehicle’s computer and will adjust idle speed based upon other measurements such as engine temperature, intake air temperature and electrical system load or voltage. This is also an important function when starting the motor as it allows the motor to run and idle on it’s own once the motor fires. When you accelerate, the engine RPM increases, and as you let off the gas, the RPM slowly returns to the normal idling speed with the help of the idle air control valve making the transition from a higher RPM back down to idle speed while adjusting the air/fuel ratio constantly to allow this to happen smoothly. When the engine RPM drops below the normal range of about ~800 RPM, this often times will cause the engine to stall indicating a dirty or faulty idle air control valve. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose and inspect your vehicle.

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