2000 3.8L....... Car Dies

[Bluebird]

This is the fourth time it happened this year....
Third time in the past 3 months...
2nd time in the past 24 hours!!

I would be driving normally, all of a sudden, my engine would stop! Tach reads 0 Rpms, everything else, including electrical componets, works fine.

It just shuts off.
What is wrong?

[ June 26, 2004, 05:42 AM: Message edited by: Bluebird ]

[ka50]

Engine shuts off? Do you get SES?

My guess would be that fuel pump is about to take a crap, super clogged cat or sensor malfunctioning.

Oil pressure reads 0, because engine is stopped and oil pump is not working. Now, if your engine was running and oil pressure was 0, then it would be very serious.

[Bluebird]

Fuel Pump was changed 6 months ago, No Cat on my car...

Originally posted by ka50:
Oil pressure reads 0, because engine is stopped and oil pump is not working.

Sorry, I should of realized that! Very long day today! [img]graemlins/twak.gif[/img]


Also, I already have the SES from hollowed out cat, so I don't know about the sensors.

And yes, it just dies!

[ReodDai]

Get battery and alternator tested.

[Bluebird]

Voltmeter reads normal, all the time. Nothing shorts out at all when the motor stops. Just the motor.

I will get them tested though.
I will also go up to My local Pontiac Dealer.

[Coriya71]

Are you throwing a code?
Could be the infamous crankshaft position sensor that will cause your car to shut off while driving and will give you problems starting later as it gets worse.

[Clark Griswold]

It happened to me. Battery post was loose. Had to tighten it up and it's fine now. Make sure to check all the connections to battery. I'm sure something is loose cause the car will immidiately die when the battery looses connection.

[camaroincal]

How long have you been driving with the SES on? Don't these cars go into a "limp mode" when the SES is on? Maybe driving for an extended time with the SES has messed something up?

[MustangEater8251]

yeah check all battery/alternator connections...

Get the codes scanned at autozone see if anything else is up.

also do you have some sort of air intake?

[Bluebird]

Originally posted by camaroincal:
How long have you been driving with the SES on? Don't these cars go into a "limp mode" when the SES is on? Maybe driving for an extended time with the SES has messed something up?

I am 99.99% Sure that the SES is on because of my hollowed out cat. The rear o2 sensor will detect the higher emissions, and send the light. That sensor will not effect engine performance (or death) in any way. That is what I have been hearing.

Mustangeater, will the Intake be a problem?

[MustangEater8251]

Well when I had open Throttle body with no airbox or filter or anything on my 2k, when I let off my gas after a hard acceleration my car woudl die, and I woudl have to start up.

Heck after every run down the 1/4 the car would stall out if I had it in neutral and let off the gas, I woudl put it in 4th and slow down with it riding down the gear.

I forgot who but someone who made an air intake for his car had pretty much the exact problem, where if he got on it hard and let off the car woudl just die, sometimes just die at lights.

Maybe it has something to do with this cursed drive-by-wire crap?

Anyone know a way to test the TB motor?

I know the CAT will set off a Light but if something else is settig off the light you won't know. You can have 15 codes going off right now but don't know cuz your light is already on for the CAT.

Its free to get it scanned, just to rule out an obvious problem [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Bluebird]

I haven't gone hard on her for the past two months, and this problem happened twice during the past 24 hours. Both times speed was lower than 40mph.

I checked all the connections. They were fine. I went ahead and disconnected my battery for 30 mins. It took a couple seconds to start.

SES light is off, but I know it will come back on. :rolleyes:

[MustangEater8251]

Get the code scanned and see what it is.

What starting problems did it have


did it crank and not fire? or did it crank slowly and erradically.

[Chevy Lovah]

i had my ses light on for over a year. this same thing happened to me. my engine would randomly die. no dealership could figure it out until about three months ago. i had a greased up MAF. i recommend checking that out.

[asdf1234]

Just to let you know, i had that same problem. Tested the battery and alternator tested, both were fine. Started to get more frequent, and then my fuel pump died.