car starts fine but then drops below 500 rpm and dies... any help???

 

I have noticed this a couple times also. I blame the fuel. If fueled up with reg(87) octane, it seems to happen more often. Try a octane booster and see if that helps. Otherwise I will watch this thread for more proven fixes.

 

pretty sure our cars are recommended to run on premium only... why would u even want to run regular in these cars????

 

octane rating has nothing to do with idle quality. a change an idle after changing gas can only be coincidental

you could have a faulty MAF sensor or a vacuum leak. start by cleaning the MAF since its so easy to do

 

i havent even gassed it up yet, just purchased the car. maybe they filled it with mid grade gas, im a noob with cars in general how would i clean the maf??

 

Also, it doesnt do this everytime sometimes it starts up fine an idles at about 1000 rpms, other times it just drops below 500 and dies

 

oh man. i know in ny state, the dealer you bought the used car from is liable for up to 30 days for repairs.

but if you have a private sale, you have to do it your self. you need a can of electronic parts cleaner/maf cleaner. you have to remove the maf sensor in the intake with a security hex and hose it down with the cleaner. let it dry and restart the car.

if your not up to it, you can always find a garage to do it quickly for you. there should be plenty of DIY's on the internet tho. again, this is all assuming it is your maf. it is very sensitive

 

MAF. They are around $550 at the dealer. My car had the same problem when it inhaled the air-filter.

 

check your oil, if its low you car will stall, ive had that happen and when i changed the oil i only got 2.5 quarts out, now i make sure im on top of it every week