Hi Everybody,

This is my first post on this website. Recently I've been having stalling issues with my '96 Chevy Cavalier (Automatic, 2.2 L).

I've read through a ton of websites and gathered a variety of potential problems to diagnose. I wanted to get your views on my car's situation and maybe somebody can help me pinpoint the problem.

Symptoms:
- the car stalls after I drive it around for a while (30 minutes). This happens after driving at speeds over 60 km/hr and also at speeds under 60km/hr.
- the stalling is accompanied with a little bit of shaking and jerking (as if the car is not getting enough gas) and then it just dies out
- the stalling usually occurs after the car's speed has been reduced (i.e. making a turn) or when it stops at a stop light.
- after the car stalls, it does not start up right away. It requires about 5-10 minutes of waiting before it can get going again (contrary to what some of you say about the symptom of a faulty TCC solenoid - which would start right away but stall when the car is put into drive).

Attempts at fixing the problem:
- I had the spark plugs cleaned
- The fuel filter was replaced, the fuel pump was checked
- The speed sensor was checked
- The TCC valve was removed (today) and I drove it around for about 30 minutest with no stalling. However, the engine didn't run smoothly when it was idle and I thought it was going to die out
- The computer codes don't really tell me anything that I haven't checked already

Possible solutions I've researched from this site:
- MAP sensor
- Ignition coil
- Computer ECM
- EGR valve
- IAC valve
- TPS sensor
- Fuel Pressure Regulator
- Crankshaft position sensor
- Tune Up (don't know the last time it had one)

* What do you guys think the problem is? Any help you guys can provide would be much appreciated.

First i would check the coil packs. We had a 94 Grand AM that ran like crap and turned out to be the coil packs that were no good and after changing them out it started running better but the other solutions that you mentioned is a good start to start from,

Same exact thing happened to my 96 a year or so ago and it turned out to be the fuel pump after all.



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Quote:

- The TCC valve was removed (today) and I drove it around for about 30 minutest with no stalling. However, the engine didn't run smoothly when it was idle and I thought it was going to die out
- The computer codes don't really tell me anything that I haven't checked already

First, what codes are there? Even if it's stuff you checked. Knowing the codes that popped up will help us out to help you better.

Secondly, I do want to shoot for the TCC since the car stopped stalling when you unhooked it. Problem is with OBD-II systems, they like to be whiney bitches about everything. A lot of times a car will have stalling/bad running issues because of a bad or missing gas cap, so an unhooked sensor can throw it into limp mode and make it run like trash.

"Symptoms:
- the car stalls after I drive it around for a while (30 minutes). This happens after driving at speeds over 60 km/hr and also at speeds under 60km/hr.
- the stalling is accompanied with a little bit of shaking and jerking (as if the car is not getting enough gas) and then it just dies out
- the stalling usually occurs after the car's speed has been reduced (i.e. making a turn) or when it stops at a stop light.
- after the car stalls, it does not start up right away. It requires about 5-10 minutes of waiting before it can get going again (contrary to what some of you say about the symptom of a faulty TCC solenoid - which would start right away but stall when the car is put into drive). "

- How far under 60km/h (for us American folks that's about 37.2mph) I know the converter is allowed to lock at 40mph in 3rd on the 4spd cars, but possibly different on a 3spd. It would also have to be warmed up to full temprature to lock the converter.
- The shaking would be the same thing that happens in a manual car if you keep the car in gear, and dont hit the clutch when you're stopping. It'll jerk and shake really bad, then stall.
- Reducing speed is usually a sign of the same
- It wont necessarily stay locked. In fact, in my experience most cars will unlock after the engine stalls. Which makes the driver mostly just upset and thinking "WTF?" much like you are.

What I dont understand is why it wont start back up right away. If this happens, and it doesnt start on the next key turn will it start if you hold the throttle wide open? That puts the PCM into "flood clear" mode. If that helps then it's probably flooding the engine too.

At either rate, post up the codes that you've pulled out of it. That'll be much help. And dont freak out when it throws a lot of codes out at you. I had a broken wire going to my IAT sensor once and it managed to somehow cause it to throw out 14 different codes.

Doesnt sound like the TCC to me. Especially since it wont start right back up.
Now since you are saying that It depends on driving speeds , stopping, and slowing. I would have to say EGR is stuck open. Easiest way to confirm this is to pull it off and see if you can blow through it. Carbon particles will lodge it open. This usually causes poor Idle quality, stalling at stops, slight jerking felt while driving at lower speeds. Sometimes confused with tcc symtoms.
If you cant keep it running at a stop by pressing on the gas, then this isnt your problem. Also If you dont have spark when it stalls, its not the egr. I normally just clean the egr valve when they get plugged with some carb spray.

Some common things that I change on those are Ignition control modules , fuel pumps, and 1 of the two coils(never both coils at the same time, also coils either work or they dont, not intermittent. ICM's and fuel pumps are potential intermittent failures
ICM's usually cause no spark, sometimes no fuel pump enable signal. Fuel pumps will run till the pump gets tired, hot, what ever you want to call it when it wears out. Probably 50% of the time a pump fails is when its running and the other 50 is on start up. The failures on start up seem to happen when the temperature changes outside drastically. Temp change failures isnt a Proven fact, it just seems that way. Start up failures can be diagnosed with a good smack to the center of the gas tank, which will jarr the pump causing it to run.
You didnt leave a whole lot to go by so I just gave you some Ideas to see if they help.
The codes in orded as they appear will help out alot.


01 cav w/01 3400 gam gt 4t45e

Thanks guys for all your help, you've been awesome!! I'll definitely tell you guys what codes are shown in their particular order. I won't be able to get to that until next week unfortunately, I'm a teacher and right now my students are finishing up on year end assignments etc so I'm bogged down with marking.

Thanks again guys

In addition guys, I've been using my mom's car in the meantime to get to and from work. She's been driving my car and today she told me that it had trouble getting gas, she'd press the pedal but it wouldn't go as fast as she wanted. Eventually it got the gas and picked up speed but it was having trouble for a few minutes. However, it didn't stall, but whatever she told me didn't sound very encouraging. Again, the TCC valve is unplugged. Does this help at all?

Sounds like the fuel system. Plugged filter, bad pump. Should have a 02 sensor code of( lean condition) if this is whats wrong.

Also could be a deteriorated Catalytic converter that is plugging up on occasioin. This one is a bit harder to be sure of unil it plugs up completely.

Ill check back next week to see what the codes are. Maybe then we can have a better Idea of whats going on.



01 cav w/01 3400 gam gt 4t45e

Im gonna say Fuel pump.
Had the exact same issue. Sometimes the pump won't completely die, but it will form a electrical short and fail from time to time.
Start with the cheap stuff tho, and work your way up

on my 96 i had this same problem. replaced lots of things and it never fixed the problem. finally it just went away and did it very occasionaly. well. one day my dash wiring harness burnt up. so i replaced it and i was looking at it and RIGHT where the harness comes through the firewall the harness sits on the body of the car. what happend was after 180,000 miles of driving and most of which were gravel and rough roads it rubbed a hole through the wiring and eventually started shorting things out. thats where my problems lyed. so. i would just take a look at the wires coming out of the firewall and see what htey look like.

I had the vaccum hose come off of my fuel pressure regulator once (don't ask how), and my car was doing that. It's easy to see under the hood (round thing hooked to the fuel rail).

Okay, I got the codes this morning, this is what came up:

P0507 - idle control system - vacuum leaks
P0171 - Fuel system, too lein bank one

- I went around to a few places to get some other people's opinion's on the codes and most of them are saying to clean the IAC motor and check it's wiring. Someone also suggested that the o2 sensor might be faulty.

What is your take on it guys?

I appreciate all your help/suggestions up to this point.

The first thing is that the codes are usually in order as they are recorded.
Your codes show that the first one caused the second because of their nature of setting conditions.
A vacuum leak will cause a lean condition resulting in an o2 code.
Your first thing to check is for vacuum leaks, usually causes a hissing sound while running. Idle quality should be affected all the time if there is a vacuum leak. Idle motor is also a possability, although I havent had many problems with them on the cav's , it wouldnt hurt to clean it out to see if it helps at all. If its the IAC it would be stuck open, you wont be able to see this when you take it off because the desigh of the motor and pintle is not moveable with out the ecm connected. Maybe try taking it off, leave it plugged in and turn the key on, see if it moves when the key is cycled.


01 cav w/01 3400 gam gt 4t45e

Hey guys,

I'm stumped! I appreciate all the help you guys have been giving me over the past few months, especially you Joe Malechowski. It's been a month since I've had an issue with my car. It drives nicely in town and on the highway with no problems.

I don't know how but the problem just went away, just like yours Wojo! It doesn't stall anymore, I don't know what it could have been.

I've had only one thing that has me thinking at all but it might be just a situational occurance.

I walk the Hamilton Escarpment stairs on occasion for exercise and the street I park my car on has bit of an upward slope to it (about 25-30 degrees). Sometimes when I start my car and try to drive further up the slope to turn my car around it takes it some time to accelerate. It feels like the car isn't getting enough gas to make it move. Then it will just kick in all of a sudden (no jolt, just gradual acceleration). That's it!!! That's my only concern and it feels like it might be just a situational occurance (angle of gas tank etc.). Gas tank was 3/4 full when it happened.

Does that give you guys any insight into what my previous problem was, I hope the real problem isn't hibernating!! I'm starting to think maybe it's electrical! What do you guys think? I had an automatic starter put in a few years ago and they messed up the electrical trying to get it to work - it's caused havoc ever since. What do you guys think?