OK, here is the deal, I am sure someone has had this issue before, and hope to get a good answer so I can get this baby back on the road....

1991 Camaro, 3.1L V6, automatic

I bought the thing for 1800 bux and have put in 3600 in repairs, what a money pit....

Its had nothing put electrical problems and rust issues since i've gotten it, it actually leaks in my trunk area

But the main problem I am having is with the keeping the car running
It typically starts up no problem, that or it is 100% dead
When it starts I can drive it now for maybe a couple hundred feet, and it shuts off all by itself...
When the problem started it would be once every couple months, then every week, then every mile, now every couple hundred feet
In the middle of all that, i cleaned and reconnected my battery terminals, it made it run better than it had in weeks, but then the same thing happened, and that is obviously not my answer

Any idea what this could be?

Im not sure if it is a ground wire issue or something larger

Also it seems i have leaked quite a bit of coolant, even though the shop I took it to found no leak, I opened it up one day after it stalled to see coolant everywhere

Please help, and thanx in advance

 

Check your fuel pressure right after it dies. It should be around 34PSI. If it is less you probably have a bad fuel pump. Mine did the same thing where it would just die, then it was fine for quite sometime, then die again. It just kept happening more and more until it was un-drivable. This is assuming that by "shuts off all by itself" you mean that the engine dies. If you lose all electrical power then you have something else going on.

As far as the coolant is concerned where is it leaking from? Or at least what area? There is a fitting that is notorious for cracking and breaking on GM vehicles around that year. On your car it is at the very front of the engine. If you follow the two hoses that come off the bottom of the throttle body they attach to a metal Y. This is fitted into a quick disconnect (YEAH RIGHT). This screws into either the block or the intake (I think intake). This is the part that likes to break. It is a PAIN to get out. I have done this three times (Different cars) and had to use an easy out.

 

Interesting....
A while back i took it to a shop, because it was losing power, no matter how hard i accelerated, the guy told me I needed this and that and this too....
I told him no, I'll get a 2nd opinion, I drive in to pick it up, he shows me the fuel filter, clogged to holy hell... he said he hit it with a hammer, then popped it back on, and it was running beautifully...
#1, i never went back to that shop, #2, you may be on to something, haha

I think i replaced the fuel filter on that car a couple months later when the same issue reoccurred. Maybe it is an issue with the pump... hmm

Naturally you noticed the loss of electrical doesnt point the same way, wonder if there is maybe something bigger at fault here


The coolant... I am not sure... I just opened up the hood one day after limping the car home, and i saw it all over the place, all over the block, all over the hoses, all over the engine mounts, you name it...
it all was to the front of the engine however, so maybe you have that one nailed.

In any case, I am not looking forwards to attempting to repair this on my own...
Not yet at least.... as I live in an apartment complex, it could be a little tough

thanx for the help

i'll take more help tho,

 

can anyone else help me?

 

It sounds like a bad fuel pump, I had a car with similiar symptons, car started and ran fine until i attempted to drive anywhere and then would die, replaced the fuel pump and filter and the car has been running good ever since.

 

Just curious, how did he show you that the fuel filter was clogged? Did he try to blow through it?

 

hahaha, yea, he did that, then showed me the filter from the end
by far the worst mechanic my parents ever went to
i told them 100 times to stop going there cuz they dont fix the right thing and charge for stuff they didnt do
also i just felt uncomfortable around the guy, no wonder.... the guy was terrible and did do all i said he did

thank goodness the owner fired the guy a month or so after we complained about him trying to cheat us

but yes... that is what he did
----------
right, but did it shut down all electrical instruments as well?

it does feel like a lack of fuel though

lately when i boot the car up, to move it to a new parking spot, it smells really bad, not sure if thats from letting it rest for 4 months or from a leak or something else

 

haha just a fyi for anyone who doesn't know once a filter becomes wet you'll never be able to blow through it.. all that proves is that filter had been used not that it's clogged.

 

super grand and lovely, but do you have any idea what could be wrong with my car?

 

Just to be sure here... You are losing ALL electrical power? No key buzzer, headlights, radio, etc?

Assuming this I would start by trying to replicate the problem so that you can troubleshoot this. If you are able to get it to shut off you should be able to check things with a volt meter. Maybe start at your fuse block and see if you are getting power to that.

You might also check your ignition switch. This is located on the steering column. It is kind of a pain to get to, but might be worth checking. However if your headlights and stuff don't work then you are losing power to more things that the key controls. Check the positive wire to the starter. Hmm..... Maybe even more important the connection between the starter and the rest of the car. Get a wiring schematic from autozone.com and start eliminating wires and relays etc one by one. It's probably a simple thing, it's just a matter of finding it.

 

well... what has happened is, i am driving at full speed, has happened on highway even, and EVERYTHING, lights, radio, you name it, shuts down

lately, i really cannot remember what happens, odd that i remember further back than recent times
but i think it only shut down the engine, could still be electrical
in any case, it shuts down on my while moving

if i do remember correctly i had a problem with the wiring on the starter before, and actually had the starter replaced about 2 years ago

p.s. i hate wiring, haha, i hate electrical stuff, i'd sooner give it to a mechanic to fix, then again they hate that **** too

 

Have you checked the battery.

 

do u mean the charge on the battery?
i think the battery is fine, the connection is good, so i doubt it is that

 

that is not true.... If you cant blow through your filter....it is clogged. Wet has nothing to do with it. A clogged filter is usually what ruins your fuel pump. If it has to strain to push through a clogged filter it overheats and stops working.. Let it cool off and it starts and runs fine until it heats up again. ONCE this has happened you CANNOT just replace the filter and expect the pump to be fine... Once it overheats to the point of shutting off....its no longer good... And should be replaced. Along with the filter. Mater of fact, the fuel pumps warranty is void if you replace it and don't replace your filter.

Saying that.... I also feel that is NOT your problem... You shouldn't lose dash lights and other electrical functions just because your pump is bad...I also don't think your battery is bad... I DO think you have a bad connection somewhere or a faulty part. I don't think its a battery ground or power connection because they usually wont cause the car to stall because the alternator will keep the car running. I say USUALLY not always. If its 12vlts that goes to your ignition then yes...it will stall and cause other problems. Check your wires on the big lug of your starter to make sure they are making good connection. I think maybe you should check your ignition switch on top of the steering column also . Sound like it might be losing connection internally. Pick one up, they are 11 bux, drop your column, unplug the existing switch and plug in the new one without unbolting the old one so you wont have to readjust it and your dimmer switch if its not your problem. then turn the key to run and with a screwdriver move the slider on the new switch to start the car. and see if the car still exhibits the same problem.. If it doesn't go ahead and install the new switch.. If not return the switch and start checking EVERY connection and ground..... Or find yourself a mechanic you trust...

NOW as for the coolant. fill the system to the proper leval... Buy yourself a coolant pressure tester... Pump the system to no more then 15psi. and look for where the water is leaking or hissing. repair system as necessary.. They have a problem of leaking at the intake, water pump, hoses, rad, etc... but you should be able to see where its coming from pretty easily if there is that much coolant all over the place.