The engine in my 1990 Miata (67k) shuts off occasionally when I travel down a hill, usually as I am coming to a stop and downshifting to second or first. I just had a new clutch and flywheel put in. No other problems with this car. Runs good, everything works. There is no noise. Plenty of gas. Weather conditions vary. Almost seems to go to sleep on me. Only happens at the bottom of a moderate grade or hill. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.
Car shuts off at the bottom of hill
Jan 07, 2004
4 Replies
Sounds like you're just stalling it. Possibly you need to re-adjust your idea of the friction point of the clutch; the old worn clutch probably didn't catch until much higher up.
You'd have never even discovered the problem here in Houston!
Chris
92BB&T
That sounds like idle-droop to me. Didn't know NA's did that. You might have a dirty throttle body. There's a very good tutorial for cleaning it at
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- especially clean the air by-pass screw hole (hell to get that @#$%^&*screw out!). I don't know if that REALLY fixes idle-droop or not, but it SEEMED to me that it was better after I did it. BTW, last night, coming down a hill and into a foggy (and much colder) Pacific Coast Hwy intersection from a warmer and clear Sunset Blvd., it drooped as I came to a stop at the light, big-time - engine just shut off, like I'd turned off the key. Seems like sudden changes in temp/humidity trigger it.
I don't know. I'm used to it.
Steve McMahon Green JRSC '00LS
I travel
downshifting to
You might
cleaning it at
(hell to get
idle-droop or
BTW, last
Pacific Coast
drooped as I came
I'd turned off
it.
Didn't think idle droop applied to NAs either. ;)
Just as a WAG though, could it be sludge in the fuel tank? It could be sloshing forward over the intake when you brake at the bottom of the hill.
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Iva & Belle.) '90B Classic Red.) #3 winkin' Miata
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