Help A Girl Out!

[Lady Driven]

I have a 2000 Mustang GT, five speed and my babe is having some issues!!! When I start the car routine is always push down clutch, hold break and turn the key. What everybody does. I can turn it on and it will start, and like normal, you can watch the needles go up then when the RPM needle gets to 1 it drastically drops to 0 and shuts off like I turned the key off, but the key is still on. It's like you have to make it red line to keep it running. That's just problem one. It also does this when I am driving. God forbid I slow down to 1,000 RPM or even stop. Car totally shuts down and I have to restart it or drop it in a lower gear. My guy friends can't figure it out, and I asked a guy at work and he said it was something but I can't remember at the moment. There is a spot on the top of my cold air intake that seems to be coming off and the hole is somewhat exposed and a guy friend said it may be that, but I have no idea and I really don't have $100 right now to go get it checked out at a Ford dealership. Thought maybe you guys might have an idea? Help a girl out!! PLEASEEEEEE

 

[ScottyG00GT]

If the hole in your cold air intake is between the mass air sensor and throttle body, it could be throwing off the air/fuel mixture. However, when that happens, it typically just leans out the mixture somewhat and it runs funny and/or "pings" when you accelerate. Of course, if the hole is big enough for a tennis ball, I suppose it could be the problem! My guess, though, is that the hole is not the entire issue, and it just isn't helping anything.

On the idle issue, I had a 2000 GT 5-speed that had an idle problem, but it doesn't sound exactly like what you describe. The car would start right up, but shut off right away unless I put my foot on the gas immediately when it fired up. As soon as my foot was off the gas pedal and the clutch was dipped, it would die. This is a very common problem and really easy to fix. What happens is the idle air control valve (IAC for short) gets clogged with carbon and stops working properly. It's a fairly inexpensive part (I think I paid $40 or $50 for mine but that was ten years ago). You can swap it yourself in about 15 minutes.

The key here though to proper diagnosis of the IAC is tying the car's shutting down to whether or not your foot is on the gas/clutch. With the IAC issue, the car will drive just fine, accelerating, cruising, etc. except when you take your foot off the gas and dip the clutch (i.e. to shift or to idle at a light). You may not notice this when shifting at higher RPMs, except the RPMs will drop faster - but when this happened to me I was able to change gears before the car died. If you have your foot on the gas and this is still happening, I don't think it's the IAC. I recommend searching around the Internet on "Mustang GT IAC" or something like that. This is such common problem on these cars that it is practically a maintenance item. The good news is I replaced mine at 42,000 miles, and my aftermarket NAPA store part was still going strong at 178,000 miles when I traded the car in.

 

[madspeed]

helped you by moving your thread to the appropriatw forum

 

[Mattstang04]

Could be a multitude of things. Idle in lower rpms could be a IAC issue as previously noted. However, if you have to keep the gas pedal floored to keep the engine from dying then you may have a fuel pump, fuel filter, etc issue.

 

[sneaky98gt]

If there is a leak somewhere in the intake tube, that needs to be addressed first. There should be no holes or leaks anywhere.

If that is all fine, I'd say it's the IAC (idle air control) valve. They commonly go out, and the symptoms are pretty much that the car won't idle unless you have your foot on the gas pedal to keep it running.

 

[Prototype]

IAC (idle air control)

i vote for that..

 

[Big-Mike92]

its your fuel pumps i believe. when you get down on the car does it hesitate?

 

[mransr]

I vote for the IAC too...

It could conceivibly be a battery going bad, that can cause all sorts of weird idling and running issues...but I'd definitely start with the leak in the intake (a pic would help ID that possible issue) and the IAC.

 

[flstang65]

Another vote for checking the IAC

 

[Cory281]

It sounds like you have a vacuum leak. You said your missing a hose that hooks onto your intake? That is probably the cause. Fix it and see if that fixes your problem.

If it doesn't check all of your vacuum lines and see if any are un-plugged or leaking. If one is that is most likely your problem.

I have had vacuum leaks before, when I did my car did the same exact thing you are explaining.

If you can't find the hose that plugs into your intake, let one of us know and we can help you with pictures, etc.

 

[usaf_branham]

Get a new IAC and make sure that any 'holes' you might have between the MAF and the throttle body are sealed.

 

[COramprat]

Step one...make sure the intake doesn't have any leaks. If it has a gap like you described that could be the issue.

Step Two...The IAC is the next likely culprit. Sometimes it can be removed and cleaned for it to operate properly but the best bet is replace. They are about $75 at any parts store.

Step Three...if those don't work come back and we will diganose further. Don't worry about other vacuum leaks or fuel pumps right now.

Also...if the fuel filter hasn't been changed, do that as well. Find one of your friends to help you out. It's not hard to do.

 

[trombonedemon]

In all of the glorious advice in the room no one ask if she can do the work herself. I had to ask.

 

[94GTCoupe]

In all of the glorious advice in the room no one ask if she can do the work herself. I had to ask.

I don't know about all that.
But what I have learned from this thread is, if I ever need immediate responses to a problem I may have, I'm changing my avatar to a picture of a pretty girl!

 

[madspeed]

sounds like @stykthyn

 

[Noobz347]

I don't know about all that.
But what I have learned from this thread is, if I ever need immediate responses to a problem I may have, I'm changing my avatar to a picture of a pretty girl!

Funny but definitely true.

 

[mransr]

But what I have learned from this thread is, if I ever need immediate responses to a problem I may have, I'm changing my avatar to a picture of a pretty girl!

yup...and it seems she hasn't been back either...

 

[stykthyn]

sounds like @stykthyn

Hey Mike started it

 

[Wrongdoer]

I have a 2000 Mustang GT, five speed and my babe is having some issues!!! When I start the car routine is always push down clutch, hold break and turn the key. What everybody does. I can turn it on and it will start, and like normal, you can watch the needles go up then when the RPM needle gets to 1 it drastically drops to 0 and shuts off like I turned the key off, but the key is still on. It's like you have to make it red line to keep it running. That's just problem one. It also does this when I am driving. God forbid I slow down to 1,000 RPM or even stop. Car totally shuts down and I have to restart it or drop it in a lower gear. My guy friends can't figure it out, and I asked a guy at work and he said it was something but I can't remember at the moment. There is a spot on the top of my cold air intake that seems to be coming off and the hole is somewhat exposed and a guy friend said it may be that, but I have no idea and I really don't have $100 right now to go get it checked out at a Ford dealership. Thought maybe you guys might have an idea? Help a girl out!! PLEASEEEEEE

Is the hole in your intake up near the throttle body (towards the engine) and is about the size of a dime? If so, thats where a sensor goes that you car may not have (mine doesn't). Quick and easy fix, drive it to your local Ace/Lowe's/Depot and in their hardware dept they have a section for rubber plugs, grab one that looks like a cone and also looks like it will plug the hole if you push it down into it. I went to Ace, got a smaller one so that it wouldn't stick into my intake or out of the tubing too far, worked great.