Q: My 2004 Nissan X-Trail is intermittently stalling at traffic lights and stop signs.

asked by on November 11, 2016

I drive a 2004 Nissan xtrail. My car has started to intermittently stall when I am stopping at traffic lights and stop signs, usually on a slight or steep hill. It has been doing this for some time and is progressively getting more frequent. I have had the fuel pump, throttle, crank angle sensor and battery replaced as a result, however the problem continues to occur. When I first bought the car there was a hole in the O2 sensor (or exhaust manifold) which caused a high pitched noise. A mechanic welded this hole to stop the noise so I'm wondering if this may have contributed to the problem, if it was damaged. If you have any thoughts on a solution that would be greatly appreciated. Scott

My car has 280000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

Hi there. Having the exhaust manifold repaired should not have contributed to the engine stalling. Assuming, the Check Engine Light is not coming on, leads me to believe the ECM (engine control module)/computer is not recognizing the fault. As you already know, replacing components without proper diagnoses, can be expensive and time consuming without resolution.

The engine stalling, could be the result of a faulty IAC (idle air control) valve, a faulty MAF (mass airflow) sensor, incorrectly calculating the incoming air to the engine, and/or an air intake leak. To reduce the possibilities, I recommend having your vehicle’s stalling engine be diagnosed and repaired by a certified technician, such as one from YourMechanic.

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