2002 Mustang 3.8 Stalls at Idle and Belt Squealing
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2
2002 Mustang 3.8 Stalls at Idle and Belt Squealing
Greetings,
Ran across this forum while searching for a problem I have with my 02, and I'm wondering if anyone might have some insight into it. Here's the scenario...
About two weeks ago, I notice the drive belt on my stang was making that squealing noise. A week later, the car began to stall when I would be idle on the road. I changed the belt thinking it was the cause of my problems with the car stalling, but to no avail.
Doing some searching, I saw that many people have been having problems with the IAC for the car, and that after some cleaning it resolved their issues. I'm going to attempt this when I get home later today from work. There's one problem though I noticed with the car; right before it stalls, I hear a high pitched squealing sound and then it stalls (sounds just like a rubber belt squealing). I was thinking perhaps the belt tensioner isn't tightening the drive belt sufficiently, and if so would that cause the car to stall? If so, it's a $52 part (much better than the $88 Ford offers).
Any info on the problem would be greatly appreciated, and I'm glad I stumbled across a great site like this.
Thanks!
Ran across this forum while searching for a problem I have with my 02, and I'm wondering if anyone might have some insight into it. Here's the scenario...
About two weeks ago, I notice the drive belt on my stang was making that squealing noise. A week later, the car began to stall when I would be idle on the road. I changed the belt thinking it was the cause of my problems with the car stalling, but to no avail.
Doing some searching, I saw that many people have been having problems with the IAC for the car, and that after some cleaning it resolved their issues. I'm going to attempt this when I get home later today from work. There's one problem though I noticed with the car; right before it stalls, I hear a high pitched squealing sound and then it stalls (sounds just like a rubber belt squealing). I was thinking perhaps the belt tensioner isn't tightening the drive belt sufficiently, and if so would that cause the car to stall? If so, it's a $52 part (much better than the $88 Ford offers).
Any info on the problem would be greatly appreciated, and I'm glad I stumbled across a great site like this.
Thanks!
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 524
From:
RE: 2002 Mustang 3.8 Stalls at Idle and Belt Squealing
sounds like the idle air control valve
but cleaning it will only fix the problem for liek a week. haha
i actually just changed mine before the winter because my car would stall so much at the CRANK! it wouldn't idle for anything.
is your problem happening on the street? my problem was the car couldn't stay idle long enough to even get out of the parking lot.
but ya... it sounds like it could be the idle air controll valve IF you are having trubble keeping the car alive right during the crank.
but cleaning it will only fix the problem for liek a week. haha
i actually just changed mine before the winter because my car would stall so much at the CRANK! it wouldn't idle for anything.
is your problem happening on the street? my problem was the car couldn't stay idle long enough to even get out of the parking lot.
but ya... it sounds like it could be the idle air controll valve IF you are having trubble keeping the car alive right during the crank.
Gentleman's Relish
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 13,187
From: AZ
RE: 2002 Mustang 3.8 Stalls at Idle and Belt Squealing
ORIGINAL: voltekka
Greetings,
Ran across this forum while searching for a problem I have with my 02, and I'm wondering if anyone might have some insight into it. Here's the scenario...
About two weeks ago, I notice the drive belt on my stang was making that squealing noise. A week later, the car began to stall when I would be idle on the road. I changed the belt thinking it was the cause of my problems with the car stalling, but to no avail.
Doing some searching, I saw that many people have been having problems with the IAC for the car, and that after some cleaning it resolved their issues. I'm going to attempt this when I get home later today from work. There's one problem though I noticed with the car; right before it stalls, I hear a high pitched squealing sound and then it stalls (sounds just like a rubber belt squealing). I was thinking perhaps the belt tensioner isn't tightening the drive belt sufficiently, and if so would that cause the car to stall? If so, it's a $52 part (much better than the $88 Ford offers).
Any info on the problem would be greatly appreciated, and I'm glad I stumbled across a great site like this.
Thanks!
Greetings,
Ran across this forum while searching for a problem I have with my 02, and I'm wondering if anyone might have some insight into it. Here's the scenario...
About two weeks ago, I notice the drive belt on my stang was making that squealing noise. A week later, the car began to stall when I would be idle on the road. I changed the belt thinking it was the cause of my problems with the car stalling, but to no avail.
Doing some searching, I saw that many people have been having problems with the IAC for the car, and that after some cleaning it resolved their issues. I'm going to attempt this when I get home later today from work. There's one problem though I noticed with the car; right before it stalls, I hear a high pitched squealing sound and then it stalls (sounds just like a rubber belt squealing). I was thinking perhaps the belt tensioner isn't tightening the drive belt sufficiently, and if so would that cause the car to stall? If so, it's a $52 part (much better than the $88 Ford offers).
Any info on the problem would be greatly appreciated, and I'm glad I stumbled across a great site like this.
Thanks!
Is it an automatic? Autos squeal when they have problems and if it's a vacuum issue...that might make sense, squeal from tranny from a vacuum leak. A vacuum leak could cause the car to stall.
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2
RE: 2002 Mustang 3.8 Stalls at Idle and Belt Squealing
Yep, the problem occurs on the street and not at crank. When it goes to idle (say at a stop light), I'll hear the squealing sound and then the rpms drop, car turns off. Odd thing is I can prevent it from happening by just letting the car move a bit by taking my foot off the break. Car revs up a bit, and then it won't stall.
Can't imagine the tranny being the problem though, I've never had any issues with gear changing (yep it's an automatic btw) on it before. I had another car previously with tran issues, and I remember feeling/hearing the gears not switching correctly (like running inbetween gears, semi neutral for a few seconds, then catch the right gear). When you refer to the vacumm issue, what are you referring to specifically?
Thanks for the info!
Can't imagine the tranny being the problem though, I've never had any issues with gear changing (yep it's an automatic btw) on it before. I had another car previously with tran issues, and I remember feeling/hearing the gears not switching correctly (like running inbetween gears, semi neutral for a few seconds, then catch the right gear). When you refer to the vacumm issue, what are you referring to specifically?
Thanks for the info!
6th Gear Member
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 7,445
From:
RE: 2002 Mustang 3.8 Stalls at Idle and Belt Squealing
ORIGINAL: voltekka
Yep, the problem occurs on the street and not at crank. When it goes to idle (say at a stop light), I'll hear the squealing sound and then the rpms drop, car turns off. Odd thing is I can prevent it from happening by just letting the car move a bit by taking my foot off the break. Car revs up a bit, and then it won't stall.
Can't imagine the tranny being the problem though, I've never had any issues with gear changing (yep it's an automatic btw) on it before. I had another car previously with tran issues, and I remember feeling/hearing the gears not switching correctly (like running inbetween gears, semi neutral for a few seconds, then catch the right gear). When you refer to the vacumm issue, what are you referring to specifically?
Thanks for the info!
Yep, the problem occurs on the street and not at crank. When it goes to idle (say at a stop light), I'll hear the squealing sound and then the rpms drop, car turns off. Odd thing is I can prevent it from happening by just letting the car move a bit by taking my foot off the break. Car revs up a bit, and then it won't stall.
Can't imagine the tranny being the problem though, I've never had any issues with gear changing (yep it's an automatic btw) on it before. I had another car previously with tran issues, and I remember feeling/hearing the gears not switching correctly (like running inbetween gears, semi neutral for a few seconds, then catch the right gear). When you refer to the vacumm issue, what are you referring to specifically?
Thanks for the info!
[IMG]local://upfiles/17569/DAB78CF731DF4BA5B9CFD76BF8A53FC7.jpg[/IMG]
1st Gear Member
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 50
From: CT.
I know this is an OLD THREAD. So no one bash me on it. I'm here to try to help anyone doing a search on this problem. Mine did the same. Stalling and the squeal. Mine was the Camshaft Syncronizer. Don't go too long without changing it. You'll ruin your motor.
Last edited by Suek; Mar 7, 2015 at 01:53 PM.
4th Gear Member
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 1,155
From: Austin, Texas
This thread is a DECADE old. I'm pretty sure anyone else with this problem would just start a new thread.
1st Gear Member
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 50
From: CT.
If they're like me they Google it too. THEN go to a forum. I have no patience waiting for answers that may come a month later. When you put the subject in the search this is what you get. So when someone does that it can't hurt to add to it. It looked like a dead end and did not mention the part I replaced.
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 1
From: California
This helped so much
I know it's an old thread and this happened to me before we thought it was the belt but it was camshaft synchronizer I forgot the name of it so I googled it to see if anyone had posted it in this forum instead of starting a new thread and waiting for a reply 👍🏼 Glad I ran across it
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