So my car wouldn't start last night and it just sounded like it needed a new battery. Well my roommate and I got and new battery for it. It turns on now and will stay on when I press the accelerator, but when I try to let it idle it cuts off. What should I do?

12/18/2008 12:15:28 AM

well, without knowing the year/make/model, i'm going to have to go with you should just take it to the junkyard.

12/18/2008 12:23:05 AM

my apologies

2000 mazda 626

12/18/2008 12:26:38 AM

let the computer and iac relearn how to idle.

12/18/2008 8:15:46 AM

Quote :

"let the computer and iac relearn how to idle."

yep

pretty typical. don't keep giving it gas to keep it running. let it cut off a few times until it figures out it needs to give it more gas (basically) to keep it running.

12/18/2008 8:21:34 AM

shim the throttle open and worry about it later.

12/18/2008 8:41:21 AM

Mass Air Flow sensor. Symptoms you describe are exactly what happened when my MAF went.

12/18/2008 12:29:26 PM

aand you can just unplug it and see if it idles then to see if that's a possibility.

12/18/2008 12:38:04 PM

I once had a leak in a vacuum hose that caused this problem.

12/18/2008 2:17:26 PM

given that this problem didn't appear until you changed the battery, i'd go with what stowaway said first.

[Edited on December 18, 2008 at 3:59 PM. Reason : and before changing the battery, it wouldn't start or it wouldn't turnover? significant difference.]

12/18/2008 3:58:19 PM

just drive it for a while, it'll be fine

12/18/2008 4:09:37 PM