So yesterday I installed a new thermostat in the GTA. It's a 160d thermostat.

So today I come out and add some coolant and whatnot to make sure it's all good.

I let the car run for about 5 minutes with the hood open and just a bit later she stuttered and shut off. My gauge reads normal and is in no way in the red.

One thing that I might of done wrong since this is my first install of anything in my car is that gasket sealent crap. I might of gooped too much of it on, but then again I followed the instructions. I made sure it didn't go over the edges or spread out.

There's got to be something obvious I did wrong but I just can't see it right now. I could go out and buy a new gasket and upper rad hose again and start all over.

One other thing is I haven't seen my rad fans turn in a long time. All I need now is to go wire hunting

Thanks for any ideas. Kick me in the *** on this one I don't care

 

So I went back out again right now to check on things since it's cooled down a bit.

The motor starts fine but then dies again after 10 or 15 seconds. The rpms drown down to 500 and then she starts to studder. If I keep it the rpms at 1000 she'll keep running but then my check engine light comes on.

I hope I didn't warp the heads or anything serious like that. I have the stock air intake off and the mass air meter is out in the open and so is the throttle body. Should that matter at all?

Oh and when I turned off the motor the last start the drivers side fan on the rad was turning but the other fan wasn't or stopped earlier. Not sure what's up with that.

 

changing the thermo will not cause the car to act like that unless you damaged the CTS in some way. i'd say hook all the other stuff back up before you jump to conclusions, it just might not like being unhooked like that. and the reason it dies after 10-15 seconds is cuz it most likely jumps out of open loop into closed loop where it reads sensors and then when it adapts to those readings the engine can't stay running off the fuel/timing it delivers.

 

All I replaced was the thermostat though that's what gets me. I figured my other stat was shot so I replaced it with the identical model.

I let her run for a bit and she dies on me. My best guess is the car overheated and for whatever reason she doesn't want to stay running anymore.

I still need to try some of the things the guys in engine tech asked me to try like unhooking the MAF and checking fuel pressure.

This will be the first time doing that too. And even pulling codes will be a first for me.

Sometimes my car really pisses me off though. Makes me really want to consider something new and economical.

 

And I understand what the CTS is now. What if it's giving the computer false information? Can it shut itself down like that?

 

possible, but i think it'd just make your car run crappy and not kill it like it is. its really hard to dianose problems like this for a beginner mechanic like myself unless i have the car in the shop and access to all the manuals i need. but a car will run without a MAF just not very well, same with the CTS.

 

and i know what you mean when you say your car's pissing you off, i'm going through the same crap with mine. i just look at it like i've had this car too long and know whats wrong and that i fixed it right. who says you won't have the same problem with a new car (well unless its a toyota cuz those suckers never break down). stick with it, you'll get it.