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[Doo]

2005 For Four 1.3.

You'll be happily driving along, come to a junction and give way, then in an instant be able to simply pull out and find the car has stalled! Except, it hasn't (it's SO quiet you can't hear the engine).

It's in drive (A) and it's showing on the dash, but nothing happens. So it's ignition off, ignition on to start and away she goes as if nothing ever happened.

It only seems to occur now & then while lifting off to slow or stop. Sometimes the engine does cut out, sometimes it doesn't. Either way it's a bit of a fright in heavy traffic.

Code reader showed previous MAF faults and one other which I forget. I assume the MAF fault causes the engine to stall, but what could cause it to lose forward gear? I never actually tried to reverse (because it only happened to me once in heavy traffic so had to GTF out of the wat ASAP) so I can't say if it's a selector issue or an electrical gremlin.

It happens a lot with my wife who is less heavy on the go pedal so could be related, but I think it's more an issue with the "you need to go forward now" command.

It has a brand new clutch selector recently and it is working perfectly (woefully slow  )and all plugs were clean and corrosion free.

What should I be looking for either in the code reading or elsewhere?

Cheers.

[CrazyG]

AMT's can be a bit tempermental and do get 'bad press', but overall
they are quite dependable IF they have been set up properly.
Both my 'ex' and my daughter have 1.3 AMT's, and I have a CDi AMT
and apart from the usual MAF issue (sorted with a clean) they all
perform faultlessly...although WE all tend to drive them as 'manual'
and only use the full 'A' when on the motorways.
Why you might ask...well we have all found that at times the 'electronics'
tend to hold the gearbox in some gears for way to long...like in traffic,
when it would and can be quite happy in the next gear. This also saves
fuel and gives a smoother less 'noisy' ride.

So, having said all that my first thoughts would be to have the actuator
re-adjusted and clean the MAF.  The actuator adjustment should be done
in conjuction with the Star machine as that really is crucial, and to be
perfectly honest I would also do a clutch re-teach as well as a gearbox
re-teach whilst the Star is plugged in.  Time to do all of that would take
no more than 10 to 15 minutes.
(Also have them check to see if there are old or new fault codes)

[Ocracoke]

I am going to agree with G on this, I would say this was the MAF and the throttle body in the very first instance, so worth getting those checked and cleaned. Definitely get the clutch actuator and gearbox retaught and, as a extra thing, check the condition of the battery. The amount of extra load a AMT has over a Manual means that the battery has to be in good condition for the car to operate properly.

[Doo]

Thank you both.

The battery was new a month before the clutch actuator and I was informed the actuator would "learn" within around 200 miles or so.

I too like to use it as a manual, but my wife being female doesn't "get" that you can use it as both manual and auto.... She questions the logic!

Anyway, it never gets cheap supermarket fuel and I always rag it so I imagine the throttle body should be fine since I last checked, but good shout on the MAF. I'll introduce it to brake cleaner (cheaper than carb cleaner or switch cleaner, but absolutely the same old stuff).

I'll start saving for the Mercedes trip then.

Cheers lads.

[CrazyG]

Be advised...the clutch actuator doesn't "learn"....it is just a piece of
machinery. However, the electronics does 'pick up' on your driving style
and journey type and sort of adjusts accordingly, but having 2 different
drivers will be a bit much for it to 'learn' a manual style and an auto,
so best to forget that in a way.
And to clarify...the clutch adjust is not the same as a gearbox re-teach.
They are 2 separate actions/programs on the Star.

Ask how much to have both done before you take it in as MB are not
cheap by a long shot...probably around £60 for each, although a good
authrosied independant (if you can find one in your neck of the woods)
would possibly charge you £60 for the pair as the machine is already
plugged in to your car and it only takes at max 10 minutes for the
whole lot to be done.

[cecil]

Before you send it in for all the above- Please check the air pipes and connections for holes and loose connections

[CrazyG]

Agreed.... check hoses/air pipes to ensure no splits or leaks first.

[Problemchild]

Throttle Valve Actuator

get some carb cleaner and follow the guide - its a really simple diy job

the MAF is also sensitive. Check the wires to it aren't damaged. When my BRABUS MAF wire was damaged, as i accelerated, the car tried to stall as the wires were pulled apart.

if you unplug the MAF, the car will run in a "default" mode and shouldn't stall - you may be able to rule out the MAF if this doesnt change the behaviour

JJ