My car started doing this sometimes, but did it full on today. Started it, it cut out, wouldnt start then. The oil light flashed repeatedly each time till i switched it off and tried again, each try ending the same way.
I found with holding the throttle a wee bit open and cranking it, it would eventually catch and rev but died as soon as I let the engine idle. Its an ADY engine so doesnt have an idle valve. Anyway it stalled at every junction on the way to work and I was well pissed off! I went to look at it lunchtime, and found the throttle cable was stiff and had slightly stretched over the years, and the ADY 8v 2.0L engine has no throttle stop screw drilled into the TB, it relies on the cable to hold it open at idle!
The cable is old and stretched, so, the gap at the throttle actuator was too small and if held open at about 8mm wi a twist drill shank, the engine idled perfectly at 900. Pulling the drill out, the throttle closed too much and the engine coughed and died after a few seconds of low, rough idling at 500 - 700!
When the throttle actuator is pulled closer to the stop than 6mm the engine hunts then cuts out, and the throttle position sensor housing clunks loudly every 1/2 second trying to put the butterfly back to the idle position but the cable wouldn't let it. (slightly stiff)
SO - I pulled the clip off the cable adjuster, pulled the sheath back a bit and moved the clip 2 slots closer to the end, making the cable shorter. The engine idles at 1000 rpm, and revs fine although the stiff cable makes it idle faster sometimes before falling to 1k, next up is a new cable and I might drill and tap the alloy stop to take a m4 screw to make a throttle stop!
