Car Just Dies...Help please!

diablo · 01-19-2013, 01:10 PM

Hey guys, idk if some of you remember me back in '08 with a 99 green alero. Thats long gone but my buddy has an '03 2.2l ecotech and his car keeps dying on him randomly in the middle of traffic at stop lights, he's not the best on upkeep but he about 10k over his oil change so im guessing its an oil problem. It can't be his fuel pump because he replaced that a few months ago (changed pump like 5 or more time's...so he's saying) Im just asking cause I want to help keep his car outta the mechanics shop. Any help would be great thanks guys!

Cam

04PONTIACGA · 01-19-2013, 02:43 PM

Did he change the fuel filter when he changed the pump? A clogged filter will shorten the life of the pump.

How does it idle, and how long has it been doing this? Does it just shit down or does it slowly die out?

The more details, the better we can help, seeing as we can't personally see, or hear what It's doing.

Shiwnath · 01-19-2013, 02:48 PM

I'm having doubt that it's an oil problem... If it was an oil problem then there would either be dash board lights or your engine would just completely fail, probably seize up and no longer run. Sounds like it may be an idle issue which could be a number of things... Some things that come to mind are the throttle position sensor, idle air control valve, air filter, really dirty throttle body... It's hard to say really, but I have my doubts that a lack of oil change would be the cause of the problem.

xXManwhoreXx · 01-19-2013, 04:08 PM

Iacv.... or tps if eco's have them

03glgold · 01-19-2013, 04:44 PM

I am about 90% sure it is the IAT sensor, my ecotec did that a few times and I replaced it and haven't had a problem, does he have hard shifts if so then it is in protection mode which even farther enforces my guess...it is like $20 and a maximum of like 5 min to change...it literally takes longer to buy the part than replace it

fisdad · 01-19-2013, 11:00 PM

Crank position sensor if the stupid thing won't restart for a good while.

Throttle Position Sensor if it dies just before you stop and then fires right back up fine.

Idle Air Control Valve if the Idle bounces all over the place during startups and just before dying.

Although, an oil change and a freaking fuel filter wouldn't hurt a darn thing... Just sayin

lil.red.alero · 02-03-2013, 12:12 PM

hey guys im having an issue that just came up. yesterday my car was basicly idleing at 2k rpms when in gear. this was for about 5 minutes. then i restarted the car and it stopped. a few hours later i drove a few miles and i was in a parkinglot it did it again for a few minutes then stopped. now today everything was fine drove about ten miles then looking for a parking spot it died. i started it up just fine. kept lookin for a spot. died again. it happened 6 times only when im off the gas. any ideas? yesterday i thought vacuum leak but now im not sure. and im really frustrated after driving a dying plow truck for 10 hours now my cars dying too fml. any help would be great thanks

03glgold · 02-03-2013, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lil.red.alero

hey guys im having an issue that just came up. yesterday my car was basicly idleing at 2k rpms when in gear. this was for about 5 minutes. then i restarted the car and it stopped. a few hours later i drove a few miles and i was in a parkinglot it did it again for a few minutes then stopped. now today everything was fine drove about ten miles then looking for a parking spot it died. i started it up just fine. kept lookin for a spot. died again. it happened 6 times only when im off the gas. any ideas? yesterday i thought vacuum leak but now im not sure. and im really frustrated after driving a dying plow truck for 10 hours now my cars dying too fml. any help would be great thanks

I would suggest at least trying an IAT sensor...that is the one in the intake tube, it costs like $20 and takes like 5 minutes to change...just grab the old one gently with pliers and gently wiggle it out, then the new one pops in, other than that guesses would get more expensive, is it throwing a code as while my

lil.red.alero · 02-03-2013, 01:11 PM

the one on the intake tube? i was thinkin some type of iac thing. what are some other guesses just curious because i got connections at the junkyard so i can grab some other stuff to try

03glgold · 02-03-2013, 04:25 PM

my computer sent before i finished and would let me edit...that is similar to what my car did when the fuel pump went bad, however my pump went fast, like i got back to the dorms and shut it off while i took stuff in, came back out and started it, backed up it threw a code, and wanted to die when I tried to let it down to idle, I drove a 2-3 miles to try and clear something out if there was a clog of some kind, barely got it parked, it died and wouldn't start anymore.It is possible that yours is going bad but dying slower...there I would have more input for this idea but there is also the fuel pressure regulator, if your fuel filter is really clogged it could have an effect, there are a number of things, but those are more common ones...My car had a dying issue though and since I replaced that sensor it hasn't done it...I still have erratic idle on occasion if I have been pushing it hard and then just go to idle or if I turn up the air/heat as stopping, something that drastically changes the power I still get erratic idle but it hasn't died since

TheThickster · 02-04-2013, 07:00 PM

Have you tried swapping the ICM i had a bad one on my l61 cavy causing sputtering and just no start condition with the CEL flashing but no codes stored in the PCM. Im assuming the flashing CEL was a misfire.

zzyzzx · 02-04-2013, 07:48 PM

How many miles are on the car?
Did you check for vacuum leaks? If so how?
How many miles are on the spark plugs? When was the last time they were regapped?
When was the last time they cleaned the MAF?

03glgold · 02-04-2013, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zzyzzx

How many miles are on the car?
Did you check for vacuum leaks? If so how?
How many miles are on the spark plugs? When was the last time they were regapped?
When was the last time they cleaned the MAF?

does it really have to be said in every single thread on this forum about the ecotec that there is no MAF