Stalling & Electronic Throttle Control Light?

[TopTrainer]

Hopefully someone can help me out with this problem so here's the whole story.

2006 SRT8 ( Aug '05 build ) with 54k miles completely stock. For about the last month the car has been randomly stalling with no warning lights either before or after the stall. The car would be running fine for about 10 minutes or so then at a light or stopped waiting to turn, the rpms would jump up, the car would lurch forward and then die. Restart the car and it would usually run fine.

I posted my problem to my local forum and was told to check the throttle body and clean it out, could be a sticking throttle plate. I checked it and sure enough there was a lot of gunk in there so I cleaned it out. Now its nice and shiny, looks like new. I did make the mistake of disconnecting the battery when I removed the throttle body. I was told this probably messed up the adaptive learning because when I put it all back together the idle was surging from 500 - 1500 rpms.

I reset the computer, pulled fuse #11 and did a throttle relearn. The car ran fine for a day. Yesterday 10 minutes into my drive, stopped waiting to turn left. The car jumped forward almost hitting the car in front of me and then stalled. This time all the dash warning lights came on and upon restart the ETC light was flashing. I immediately pulled into a parking lot and according to the manual cycled the key and the light went away. The car ran fine the rest of the way.

Today, left the house and at the exact same intersection approximately 10 minutes into the drive, the ETC light came on and was flashing, car went into limp mode. Pulled off, cycled the key, ran fine for another 35 minutes. On the way home, 10 minutes in, sitting at a light, rpms jump up and car stalls. No warning lights illuminate. Restart, another 10 minutes ETC light on and flashing. Pull over, cycle the key, ran fine another 30 minutes and I'm home.

I'm sorry for the long explanation, but hopefully someone has some ideas on whats going on. Like I said, 54k miles, out of warranty, completely stock. Thanks very much.

[keat]

I had a similar issue with a VW Passat.. we never did get to the bottom of it.
My Scenerio.. the car would run fine after cold star until I hit a red light or stop junction, at which point it would stall.
Restart and everything would be OK, with no warnings or error lights, and wouldn't stall again all day.

Now here's the twist.. if I could make it through the lights at the top of my street, I could be on the motorway and drive 200 miles before I needed to stop, but the 1st time I stopped, the car would stall.
It didn't matter if it was at the top of my street (400 yards) or at the far end of the country, and would only do it once, after a cold start.
Hope someone has an answer for you, i put up with it for 3 years.

[Mr. iNCREDIBLE]

disconnect the throttle body connector at the TB, start the car engine will get all wonky, let it run for 30 - 40 seconds.. stop the motor and remove the key.

plug the throttle body connector back in (clean out the connector in case there is any corrosion in it, and use a DAB of di-electric grease to prevent further corrosion).

turn the key to run and listen for the TB to cycle (click click sound) then start the car.

this procedure will force the PCM to throw a fit because it can't find the drive by wire system, then replugging it forces the PCM to relearn the TB sensor positions..


I have seen the same thing happen on several SRTs and 5.7L cars, something causes the PCM to "forget" the TB sensor voltages settings and it closes the TB at idle cutting off all air to the intake and killing the car..

the lurch you got was the TB opening all the way then then closing real fast..



this procedure is actually in the star scan, it has a whole routine on how to recalibrate the TB, but it can be done in the manner I described if a star scan is not handy.

[TopTrainer]

Thank you Mr. Incredible, I will go try this right now. Should I then go for a drive or should it be fine?

[Mr. iNCREDIBLE]

Originally Posted by TopTrainer

Thank you Mr. Incredible, I will go try this right now. Should I then go for a drive or should it be fine?

should be yes, if it continues you may have a problem with the Throttle body, beyond the electrical (maybe a mechanical failure on the servos)

but what you are describing is the TB closing because the computer doesn't know the sensor position.

[TopTrainer]

That seems to have worked. Went driving around for about 45 minutes and no issues. Thanks again!

[Mr. iNCREDIBLE]

Originally Posted by TopTrainer

That seems to have worked. Went driving around for about 45 minutes and no issues. Thanks again!

no problem, let me know if it comes back, I'd be curious what the failure is...

[BillyIreland79]

my car is having the same exact problem. I just tried your quick fix it, but didn't seem to work. then again i didn't hear the click click noise after plugging the throttle body plug back in. maybe I'm doing something wrong. the biggest issue im having is when i floor it and let off the gas, the engine seems to go into idle and wont respond till the car drops down under 30mph.
any ideas?

[Mr. iNCREDIBLE]

sounds like your car is hitting the limp mode..

do you have any check engine lights or codes?

[BillyIreland79]

check engine light comes on 75% of the time. 50% of the time it will stay on for a day or two. other times it just goes away after normal driving. im always nervous to punch it to pass a car, because theres a good chance it will just go into "limp" mode and ill have to pull over anyhow.