Q: Car shuts off at idle
The check engine light came on about a week ago. A few days ago, the car would shut off when stopped at a stop light/stop sign. It restarts easily and continues to run as long as it is not stopped for too long or the gas pedal is pressed slightly.
My car has 125000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
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Hi, thanks for writing in. This is a sign of a failing idle air control valve. This is a unit that regulates the air flow into the engine as it is mixed with fuel prior to being injected into the motor. When this is not working properly, this will cause an imbalanced load of air and fuel to be supplied to the motor resulting in a loss of power or stall as you have experienced. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your home or office to confirm a diagnosis on the issue and make or suggest the necessary repairs or replacements.
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