So - This just started out of the blue a few days ago - and I haven't driven her since - been troubleshooting here and there...
From a cold start I didn't notice until I came to a stop - she started sputtering but didn't die ( a few miles, from my house, I drove down the interstate - about 10 miles - and she quite on me at the end of the off ramp, I started her back up in N and put her into gear right away giving her gas to get her to where I was going ( a gas station to meet someone ) and she died rolling into the parking space.

She started back up - high RPM 3k and settle back down to idle then died (engine was warm because i wasn't there long) got her onto the highway - no problem at highway speeds - all shifts were normal - I was able to not have to come to a stop at my offramp - when I got to my street she died but I started her back up in N - and put her back in gear and got her to my house...

I got her home and have been working a few nit noid things...
ECTS changed - No change to the symptoms at all - I changed the throttle body - and IAC - no change to the symptoms - I checked all the vacuum lines and connections no cracks or disconnections - checked the intake manifold - no cracks or gaps -
I have a smoke machine - I've ran it twice - no smoke coming from anywhere it hasn't come from before... ( spring coil on the TB ) On both TBs smoke seeps from them..

I have 256k miles on this car - I've owned this car since 1996. I bought it with 46k miles on her. I was 19 when I bought her. We have been through a lot. I changed the head gasket and timing chain on her last year - finished the project in July of last year - put 5k miles on her since and this is the first hiccup since then.

As soon as the motor is warm and I put her in gear she dies. I did this Saturday, and I ran her today, but not long enough for the engine to get totally warmed up - I didn't want her to die.. so I never put her in gear, the motor runs fine other than the run up to 3k RPM then back down to idle of 7-800 RPM.

I have my EGR Blocked off completely since the head gasket / time change swap out.

When I start her up she revs to 3k and then down to idle like there is a vacuum leak but there isn't any smoke leaking during a power off smoke test....

 

Check throttle position sensor.with original cleaned throttle body and cleaned original IAT. Replicates original configuration, removing added parts as variables in the equation.

 

So, I've used 2 complete TBs with 2 separate sensor packages (TPS and IACs) and the symptoms were exactly the same?

 

Does it die like you shut off the key or the idle goes too low? Can you keep it running in gear with your right foot on the throttle snd your left foot on the brake? Maybe the torque converter is starting to fail and pulls it down to fast for the idle air control to react.

 

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So you changed the throttle body and IAT.
"changed the throttle body - and IAC -"

Did you change the IAT in the first throttle body?
That would make sense troubleshooting.
OR
Did you change the throttle body and put a new IAT in it?
That's changing two things at once. Not the best for troubleshooting.

No mention of throttle position sensor. Didn't say you replaced it, so must have transferred it to the 2nd throttle body.
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If you did change the throttle position sensor or use a different one with the second throttle body, you never said so.
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I retired my clairvoyance meter years ago. My suggestions are only as good as the information given up front. Yours lacked the important distinctions above.

I've learned a lot of stuff over the years by being wrong.
Doesn't bother me.What does bother me is people copping an attitude that a suggestion from another member of the forum is silly based on information not originally shared or ambiguous initial descriptions.The attitude? The question mark; "are you serious?" "Why would you suggest that based on what I've done, which includes these details I didn't give you before?"

Lose the attitude.
Be polite. Not incredulous.

Andy will take good care of you. Always does.

 

My apologies derf - I had a complete TB sitting on the shelf with it's own set of sensors - it was known good, was in my car previously before I did the head gasket and timing chain - I had some issues that led me to put the existing TB on - that led me to shelving it -- . I did not change the sensors out of the TB that was in the car at the time - I just swapped the whole TB outright since I knew the TB I had on the shelf was known good.

02 LW300 - The idle goes too low and it dies with a squeak... it's not like with the key.

 

I have a new symptom! I have her on front jacks - I just learned that the dying is not isolated to the car being warm. I tried to shift from P to R - it died - P to D - it died - P to 3 - it died - P to 2 - it died... So my manager used to be an ASE certified technician - he asked me if I tried the brake pedal - I had not - so with the car in Park - P - with the car running I pushed the brake pedal - and it died.

Brake booster?

 

derf - I wasn't trying to be snarky intentionally - I've been told many times my communication skills aren't the best, no disrespect meant by it. It made sense to me and I didn't proof read it before I hit the "post quick reply" button.

 

Dude,
No harm no foul.
This forum has become so civil in the last two decades. I haven't had to ban anyone in probably 7 years for being a jackass or abusive.

Occasionally, things come across differently when there are only words and no inflection from a non-existent voice that never says them. Passive aggressiveness seems to be my purpose in life, so it all comes full circle eventually.

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The booster is suspect!