Manager Forum

Hey guys, I've got a '96 Mercury Sable GS that stalls.. and I'm trying to keep the bill somewhat manageable for the customer. (I.e. not trying to check EVERYTHING)

So perhaps one or two of you have come across this problem before?

It runs fine when cold. Stalls once warm if its in drive and you're stopped at a light.
Sometimes it will idle down to 200 and jump back to 700.. sometimes it'll just die.

Cleaned the IAC, changed the DPFE (because of P0401), and the CEL has stayed off.
Car runs beautiful, until its warm and stalls.

Checked all the vacuum lines, fine.


My suspicion is the Cam Shaft Synchronizer which was replaced by another mechanic prior to me, 18 months ago, which the customer states is when all this began.
Why didn't he take it back there? I dunno. Can he bring it back to that mechanic 18 months down the line now? I'd laugh at him if it was my shop.

If this Synchronizer is installed incorrectly.. wouldn't it stall all the time, regardless of whether or not the engine was warm?
I read through many TSB's where the Ford Dealers have been changing the PCM's and re-programming the PCM's in these bombs.. If it's that... I think he's better off finding a new vehicle, for the shape this one is in (dents, rust, etc).

Car has only 90,500 miles on it.

it sounds like it's temp related kinda. what i mean is that after it reaches operating temp it is searching for control. check engine temp through the scanner and see if it's correct. if the synk isn't installed correctly it will in fact cause this issue. i've also seen after market ones cause problems. it may not be a bad synk or install. the chain may be way loose and can cause an issue like this. pull the air charge sensor out of the manifold and see if it's all sludged up. if the car is puffing a bit of smoke out of tail pipe at idle while it's stumbling the sensor is the first thing i'de go after. see if the throttle plate had been "adjusted". if it's not set correctly the idle will roam. when vehicles come into my shop and while asking about the problem if the customer states it was running fine untill it was repaired for something at another shop, i ask what the problem was for it being in that shop in the first place. i've had vehicles where everything had been messed with except the tires. the customer wanting it done cheaply doesn't mean it's going to take any less time for you to diagnose the problem. i swear that there are people out there that think that if they restrict the amount f money they'll spend that problem can be solved easier and quicker.