HELP i am confused over my car problem

[kingprince]

my 2002 ford explorer is having a problem that i cant explain

i start the car and it starts just fine but as soon as i engage the gear the car shuts offf

i need help

what is happening to my car

[mustangguy007]

Sounds like it needs a tune up. best guess without being there. are you letting it warm up before you put it in gear?

Maybe it's idling too low. that would be my another guess. it sounds like it's idling high enough to start but once you put it in gear the idle drops too low to keep it running.

Only change the idle if it's not within the normal range. I would say 600 to 700 rpms should be ok. There are several reasons why the idle might be out of spec. if it is. I would check things like timing, vacuum leaks, cap and rotor, wires, coil. Rarely is it a simple adjusting of a screw.