VN stalling when idling- Help please!

[kjr]

I bought my VN 3 weeks back, and a few days after I got it it started to stall at the traffic lights, anyway it got worse each day, if I put it in neutral it would be fine, but when in drive it would stall (not when in motion though!) I figured I had two options, take it to the mechanic and get it fixed, or run lots of red lots, I like my licence so decided to get it fixed.., it was the 02 sensor apparently, it had died in the arse. so anyway they replaced that, and the car was running fine, I have done like 300 k's since it got fixed, and it was running fine until today....its the same problem, so I am assuming the new 02 sensor is stuffed??? I will ring the mechanics back tomorrow and ask them to take another look at it, but I have a feeling even if it is the 02 sensor they will want more $$ to fix it again, even if it was just a faulty 02 sensor, these pricks got $410 out of me already, I dont wanna give them anymore $money!
has anyone else had this problem? if so what was causing it? would it be something else killing the 02 sensor?

[cruzncommo]

OMFG YOU PAYED THEM THAT MUCH TO CHANGE an o2 sensor :| oh golly, it may be the o2 sensor, you checked the computer for faults?

[kjr]

Yes he did check the computer for the faults, only one that showed was the 02 sensor, or so he said..and no sorry not 02 sensor alone, I got brakes too (I took it there for 02 sensor only!) and he ended up doing my brakes because he reckons they were stuffed (they pulled up!) he also put my old airbox back in and a new air filter, because he told me my pod filter was a defect..I found out later from my housemate that that is a crock of ****..so I spent $100 on that when I didnt need to.. (though he could be wrong..) so all up yeah it was $410, 02 sensor, airfilter, brakes, and labour..

[cruzncommo]

woah and a POD is defectable lol id check all your plugs and whatnot.

[kjr]

oh is it? fair enough, I wonder why...but yeah anyway he didnt ask me, he told me what he was doing, then charged me thru the nose..same with the brakes.."you cant take the car til I put brakes on, I am out, they will be in tomorrow" I think he saw a female and thought he could scam as much out of me as I was willing to accept, I blame my bf, he wouldnt come with me, haha. anyway, the guy checked the plugs and said they looked fairly new, I really think its the sensor again, as its been working for the last few days fine, 300k's worth, now its doing it again.

[kjr]

Thanks guys,

Car is fixed (for now!) I took it back to the mechanic, 1 minute down the road, if that, and in this one minute it stalled twice on the way in the driveway of the mechanics...the first time it was when I was turning into the driveway, I lost power steering (cause engine cut out) so I couldnt make the turn, so had to start her up, reverse a bit, turn wheel harder, but it did it again, got ****ty, so did it again, finally got in..and he put the computer on it and it had no code errors "hmmm" we both thought, he was going to check the fuel pressure thinking it may have been the fuel pump (we were both dreading this bit) and then he checked something else first..not sure what it was, he took the black tube thing going from one part of the engine to the black airbox.. and then sprayed some stuff in there..got a tooth brush and scrubbed, he said sometimes (not often, but sometimes) it gets a build up of oil etc and it effects the idling, so once it was cleaned he took it for a test drive and what do you know..it didnt stall at all *pats the VN* on the way home I took about a 10 min drive to test it out (heavy traffic too on parramatta road) so alot of idling at traffic lights etc and it didnt do it..so hopefully *fingers crossed* that fixed the problem for good...

[J_D]

I would say it should be fixed for good. He cleaned out the idle air control valve. It controls the air flow to the engine when your foot is off the accelerator. That would be why it was stalling.

[kowan]

I like happy endings

Now kjr you just need to do one more thing.

Kjr go kick ya bf up the bum and tell him to change your brakes, it's not that hard to do.

[kjr]

haha, He would have changed them, but the mechanic got in first, he did ask if I needed new brakes (the bf) and I was like "pfft, no, it pulls up, doesn't it!" (and it did) but when I went to the mechanic he said I needed new brakes and he didn't want me to take the car until he put them in..so he did that....Car is going well now, just need to put stock springs back in and it will be all good, oh and the mags

[kjr]

I hope its fixed for good! I don't wanna spend anymore money fixing problems, I wanna make it look sexy now!

I would say it should be fixed for good. He cleaned out the idle air control valve. It controls the air flow to the engine when your foot is off the accelerator. That would be why it was stalling.