espee1989 Posted December 16, 2010 Report Share Posted December 16, 2010 (edited) Hi everyone, I'm new here and having problems with my Impala. Its a 3800 like all other police package Imps. Here goes my story: I just got a 9c1 a couple of weeks ago. Last Saturday, I drove about 65 miles and got down to about a quarter tank and refilled it to about 1/2 a tank. I put the cap back on, turned the car on and was pulling out of the station and then it stalled out as I was pulling into traffic. Had to get a bunch of people to push it out of the street back into the station. I called my dad up (was a couple of blocks from home fortunately) and he came and checked it out. The car was cranking but it wouldn't start, then he started giving it gas while starting and it started up from the seeming dead. As he was pulling out again, it died again, and he started it and was able to drive back home, uphil 2 blocks. We let it cool after parking and went back out and I tried starting it and it started without a hitch. I scanned the car with an OBDII and it came up with the following codes: P0036 Oxygen Sensor Heater control circuit Malfuntion (downstream) P0141 Oxygen sensor heater circuit Malfunction (downstream) P0446 Evaporative emission control system vent system performance. I messed with the gas cap and it seemed to be fine. I deleted the CEL. This morning I warmed the car up, and drove about 3 miles. All was fine, until I made a left turn home and brake and gas pedal sunk and the car stalled out and ran into a corner curb. I had to give it gas again and drove it around the corner to my house (once again I'm lucky this happened close to home). We had to start the car up maybe five times to get it up the hill and park it. By the time we were done the car would crank but would not start. My dad and I postulated that it might be a problem caused by when the car was warmed up. My dad and I let the car cool down for a bit, then went back out and tried to start it again. It started but instantly died out. I then asked my dad to rescrew the cap and it worked, then I told him to take the cap off and it stalled and wouldnt start up. We've been in and out to see if it would start again. Again, I ran a scan on the car the codes that came up were: P0036 P0446 I went out and put some Gum Out Winter formula in the tank to see if theres some water in the tank or anything and will let it sit overnight. Anyone have any ideas or suggestions or similar experiences? I suspect its the fuel pump or a hole in the fuel line. Edited December 16, 2010 by espee1989 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted December 16, 2010 Report Share Posted December 16, 2010 I bet you have some serious EVAP leaks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White93z34 Posted December 16, 2010 Report Share Posted December 16, 2010 pull the oil cap off the engine when its running, what does it do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espee1989 Posted December 16, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2010 pull the oil cap off the engine when its running, what does it do? If I can ask before I do it , why would I take the oil cap off? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tornado_735 Posted December 16, 2010 Report Share Posted December 16, 2010 I would suggest to change that O2 sensor as well, but a downstream sensor wouldn't cause stalling problems. I second Nunzi here with the oil cap...if your engine stalls or the idle begins to lope with the cap off, check the PCV valve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White93z34 Posted December 16, 2010 Report Share Posted December 16, 2010 yeah if there is a gross evap problem the cap will be VERY hard to pull off and there is a good chance the engine will stall.. if its working fine cap removal should have no effect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tornado_735 Posted December 16, 2010 Report Share Posted December 16, 2010 I had s similar problem with my L27 3800. I actually found out about it quite by accident. I pulled the cap off when the engine was running and my idle began to lope. Put the cap back on, the lope went away. Changed the PCV valve and my stalling went away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonpro03 Posted December 16, 2010 Report Share Posted December 16, 2010 How does your fuel pump sound? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espee1989 Posted December 16, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2010 It sounds like a bullemic whose run out of stuff to throw up. You can hear the click of the fuelpump when you move the key to on, but theres no rush of fuel after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodgethis Posted December 17, 2010 Report Share Posted December 17, 2010 It sounds like a bullemic whose run out of stuff to throw up. You can hear the click of the fuelpump when you move the key to on, but theres no rush of fuel after. That click that your hear, does it click when the pump is running? I can be down slop while holding the brakes while badge out of the office, and I will hear this click, click, click noise, three noise in a row, and rpms will slightly decrease but will return to normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espee1989 Posted December 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2010 That click that your hear, does it click when the pump is running? I can be down slop while holding the brakes while badge out of the office, and I will hear this click, click, click noise, three noise in a row, and rpms will slightly decrease but will return to normal. I don't hold the brakes when I start, since I have to flog the gas to get it to even consider starting. It sounds like the pump is trying to prime but nothing is flowing in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espee1989 Posted December 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2010 yeah if there is a gross evap problem the cap will be VERY hard to pull off and there is a good chance the engine will stall.. if its working fine cap removal should have no effect. Just saw this. My dad said he saw a low oil light, and had me put in a quart of oil in the car (we live on a upward hill, and I've heard about 3800s that put off the light when they are on a hill, but he insisted). When he unscrewed the car, he DID indeed have a problem pulling off the cap. What does the evap system have to do with the oil? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AL Posted December 17, 2010 Report Share Posted December 17, 2010 Replace the pcv valve... its under the map sensor which is on the right side of the engine in front of the alternator, its like a 4-5 dollar part Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espee1989 Posted December 18, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2010 I had s similar problem with my L27 3800. I actually found out about it quite by accident. I pulled the cap off when the engine was running and my idle began to lope. Put the cap back on, the lope went away. Changed the PCV valve and my stalling went away. Well the car did have a stalling problem, but it also stopped starting as of wednesday. I went to the shop today and heres my story today. So I went to the mechanic to drop off oil for the cars oil change today, and I get there looking for someone to tell to change my oil to. I find the mechanic whose working on my car and ask him to change the oil and he takes me to the car and tells me the car has "Severe electrical issues". I ask him if he looked at the evap system and he exclaims "NO PROBLEM WITH THE EVAP SYSTEM" and has his assistant take off the ignition coil (or pack) and goes in and cranks on the starter to show me theres no spark. I ask him what he thinks it is and he tells me its the security system turning off the electric system. I asked his assistant if they took the battery off to reset the 'security system' since the 9c1's don't have a functioning security system and this is when they all stopped acting like they didn't speak english anymore. Then, his assistant takes a rusty metal rod and prods the side of the engine (!) and he gets another english speaking assistant to tell me that this takes time. I'm getting fucking tired of this bullshit, and I kinda want to tow the car out (of course it got towed in so now they can tell me all sorts of crap about the cars severe electric issues) and tell them to fuck off and find another mechanic, what do you guys think? P.S., no one told me they were going to change the oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AL Posted December 19, 2010 Report Share Posted December 19, 2010 They sound like a bunch of dildos to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White93z34 Posted December 19, 2010 Report Share Posted December 19, 2010 Okay, wow. Lets just go down the line of what that car needs to actually run. Fuel pressure, buy or rent a fuel pressure gauge. Spark. do you have it? check at the coils. if no, then you likely have a bad crank sensor, maybe a bad ignition control module. you mentioned that the 9c1 do not have a passkey security system? so you have no security lamp on or flashing at you? and check your PCV valve it should have a small rubber o ring around it. if that is missing it will cause your weird crankcase vacuum issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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