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Starts, runs.... Stalls? what the hell??? Help please


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Posted

Hey guys

 

Just looking for some help. Here is my problem. I have a 88 grand prix se with a 2.8. When i start my car it starts fine, i let it idle for a bit, after about 3-5 minutes it starts to chug like its running out of gas and then stalls and i cant start it intill 10-20 minutes have gone by. I took a look around trying to see what the problem was but i cant seem to figure it out. They are no fuel line leaks, and i checked at the fuel rail valve to see if fuel is going up into there and it is. Also i check some of the spark plugs to see if a spark was jumping and yepper it seems to be fine there. Im thinking its something to deal with the injectors or the air to fuel mixture as the engine warms up. One other weird thing is as the car is warming up i can sit there and rev the crap out of it intill around the time it chugs, but i can still rev it and give it more gas but it still will stall.

 

what do you guys think, all the input would be great.

Sorry about the long post.

 

Michael

Posted

That's good to know that there is gas in the fuel rail, but did you check pressure?

As a first stab at it, I'm gonna start pointing fingers at a weakening fuel pump or fuel pressure regulator.

What maintenance have you done on the vehicle? How many miles? Ever ran it out of gas before?

Any surface 'tick' noises from the topside of the motor? If so, you may have the right diagnosis on the injectors.

 

- Erik

Posted

Could this not be a failing O2 sensor also, since it does it once the car is warmed up and the O2 starts to operate? I'm not saying it is, I'm just pointing it out so that a more tech savvy board member can agree or correct me :D

Posted

Thanks guys for all the info. Ill have to go out and give it a shoot and hope for the best.

 

Michael

Posted

dont forget another possible cause could be the catalac converter being cloged up.

 

There are is a larg number of things but the main points have been covered of likely possible problems.

Posted

ive got a 90 lumina 3.1, and mine did the same sort of thing,

does it stall when u put it in gear, or just in park?

cuz mine stalled after i put it in gear, as if i had dropped a clutch w/o adding gas, but i had this solved when my mechanic pulled a plug on my tranny, supposedly when the car warmed up, it was keeping the clutch in play at all times, so when i slowed to a stop, or put it in gear, it stalled, and i couldnt restart it till it all cooled off.

it could be ur problem. maybe not...

Posted
Hey guys

 

Just looking for some help. Here is my problem. I have a 88 grand prix se with a 2.8. When i start my car it starts fine, i let it idle for a bit, after about 3-5 minutes it starts to chug like its running out of gas and then stalls and i cant start it intill 10-20 minutes have gone by. I took a look around trying to see what the problem was but i cant seem to figure it out. They are no fuel line leaks, and i checked at the fuel rail valve to see if fuel is going up into there and it is. Also i check some of the spark plugs to see if a spark was jumping and yepper it seems to be fine there. Im thinking its something to deal with the injectors or the air to fuel mixture as the engine warms up. One other weird thing is as the car is warming up i can sit there and rev the crap out of it intill around the time it chugs, but i can still rev it and give it more gas but it still will stall.

 

what do you guys think, all the input would be great.

Sorry about the long post.

 

Michael

 

When you say you can't start it until 10-20 minutes has gone by after it stalled, does the starter spins the engine but would not catch? or the starter just does not spin at all?

Does the computer give you any Trouble Code at all?

 

 

ive got a 90 lumina 3.1, and mine did the same sort of thing,

does it stall when u put it in gear, or just in park?

cuz mine stalled after i put it in gear, as if i had dropped a clutch w/o adding gas, but i had this solved when my mechanic pulled a plug on my tranny, supposedly when the car warmed up, it was keeping the clutch in play at all times, so when i slowed to a stop, or put it in gear, it stalled, and i couldnt restart it till it all cooled off.

it could be ur problem. maybe not...

 

When your mechanic pulled the plug, do you mean the TCC plug was just disconnected right?

When the TCC plug was disconnected then your gas mileage suffers when you are driving at a cruising speed but it does fix the stalling problem.

Posted

thats prolly it, the plug is a 4 prong thingamajig striaght down under the air box

Posted

is there a way to keep that plug/sensor plugged in, so i get the good gas mileage, and not have my car stall when put into gear at operating temperature.

cuz it was plugged in for the longest time, but then i had mytranny worked on, and it was left unplugged, so i plugged it back in and it did that stalling thing, and i unplugged it and and now its fine. i dont get it...

Posted
is there a way to keep that plug/sensor plugged in, so i get the good gas mileage, and not have my car stall when put into gear at operating temperature.

cuz it was plugged in for the longest time, but then i had mytranny worked on, and it was left unplugged, so i plugged it back in and it did that stalling thing, and i unplugged it and and now its fine. i dont get it...

 

You have to replace the TCC solenoid to fix that problem permanently.

Posted

so i take it thats not something i can do myself

or is it, and i dont want the hassle....

Posted

i would have to go with O2 sensor... mine was doing the same thing - kinda and i replaced that and all better.

 

plug in a scantool if you can and see what your car is doing. Another possible culprate is the Coolant temp sensor. Mine went out and the car kinda did the same thing. when i hit the gas, it ran hella strong, but then died out when i would come to a stop and couldnt be restarted for several minutes. I plugged in a scantool and my coolant temp was regisering at -300 to -400 degrees so the ecu was dumping HUGE amounts of fuel in - hense the running good when on the gas.

 

- Justin

  • 1 month later...
Posted

Hi Midget,

 

My car (97 cutlass supreme) is doing the exact same. I'm suspecting the fuel pump as well. Meanwhile, i've noticed that after the car stalls, i dont hear the fuel pump prime when turning the key to the 'on' position, whereas, 20 minutes or so after, turning the key primes the pump and the car starts up fine.

 

If you fix it let us know. Meanwhile, i've borrowed a fuel pressure gauge, so i'll check the fuel pressure at the rails. I also just got a cable to connect my laptop to the car's ECM and will be looking into that also.

 

Later,

Posted
is there a way to keep that plug/sensor plugged in, so i get the good gas mileage, and not have my car stall when put into gear at operating temperature.

cuz it was plugged in for the longest time, but then i had mytranny worked on, and it was left unplugged, so i plugged it back in and it did that stalling thing, and i unplugged it and and now its fine. i dont get it...

 

You have to replace the TCC solenoid to fix that problem permanently.

 

like he stated could be the TCC solenoid or could be the torque converter it self when it is suck in the locked position it does act like a clutch and kills the car

 

when you had the tranny worked on did they say they put a new converter on? or did they just flush it?

Posted

first off, take off the plenum and check the Coolant temperature sensor and the sensor wiring. I had a similar problem, even swapped ECU's wit no avail. It turned out my coolant temperature sensor was damaged...

 

 

The coolant temperature sensor is the 1st authority on how much fuel to be delivered. Then comes the MAP sensor....least thats wawt i read

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