Engine cutting out when braking

[ash_scotland88]

....althought I think its an electrical fault.

Basically, car is a 1.8 16v "s" reg (i think 99 is way off, wasnt thinking when registering) automatic vectra hatchback....and just blanked on the trum level, if that makes a difference at all.
Problem is the car is cutting out when ever breaking, everything shuts down including power steering. Any ideas what the problem is?
It happened a few weeks back, and I've got in mind that the lambda sensore was replaced (its my parents car and being a typical late teens/just 20 i zone out when they are speaking to me) and this more or less sorted the problem, apart from cutting out a couple of times when just sitting in traffic.

So to go back to my question due to my blabbering:

What is causing the car to cut out when breaking?

[lofty]

what does your engine normally idle at? it may be too low.

[ash_scotland88]

mmmmh...good question, it did seem lower than usual, I want to say 1500, but in all honesty i might have said this tie round it was low as just 500.

[lofty]

I think it should be around the 10000 mark..

[ash_scotland88]

missed off zeros.
I honestly couldnt tell you as I wasnt driving and my mum as trying to keep the revs high.

[LJ sxi-nav]

my old vec-b used to stall sometimes when stopping at lights/junctions (not under normal braking, just when coming to a complete stop). I cleaned up the Throttle Body Housing and it imporved the situation. I had the X18XE1 engine (1.8 petrol). iirc the job itself is simple if its the same engine/problem - 4 bolts hold the throttle body to the engine, under the plastic cover, undo a few pipes & connections and give it a good clean. There is a paper gasket underneath, I just made a new gasket using gasket paper before re-fitting. Shouldn't take long to do at all. HTH.

Also - mine used to idle 800 - 1000 rpm, but before I cleaned the Throttle Body Housing it would sometimes 'hunt' i.e. vary the revs between 500-600 and 1200. If it dropped as low as 500rpm, that is when it sometimes stalled.

[ash_scotland88]

mmh, i might hint at mechanice if "cleaning out the engine would help?"
no way would i be able to do it myself.

[LJ sxi-nav]

i've not had the car for a while now, but as far as i remember it is not difficult at all. I'm sure the instructions for removing the Throttle Body Housing are in the haynes manual, so might not be a bad £18 investment.

also - see if there are any engine trouble codes stored (I had an "Idle Control Valve - open circuit or wrong voltage" code i think it was), get them read either by someone who has a code reader, or at a garage.

[Big Sig]

With it being an auto i guess it drops to idle when braking? Never driven one so have no idea. I guess its a x18xe engine, these are known to require the throttle body cleaning out. An easy and quick job.

[ash_scotland88]

cheers, i'll suggest that to the mechanic