My 1996 ford fiesta 1.3 stalls automatically

[nazrul187]

Ive noticed that my 1996 ford fiesta 1.3 stalls automatically. This usually happens when I put in the clutch to change gears, especially when im dropping gears. It also stalls when I stop at traffic lights. Could someone please tell me what this problem could be? and how I could sort it out?

[shaun_04]

The tick-over is too low, im not too sure about cars, but I know on motorbikes, it is very easy to adjust, just one screw on the carb infact. Although, cars have more than one carb, so you need to set them up correctly (the same as each other), using precise measuring equipment. Depends how handy you are, it could be worthwile buying your own equipment and adjusting it yourself, knowing the prices garages charge, but if you aren't up for getting a bit dirty, and you dont know anyone else who could do it for you, take it to a garage.

[clancyblob]

Shaun 04 could be right, but most cars from 92 on had electronic engine management systems, usually sensors on the exhaust, catalyst, and various other places to monitor the engine load etc and vary all the settings continuously to get optimum performance and economy. So it may be one of these little sensors is upset in some way. Also nearly all cars from early 90's had injection systems rather than carburettors to meet emissions regulations. Carburettor cars are rare now! My Volvo had a similar problem, and it transpired that a little sensor down the back of the engine had water dripping onto it. My nice independent garage man plugged a diagnostic meter into the sytem and it told him which sensor was faulty. He cleaned it up and the car was fine after. Only charged me a tenner too.

[clancyblob]

Shaun's point reminds me of a B reg Polo that always did this after main dealer service. It would stall on approach to roundabouts, traffic lights etc, as soon as you put the clutch down. It turned out the main dealer set the engine (a carburettor in this case) by using an emissions sensor to adjust the carb to give a reading within VW emissions guidelines. As the car was high mileage it wouldn't run well on these original factory settings, but I was able to tweak the mixture and tickover screws as Shaun 04 says to get it to run sweetly. The garage wouldn't do this as the car then breached some emissions regulations. A Haynes manual (try eBay for a cheap one) should tell you whether you can do this with your Fiesta.

[ugly_bob]

I think the 1996 fiesta has the old style (pre zetec) engine still, so you should be able to locate the accelerator cable into the carb and there will be a twist adjuster on there to tighten/loosen the cable when the accelerator is not depressed. This is the tickover and tightening it a bit should help.
If you don't know where the acce;erator cable is, get someone else to sit in the driver's seat and press the pedal and you'll see it move.