hey guys, last tues my car died because my ac compressor locked up on me, Tim and bill helped me fix that and my car is up and running again which is good but now the car will stall at least once or twice till the "service engine soon" light comes on then the car drives fine...what do you guys think could be my problem??? i have a new muffler system (everything but the cat is brand new but the cat i was told was fairly new), the car doesnt make any noise at all from the engine i'm just confused on why it keeps stalling when i try to go 3 or higher RPMS...someone please help me! thanks

 

So...it's stalling during ACCELERATION, past 3000 rpms? Does it do this on a warm or cold engine? Any specific characteristics...like, is it a slow, chugging stall, or a quick, it's going and then it's not? Pull the code from the computer...the light will tell you what's wrong. Click here, go down near the bottom...first item under Miscellaneous tells you how to pull codes.
I'm thinking EGR valve.....

 

the car seems to want to shift up but then starts to die and sometimes it doesnt die all the way and lets me keep accelerating but most lately its been stalling at less then 3000 rpms too. it does it when the car is warm and cold...i'll see if i can figure out the computer code thing

 

Check the condition of your spark too with a coil tester if the computer thing doesnt help you.....and check your fuel filter also....could be fuel starvation as the filter is clogging.

 

hmm i'll check the sparks first see if thats a problem, that seems to be easiest to test/replace if they are the problem...dont know where the fuel filter is but i'll check my book i have in the car.

 

I meant check your ignition coil to see what color spark it produces...but checking your spark plugs never hurts either. And the cap and rotor is an easy to check to do also. Chances are yours has some corrosion and would benefit from a new one. Every car I've ever had/seen that was used has had a cap and rotor with corroded inner terminals.

 

Ye gawds.. my V8 was doing that at some point.. fuel pump died a month later.. hasn't done it since =\

 

my friend and i read the code and it was a 34 which is "low voltage (high vacum) at mass air flow sensor" well i had just bought a remanufactured one in dec but didnt install it till march or late jan. so i guess i have to replace it see if that company will let me return it for my $ back, i'm going to buy a Brand new sensor now, no more used crap.

 

Make sure it's the sensor, and not something stupid like corrosion in the connector, or a bad relay, or something like that. I had a faulty connector once; if I moved the wires while the car was running, it would stall, and throw code 34. (It liked to do that over bumps in the road, too!) Wound up getting a complete MAF harness from a junkyard for $5 (connector, fuse, relay, wires), and putting it in my car.

Don't know who Tim or Bill are, but you three could probably run through my code 34 chart, taken from the GM Service Manual. All you need is a voltmeter. It's in this message, which also has other helpful info from some other guys on here: https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...hreadid=156516 Good luck! The chart should take 10-15 minutes to do; especially since I give you wire colors and parts locations.

 

alright i'll check that out since i dont have $185 for a MAF yet...

 

Don't just look at the connector- run through the diagnostic chart!! Good luck, let us know how it goes.

 

firebirdchick, im not sure if u need it but i got a spare MAF for a 2.8 car in my garage, its used but does work properly, let me know if u want it

 

well since i dont have $ right now and it works properly i might take up on that if the wires are all good, i'll PM you after i check the wires like tomp suggested.

 

ok now rob (chicagotransam) came over helped me try and figure this out...we tapped the maf sensor with a screwdriver and it didnt stumble then we did the wiggling of the connector to the maf and it stumbled to what we wiggled it like...so does that mean its the connector only?? or is there something else wrong? i talked to a guy at pepboys and he said that they dont sell the connector and that he didnt think pontiac would cuz its such an old car, so my best bet is a junk yard. i would love to get my bird running again asap so please help me out if you can! thanks

 

ok...cleaned the connector and the place you connect it to on the maf ran the car it died then started it back up again got the SES light again drove around town abit 5-10miles and then came home i had no problem with the drive everything seemed fine except the SES light was on...i'm wondering if i drive the car around for the next two-three weeks, till i get $ to fix the maf and connector, will it kill my engine driving it around with the SES light on?? if it will kill my engine like my boyfriend is afraid i wont drive it but if it wont kill the engine i'll drive it around a bit still.

 

That's because Mr Pep Boys is an a-hole. I helped others with this problem before. The connector DOES exist:

The original message, from November of 2000, is here: https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...threadid=19872 Maybe Mr. Pep Boys should take a walk down his aisles once in a while. If it doesn't show up in their computer, they think it doesn't exist.

I had a "fun" experience with that in Pep Boys once; I needed a connector for the knock sensor in my dad's old FWD 2.8 Olds. I went to the connector aisle, and the parts book was missing, so I went to the parts counter to ask if the book was back there. Guy told me no, but he could look it up. I figured, okay, they put the book into the computer. Gave him the specs, even helped him by saying it was a common connector, used on a/c systems and brake warning light switches. He punched his keys, and told me no, that connector isn't made, I should go to the dealer. I said "ok thanks" and walked to the connector aisle anyway. Found the connector, labelled as an "a/c connector". Brought it back to him and showed it to him. He kind of sputtered for a few seconds, and told me that he was glad I found it. Morons!! All of them!!

 

Keep in mind too that GM re-used connectors. If they needed a 3-pin connector, they grabbed one from a bin containing 6 million 3-pin connectors. If they needed a one-pin connector, they reached into a similar bin. These parts stores monkeys think that GM designed special connectors for every sensor, and that if the connector isn't labeled "Sensor #430qj for 1922 Whatever", it won't work. I betchya lunch that GM was still using these 3-pin connectors on cars past 1992.

By the way, that same MAF connector we use (3 pin) is also used on the 90-92 3.1 V6 f-bodies for the MAP sensor!

Even further, these GM weatherpack connectors are rebuildable!! It takes more tools and work, but you can actually open up the connector. You use a special tool to remove the old "pin". Then you cut the wire off the pin, and crimp a new pin on. Then you install the new pin with a new insulator into the old connector housing. So even if nobody in the world had this connector anymore, you could find the pins and tools to rebuild it.