Ok, anyone here a car mechanic? Help!

[gbate]

My husband's trusty 1996 Camry is having problems losing power and stalling. It's an automatic transmission. Once it gets started (which can take forever!), the tach goes down to below "1" and it just dies. He has been driving it like this by using the brake with his left foot and pressing the gas with his right (kinda like driving with a clutch). It's freaking me out because I think it's really dangerous. He says on the highway it won't lose power because it's tached up.

Does anyone have any idea what could be causing this?

[Kali]

1. alternator? is it charging ok? or are you having to use cables? fuel filter, fuel pump,

I also had a dodge that lost it's brain (computer) every couple of years. Not exactly a mechanic but lots of experience with broken down vehicles! There are some good folks over at car talk forums http://cartalk.com/board/ubbthreads.php?Cat=0 you have to register and it is slower than DU but you can at least look around for info while you wait for your post to be approved.

[Floogeldy]

2. Does it have oil in it? Transmission fluid?

Or clean the carburetor.

[Oeditpus Rex]

3. Could be any of a number of things

Engine diagnoses are pretty difficult when not actually working on the car, and low-RPM stalling points to either the fuel system or ignition system. Either way, it's process of elimination, and I'd have about 80 questions to get through that — and it'd still be an even shot of being wrong.

But — in my experience, hard starting combined with low-RPM stalling is usually in the fuel system, so start with the basics: Change the fuel and air filters and run a bottle of fuel system treatment/injector cleaner through it.

:hi: