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Hi all, I have a 97 Contour 4 cyl with 86,000 miles. It's been a good car and served me well.
For the last couple weeks, when I start it in the morning, it'll sputter and stall. I'll restart and it runs fine. It only happens when I start it in the morning (usually after sitting about 13 hours). It used to happen once in a while, usually when the car would sit for a few days, but now it's becoming a daily occurance. I baby the car, let it warm up before driving, hardly ever use the AC (and I live in Georgia!) and don't push it on the highway, I'm not a slowpoke, but not a speed demon either. Any ideas?
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Joined: Apr 2001
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probably a bad egr valve. see if you can get someone to pull the codes for you.
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Joined: May 2002
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Thanks! I'll give that a shot. I think there's an auto supply chain here in GA that'll pull them for free.
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My car does the same thing, once in a great while. Most of the time, it's just fine, but once in a great while, just after it has been cold-started, it will sputter and stall. I've replaced the EGR valve (not because of this symptom, but because I was getting P0402 codes), but this does not seem to have had any effect on this symptom.
{I do hate spam, but that isn't really part of my email address. Remove the string ?HatesSpam? from the email address ?BobHatesSpam@blaylock.to? to email me. No advertisements. Spammers will be dealt with very harshly!} ------- Moonlight Blue 1996 Mercury Mystique GS , Zetec engine, ATX. No mods. (Well, OK, one mod. Before I got rid of my previous car, a 1994 Tempo, I swapped radios. I liked the Tempo's radio better. That counts as a mod, doesn't it? I also kept one of my Tempo's wheels to use as a spare. I hate those stupid ?compact? spares that come with modern cars. Does this count as a mod? If so, I guess I have two mods. Replaced burned/melted blower switch and connector on 19 February 2002 with a 1P3T toggle switch from Marvac and a Molex connector from Rat Shack; I guess this now makes three mods.)
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What is this, an epidemic?  For the last week or so mine has been firing up after sitting all night, stalling, then running fine after a restart. It also had occasion to do this in the afternoon on the way home from work. It was right after filling the tank, so I dumped a bottle of super injector cleaner in the tank. It's maybe a little better, but not what I'd consider "normal".
- Jim
'96 Mystique GS, Ztech - ATX,
with CD changer, Sylvania Cool Blues, sunroof, keyless entry, and 9mm blue wires
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like i said, it's probably the egr valve. my cougar acted in the EXACT same manner, i replaced the EGR and no more problems. just a thought.
also, does it mainly sputter and stall when you put it in gear after the cold start? or does it do it by itself while in neutral and just idling.
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Thanks, Dan, I may give the EGR replacement a shot. 
- Jim
'96 Mystique GS, Ztech - ATX,
with CD changer, Sylvania Cool Blues, sunroof, keyless entry, and 9mm blue wires
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Originally posted by SVTour98:
also, does it mainly sputter and stall when you put it in gear after the cold start? or does it do it by itself while in neutral and just idling. In my case, I start the car, the revs go to around 1500, drop to 1000, then it stumbles and dies. I start it again, it runs fine. It happened about 4 mornings last week, and 2 afternoons getting ready to come home from work. Afternoons have been okay since. Mornings, iffy. The dealer just replaced the PCV valve at the last oil change. I should have had it changed at 60,000 for free, but I waited until 79,000 to have it done.
- Jim
'96 Mystique GS, Ztech - ATX,
with CD changer, Sylvania Cool Blues, sunroof, keyless entry, and 9mm blue wires
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also, does it mainly sputter and stall when you put it in gear after the cold start? or does it do it by itself while in neutral and just idling. It only happens right when I start, before I ever put it in gear. Also only in the morning after sitting all night. It would always start up fine the second time. Of course, the morning after posting this, and for the first time in about a week, it did not sputter and stall......
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This morning, foggy and 56 deg., it started up, went to 1500 for a few secs., dropped to 1000, hesitated a bit, then ran fine. When it hesitated, it was like it had to pass a kidney stone or something.
Oh well, we'll see what tomorrow brings. :rolleyes:
- Jim
'96 Mystique GS, Ztech - ATX,
with CD changer, Sylvania Cool Blues, sunroof, keyless entry, and 9mm blue wires
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