Stalling when coming to a stop using the brakes?

[Mrs Miggins]

Hi again! (I seem to spend my life on here all of a sudden!)

Strange thing happened to me over the last couple of days whilst doing the work run. When coming to a complete stop using the brakes with the Bongo in Drive gear, it has suddenly started to stall on me on occasion. I wouldn't say I was braking particularly hard but as you come to a halt, you can feel the engine dying. Have managed to counter the problem by sticking the van into neutral every time I know I'm going to come to a stop or slow right down regardless of whether it's traffic lights holding me up or slow moving traffic. When I stop with it in neutral, it's fine and the engine ticks over normally. It only seems to happen when it's in drive and not all the time.

The only change is the weather (it's been very damp and drizzly over the last couple of days) and also the bongo hasn't been used at all between Tuesday afternoon and Sunday evening.

Noticed on a previous thread about fuel blockages. Don't know anything about fuel blockages but there was no audible releasing of built up gas when I took the petrol cap off and filled it up this morning. Having said that, it had only done 57 miles since last fill up (Don't ask, Lets just say I'm anal retentive about keeping it topped up each week and leave it at that!)

We have an automatic 2WD 2.5 litre diesel if that's of any help.

As always, I turn to the intelligent ones to help me out!

Thanks in advance!

Mrs M

[slow_n_low]

Take your petrol cap off and drive as normal, but keep it off for the full day, if it doesnt happen then thats the fault, your petrol cap if your worried about driving without the petrol cap on buy a cheap tempory one from a petrol statio they are around 2-3 quid

[rhino-wayne]

I hope that when you remove the "PETROL CAP" you fill Bongo with DIESEL !

[Northern Bongolow]

replace the fuel filter first, then check the banjo filter in the top of the pump, wash out the fuel cap with warm soapy water and blow dry.
if non of the above fixes it try checking round the fuel pump for leaks.
do a search using the search tap at the top, put in stalling, banjo filter, and similar, nd loads of reading will pop up.

[mikexgough]

Agree totally with the Blockage/Air leak suggestions.....can I ask...

Has the van being doing this from Cold and within a 1/2 mile to a mile from home?..... with a full cut out of the engine dying..rather than a clutch effect stall?

[teenmal]

Hi,
The fact that it Does Not Stall when you put it in Neutral would lead to a gear box(clutch etc) fault.

Worth checking the gear box fluid,and the above recommendations.

Cheers.

[slow_n_low]

The first thing he should do is drive with the petrol cap off because if it is that it will save him lots of messing about and money too, i wish i had done that when i first had the prob.
Just cleaning the cap in soapy water might not do it as i did mine seveal times and even took it to bits but it still did the same.
I have since got two more bongo caps and they make it do the same so have to use universal caps The problem didnt happen when i first got the van, it started doing it a couple of months or so later, it doesnt do it when you first start the car it took around 10 miles or so of driving before it started wanting to stall and always when i slowed down at junctions, roundabouts or tight corners, was embarrassing and dangerous too.

[slow_n_low]

And mine didnt stall in neutral neither it ran ok, in fact it was neutral that saved me as i could build the revs up to get in gear and drive off

[Mrs Miggins]

Thanks for answers folks.

Take your petrol cap off and drive as normal, but keep it off for the full day

Errrr............ okay, I can do that. May get a cheapo one as you suggested though. Is it a special petrol cap that's on it or something???

I hope that when you remove the "PETROL CAP" you fill Bongo with DIESEL !

Lol! Yes! I'm most definitely filling with diesel. I can tell by the "Ker.....ching!" sound I hear from the Government all the way down in London each time I fill up! Not that I have a problem with the current price of fuel you understand! I use the term 'Petrol Cap' cos that's all I've ever driven up until now. Bit like the way I always put the windscreen wipers on every time I want to turn right!

replace the fuel filter first, then check the banjo filter in the top of the pump, wash out the fuel cap with warm soapy water and blow dry. if non of the above fixes it try checking round the fuel pump for leaks.

Does this mean I may have to actually get a little grubby? May have to send the other half out to investigate if that's the case!

Agree totally with the Blockage/Air leak suggestions.....can I ask... Has the van being doing this from Cold and within a 1/2 mile to a mile from home?..... with a full cut out of the engine dying..rather than a clutch effect stall?

The van has only been driven a couple of miles or so when it's happened. To be honest, it's only happened twice and threatened to happen once but I turned into a scaredy cat and started using neutral every time I came to a stop or slowed right down after that. I've discovered that stalling an automatic isn't like stalling a manual. It takes a little more time to re-start due to having to put Bongo in park, applying the brake and restarting as opposed to clutch in and re-start while you're still rolling! It's probably only a few more seconds in reality but it feels like forever and I hate the thought of people honking me to tell me to hurry up!
It's pretty much a clutch effect stall the way it would happen if you stopped a manual without using the clutch. Engine cuts out completely as a result, and dashboard lights up like a Christmas tree with all the red lights!

The fact that it Does Not Stall when you put it in Neutral would lead to a gear box(clutch etc) fault.
Worth checking the gear box fluid,and the above recommendations.

Oh please don't say that! I see money racing away down the drain!

Just out of curiosity, if I do need the help of a proper mechanic, does anyone know if GB Automotive are any good in Brockmoor, Dudley? Only they're just around the corner from me so it would be easy to drop Bongo with them, if it needs fixing, and walk home.

[mikexgough]

Going on what you have said, and I know it is difficult to give 100% descriptions on a forum in the written words....as is a full diagnosis/Cure.....But... Try the filters 1st.... including the little Banjo one in the top of the diesel pump.... if your still having issues....

I'd put money on the diesel pump on it's way out..... not wishing to put the fear of god in you but it could very well be the problem, It's happened to me....and mine cut out once though.....same as yours...and then I set to on it....but I guess it would have repeated the symptoms if I have ignored it and continued to drive it.....

One positive....there are good S/H pumps on ebay which just need fitting and timing without breaking the bank...... at least, should it be the pump...Bongo pumps are reliable and unlike Vauxhalls and the like they don;t cost £2000..

[Mrs Miggins]

I think I'm going to have to take it to a mechanic to get it sorted and deal with the cost somehow. I really haven't much clue about engines and fixing things like that and I'm not particularly confident to try. My limit is checking the oil, water and tyres! It seems to cut out when the engine starts to warm up. Did it again today with a huge queue of cars behind me and I got myself into a right old panicky flap! It's not healthy!

Popped out last night to pick up my daughter and the speedo decided it wasn't going to work! It's working today but tomorrow? Who knows! I dunno, first of all it gets broken in to, then it starts stalling, now the speedo................ We've only had it 2 months! Beginning to wonder if we've bought a dud

[Northern Bongolow]

check the battery/s make sure they are fastened down well, terminals tight, and that the earth to body is good, sounds like it could be a loose connection round the battery moving around.
when they tried to nick it did they tamper with anything electrical inside(ignition barrel,speedo chip,dashboard.) or under the bonnet, or were they trying to pinch the battery/s.
also check the alternator connections and its output etc.

[Simon Jones]

The feed for the speedo comes from a sensor in the gearbox so that may be clue for the stalling problem.

[joca]

Hi, Check out V6 cutting out on this forum. I have had only had mine 3months and its been off the road a month. Maybe I should have gone for a VW. John

[Mrs Miggins]

Well, it would appear to be one of those "Women's Problems" ............... you know the kind I mean......... The kind that only occur when us ladies drive!

Took it in last week to be looked at and apparently there was nothing to be found to cause the problem. The mechanics had it in for the day, they looked at everything that might be causing the trouble, they drove it around and around and around and did it stall/cut out on them? Absolutely not! They did find a badly cracked exhaust though and kind of suggested, tongue in cheek that it may be that causing the stalling problems. They don't seem very confident about it though.

Clearly I imagined it cutting out on me on a roundabout the other morning. It was all a figment of my imagination! Oh, did I tell you all that it cuts out in neutral as well as in gear? Well it does!

I have now adopted the craziest style of driving and think it should be recorded for posterity! Right foot on Accelerator, Left foot on brake, slip it into neutral at any possible sign of slowing down or stopping and use the brake to slow down or stop whilst giving the accelerator a little tickle to keep the revs up all the time. Driving by the seat of my pants takes on a whole new meaning. Smell it? I'm sitting in it for the entire journey!

So, just to recap the problem........... I'm driving along and when I come to a stop/have to slow down using the brakes the engine cuts out on me. Sometimes you hear the revs dropping and feel a bit of shuddering as it stalls and sometimes it does it silently - one minute it's driving, the next all the light on the dash have lit up! Doesn't matter if the van is in gear or neutral, it happens regardless. It doesn't always happen but it's very unpredictable. When I start it back up it takes a short while for the engine to catch. If any of you are bikers and you've not switched over to reserve in time before the bike engine cutting out you will understand that thing of having to turn the engine over a few times before it fires up again.

If anyone can shed some light on this then please do. I don't know where else to turn to.