I was driving the car in the highway the other day .. and all
of a sudden, the engine just shut off... I found the appropriate time to stop the car.. it cranked 5 times before starting again..
tank was near empty..

Yesterday I filled her up.. and drove a bit.. everything seemed fine.. but then the engine seemed like it was shutting off but it
didnt.

I dont know what to look for since the problem comes and goes .. lol

Anybody ?

 

Just a shot in the dark..but thats what mine did when the ignition modual was on its way out....

 

/\ This is confusing.... Elaborate?


A sudden abrupt stall at cruising DOES sound like what Riley mentioned, the ICM.

 

well.. I was driving and.. it felt like the engine dies and starts right after.. and right after than the check engine light turned on ..

I felt it was the ignition module.. but someone told be it either
works or it doesnt..

THo that was my fist choice before the fuel pump ..

 

Take it out and have it tested..have them run it a few times as they tend to fail when they get hot.....

 

Ok, ill try that.. thanks

 

Like said above, that sounds like ignition issues. I don't know much about ignition (never had any problems yet) so I'd go with what they are saying.

 

What you said is right though. An ICM, at least on a GM (I've heard otherwise about Fords but I'm still a skeptic).....if it works, it works. If it don't work, the car don't work. What happens usually is they get overheated and shut off. If there isnt enough dielectric grease on the mounting bracket or it isnt making good contact with its bracket, which acts like a heat sink, it'll overheat.

The way you're talking....you're making it sounds like the engine is physically shutting off and turning itself back on again... Now, I know that can't be the case! So I'm assuming, maybe, it's having a hard missfire and the rpms are dropping and then the motor recovers and revs back up...

Does this happen under heavy load? Like accelerating in 4th gear? Any specific conditions? Also, have you pulled any check engine codes? If not, I suggest doing so just to make sure the ECM isn't trying to tell you something.

Fuel pump IS a possibility. Have you thrown a gauge on it yet? Keep an eye on that fuel pressure. When it dips too low your power will cut out and the engine will feel like it's misfiring....and the more you hit the gas, the worse it will get (assuming the fuel pump doesn't catch back up)

 

I just went down the street.. stoped at the red light.. and the car just ..(cant find the right description) ..

Sounds like a hard missfire..the RPM's suddently go down and back up .. and the check engine light comes on for a sec.

The ignition coil seems good, and its doubtfull the fuel pump would suddently stop ...

The alternator seems fine too..

Its real annoying cause the car runs fine.. tho cant be driven since it might stop

anyhow ill find time to diagnose the ECM ..

Thanks for the help guys !

 

Ok so pull the code. Find out what the ECM says the problem is. That's the most sensible way to proceed.

In case you dont know how:
https://www.thirdgen.org/newdesign/faq/thirdgen.shtml
click Miscellaneous, its the first item under that. The codes are listed below the directions.

 

Ill check that out as soon as I can !

Tnx Nixon

 

No prob. Drunk guy always knows best. Haha.... :rockon:

 

oops

 

Did all electrics shut down for that instant where it cut out?

My RS was cutting out, everything went dead, then a sec latter, it would kick start itself back on. intermittent problem, just went away. Now its coming back.

 

Didnt notice.. ill check that out though

 

You stated that the first time this happened that the gas tank was near empty....I think you may have sucked up some gunk from the bottom of the gas tank, into the fuel pump, and/or possibly the fuel filter. If you've ever run your car out of gas, then it is a good idea to replace the fuel filter, just to be sure.
I would definetely be interested to know what that check engine code is, though.

 

fuel filter is new.. and the symtoms come and go ..
If the fuel filter was clogged.. the way I see it ..
the problem would be constant..

 

sounds similar to the problem i'm having. pretty sure its my fuel pump as everything else has been replaced. it only does it after the car has warmed up and been driven for a while.

 

Again with an old rehash... This just seems to best fit what has been happening with mine of late. For no apparent reason she will cut off after having been driven for awhile. And not during every drive. But under any condition. For instance, last time was in-city driving. The most recent was during an hour-and-a-half long stint on the highway (although i only got about 25 minutes of that in before she cut off). Now, it strikes me as funny because i just got done running her all the way up from NC (we're now in WI) with absolutely no problems. But this is really kinda nerve racking. I do get a Service Engine light after awhiles worth of driving, and it was said to have been the EGR causing the light. But that almost always comes on yet she doesn't always die. I recently had the fuel pump replaced due to the problem seeming to come from the fuel system (it's in the way the car acts, almost like it's being fuel starved). And since i couldn't find it and i was on the road i had a Chevy dealer look at it when it happened and they could find no serious issue but did check the fuel system and found it to be fine (filter, lines and pump).

So i guess what i'm asking is is this ICM a real bonafide culprit? I've had occasional cooling troubles to go with it (point of fact, the car usually seems to be running hotter when it dies), but these have also been touch and go - as in sometimes she's hot sometimes not when cutting out. Sorry for being long winded, but this has made me kinda nervous especially when i'm away from home.