90TGPGirl Posted June 17, 2003 Report Share Posted June 17, 2003 Okay here it goes. Some of you may already know this so excuse my repetitiveness. About 3 weeks ago, I brought my TGP to my mechanic to have it inspected, tuned up, tranny flushed, new filter, coolant flushed and a 160 t-stat installed. Now, for the short time I had it back from the bodyshop, when I drove it, it ran really rough. It had a REAL bad miss at high rpms, and puttered, and ran a little hot. When I would shut the car off, I would hear bubbling sounds from under the hood and I also smelled coolant. When I popped the hood, the bubbling sounded like it was coming from the upper radiator hose. There was also steam or something coming from the radiator cap. I did not see any leaks. SO, while it was at the shop they did all the stuff I wanted. They went to run the emissions and it failed. They checked tjhe engine compression and it was WAY off. Did a few other tests, and apparently came to the conclusion that either the head gasket was blown OR one or both of the heads was cracked. It wound up being a cracked head (I saw it). So yeah, a week or so later a new head was installed with new valves, the other head was checked, machined and jet washed. All cams, valves and all that good stuff was checked and is fine. Okay so now, the car is running good. BUT there is still this tiny tiny miss under load. Vacuum lines were replaced, new module, new fuel injector this and that. The miss gets fixed but NOW....the car runs great at idle. When it is driven and the turbo kicks in the car shuts off. The guy was not overboosting. He went thru 2 traffic lights, wasn't going fast but the car just shut off. ECM was checked. We are stumped. I dropped off my TopGun chip to him this morning, and also suggested he check the oil lines for the turbo. I haven't heard back yet, but I'll call soon. Does anyone have any ideas as to what is causing my car to just shut itself off??? Thanks and sorry for my long winded story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TGPilot Posted June 17, 2003 Report Share Posted June 17, 2003 When you say it "just shuts off", do the gauges drop off like you turned the key off or is it like the car just does not respond to throttle input? Have you or your mechanic pulled any diagnostic codes from the car? 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slade901 Posted June 17, 2003 Report Share Posted June 17, 2003 I have experienced like that on my 1990 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme SL which my car would just shut down by itself as if someone pulled the power switch OFF. It turns out to be just the positive wire not tightened enough. The positive terminal wire on the battery was tight but the wire that goes from the positive terminal next to the fuel pump relay needs to be secured by a nut and it was just barely tight and giving enough connection to start the car but then when the car was moving and hit some bump, etc., and when I come to a stop sign and go then the car dies. I tightened that nut and I did not have any problem anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slade901 Posted June 17, 2003 Report Share Posted June 17, 2003 Let me throw another possibility. This is based on the same car that had problem where the car just die off when it was running. My coolant temperature sensor switch has crack in it and barely holding together. When I start my car then it runs fine but then a couple blocks and bumps then the wire on the coolant temperature sensor gets totally disconnected and then the car just dies down. I was cheap and just use a liquid bond to connect the sensor together (making sure the terminals was not covered). Problem solved. Another problem I had where the car dies after driving it a couple of blocks. If I let the car cool down a bit then the car starts but then it dies when the car is fully warmed up even driving 1 or 2 blocks. It turns out to be the EGR. The technician just put an EGR block-off plate on the EGR and charged me $250+ for it and did not elaborate what they did and just told me it was a block-off plate and that's it. It took me a couple of years of research to find out it just a small plate that was inserted inline with the EGR and thereby blocking the EGR passage way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted June 18, 2003 Report Share Posted June 18, 2003 It could be the crank sensor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idbeast Posted June 18, 2003 Report Share Posted June 18, 2003 Two things usally cause this problem in a TGP, the crank sensor, or the DIS Module. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robby1870 Posted June 18, 2003 Report Share Posted June 18, 2003 I agree with Dave and Idbeast. However, ( I dont know my TGP stuff that well), but I heard of problem where the ECM would think that the car was over boosting and shut it off.........Oh, wait, she said that wasnt the case, nevermind. Crank sensor or ICM Robby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
90TGPGirl Posted June 18, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2003 Thanks for the responses guys. The ECM was checked out. A brand new one was installed, and that didn't cure the problem, so my old one was put back in. The module was replaced as well as the crank sensor. Problem still there. I will ask him if he checked the fuel pump relay wire, the MAP sensor and the EGR. I am really hoping to get somewhere with this today. I will have been without my TGP for 1 whole month tomorrow. Impatience isn't even the word anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phantomFE3 Posted June 19, 2003 Report Share Posted June 19, 2003 yah my phantom died twice in the middle of 2 intersections, the first time some construction guys came over and helped me out and they were gonna push my car off the road when the guy shut the hood and it magically started working again, and then it died again in the middle of the next intersection, then i called my dad and one of my friends dad was driving by and he helped me push it into the grocery stores parking lot and then my cousin drove by so she stopped and then my dad came and it was working we tried jump starting it but that didnt work and then after about 15 mins of scratching our heads my friends dad wiggled the aux. power output up by the fuel pump ECM and i heard the dinging from my stereo (those with sony x-plod cd players know what im talkin about!) and so he tightened that thing up and it worked fine!!! it w2as wierd because just like you said, someone just switched a switch from the battery to off, none of the lights worked, the dash didnt light up or anything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slade901 Posted June 19, 2003 Report Share Posted June 19, 2003 Another possibility would be your ignition switch itself on the steering wheel could be malfunctioning. Pay attention to any sign of smoke or burnt smell on the near the steering wheel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phantomFE3 Posted June 19, 2003 Report Share Posted June 19, 2003 ive had smoke come out of the gap from my steering wheel before! what does that mean? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
90TGP Posted June 19, 2003 Report Share Posted June 19, 2003 Have your mechanic check out all your vacuum lines that goto the turbo. I had the same problem earlier. Mine was caused by an old vacuum line that was brittle due to the heat from the turbo. The smoke coming from your steering wheel is a very common problem and is nothing to worry about. One your turn signal switch, there is a gel like substance on the inside that's on the metal connectors inside your steering wheel. The gel drips off of the switch onto a metal connector when it's hot, and their's your smoke. Even if you replaced your switch with a brand new GM part, it'll still come back due to the design of the part. Like I said, you'll get it every once and a while when it's hot out, but don't worry about it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
90TGPGirl Posted June 19, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2003 Well, yesterday afternoon, I got a call from my mechanic. He actually had good news for me. The TGP is up and running. He wanted me to come in, so he could go over a few things and show me all that they fixed. I also took it out for a spin. The reason for the sudden cut out was a bad wiring harness. Figures, something simple! She's running great now! Except for a tiny stutter off the line. But I'm thinking my crossover is beginning to leak. I have the Jeff M pipe at home so that'll go on next week. Anyway, I'm going to get it this afternoon. Thanks for all your help guys!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slade901 Posted June 19, 2003 Report Share Posted June 19, 2003 The reason for the sudden cut out was a bad wiring harness. Figures, something simple! Where exactly this bad wiring harness they are talking about? Just for a reference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
90TGPGirl Posted June 19, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2003 I am pretty sure it was the ECM wiring harness. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurboGTU Posted June 22, 2003 Report Share Posted June 22, 2003 Just for kicks...the turbo hoses could cause the same miss in high rpm. If the intercooler hoses are torn they will leak preasure, making your turbo spull faster losiing efficiancy. My bro. T-bird T-coupe had a torn intercooler hose that had a tare on it. When we replaced it the problem went away. Did you check to see if your intake hose clapeses under acceleration. Thats one tight 90 degree turn it has to make. Theise hoses don't have steel wires to keep it from clapsing under high vacume like the Ford 2.3t hoses. THen again we don't have to worry about the being sucked into the turbo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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