97 Jimmy stalling when going into park

This is my first post here, and I looked around for similar problems, but could find anything that seemed to match exactly, so sorry if I missed another thread with the same issues. Here it goes...

I have a 1997 4wd 2 door automatic 4.3 v6 GMC Jimmy, that is stalling every time I put it into park. It will also occasionally stall when I am taking a hard turn to the right and slowing down, as in, just as I pull into a parking space. This started last week when the torrential rain started after a long bout of hot weather. The truck has always started a little rough when the weather is wet, or too hot and humid. Now it is starting even rougher. After it stalls it may take a second or two of rest before it will start right back up again. The engine does not sound like it is missing and runs fine as far as I can tell, but I might not be perfect in my observation of it. Also when it stalls, all the lights on the dash do come on, and the check engine light does not stay on, so I don't believe there are any codes.

The rain has been continual for the past week, and I have no garage, so I haven't been able to check any of the connections yet. The transmission was just replaced last year too, with a rebuilt. All the gaskets were replaced on it. The air filter and fuel filters may need replacing though. The only other issue I have really noticed recently is that I think I have a leak in the windsheild wiper fluid line somewhere. I just filled it after being completely dry, and now it is less than half full. I suspect a good portion of it went into the lines because it was dry before hand, but it seems weird for so much of it to be gone. I have heard that Jimmy's sometimes have issues with it leaking and causing problems in other areas of the engine compartment. Still with all the rain, I can't see where, or if it is leaking anywhere.

Any clues, or other diagnostics I can try would be very helpfull. I am not willing to drive it in case it stalls in traffic right now.

Thank you,
AJ

update...the day was dryer today and the problem seems to have gone away for now. I checked out some of the connections as much as I could and I could not find anything obvious. One thing I did fail to mention was over the winter the car was driving great except for on days it got warm, then as I sat in idle at lights you could every few seconds hear the throttle, and the car would lurch just a bit and the tachometer would jump. I was planning on checking the TPS on it but the problem never persisted so I forgot about it. Once the weather stayed warm it never reoccurred either. The idle speed is computer controlled so maybe it is a connection to the TPS or computer getting wet.

AJ

Please help. I am currently out of work and can't afford too much in garage expenses. Thank you to those that are willing to help me. Yes, I guess I am desperate :D

Thank you again in advance,
AJ

Please help. I am currently out of work and can't afford too much in garage expenses. Thank you to those that are willing to help me. Yes, I guess I am desperate :D

Thank you again in advance,
AJ

Any codes or check engine lights?

97 is a bad year for ign switches.

What is your idle RPM in drive or neutral?

No check engine light so I haven't checked for codes. I think my idle RPM was about 500 in drive or park IIRC, but I will check again. I threw in some dry gas thinking it could be water in the tank, and it actually seems to be working much better. We should be getting rain again soon, so I will see if it persists.

Thank you very much for your reply.
AJ

No check engine light so I haven't checked for codes. I think my idle RPM was about 500 in drive or park IIRC, but I will check again. I threw in some dry gas thinking it could be water in the tank, and it actually seems to be working much better. We should be getting rain again soon, so I will see if it persists.

Thank you very much for your reply.
AJ

Check the idle RPM in drive park and neutrel an with AC on and off and watch for IAC controling idle.
If problem in rain or wet weather check dist cap and rotor and wires for drawing moisture.
If dry ice helped check the fuel filter .

Also clean throttle body butter fly with carb cleaner or TB body cleaner and tooth brush.
Good old TB tooth brushing helps a lot of idle problems.
When was you last good old AC delco parts tune up?

I forgot to test it with the AC on, but I had issues with the AC a long time ago and stopped using it, so never thought about it. I will give that a try next. The idle in Neutral, Park and drive all start out at about 1,000. Sometimes a little higher, but all of them seem to settle down to less than 600, which seems awfully low. Again when I first start driving it it just after a rain it will go below that and stall when stopped at a light. But after driving around a bit at higher speeds it seems to stop doing it. Still it will seem to idle way too low in any gear. The RPM's were also jumping all over the place just after I get it started up after a stall. I wouldn't be surprised if it is a few different issues. It has been a while for a tune up. This was supposed to be a cash for clunkers so I purposely stopped putting money into it. I would rather spend my money on a new(er) car than spend too much on keeping this one running, and sell it for parts if I have too. Still it has been really good for the last couple years after I decided to keep it. I just know the blazers from this year were made to be money pits and sell high priced parts.

Thank you again for your suggestions.
Andy

I forgot to test it with the AC on, but I had issues with the AC a long time ago and stopped using it, so never thought about it. I will give that a try next. The idle in Neutral, Park and drive all start out at about 1,000. Sometimes a little higher, but all of them seem to settle down to less than 600, which seems awfully low. Again when I first start driving it it just after a rain it will go below that and stall when stopped at a light. But after driving around a bit at higher speeds it seems to stop doing it. Still it will seem to idle way too low in any gear. The RPM's were also jumping all over the place just after I get it started up after a stall. I wouldn't be surprised if it is a few different issues. It has been a while for a tune up. This was supposed to be a cash for clunkers so I purposely stopped putting money into it. I would rather spend my money on a new(er) car than spend too much on keeping this one running, and sell it for parts if I have too. Still it has been really good for the last couple years after I decided to keep it. I just know the blazers from this year were made to be money pits and sell high priced parts.

Thank you again for your suggestions.
Andy

You are welcome and thanks for posting back how it goes.
Yes older blaziers are sometimes expensive to keep repaired.
But with proper testing you can hold down repair expense and have a good running ride.

I have been scouring my manuals to see what the proper idle speeds are. What should my idle speeds be?

Thank you again
AJ

I have been scouring my manuals to see what the proper idle speeds are. What should my idle speeds be?

Thank you again
AJ

With out looking it up it should be 565 RPM or more and should hold withn Ac on or park or drive or neutral if IAC valve is controling it.
Have you checked your under hood sticker?
Have you cleaned the tbi BUTTERFLY?

Okay, I tried it with the AC on and it started surging again. The tach would jump from idle speed to over 1000 every few seconds. It stopped doing it once I turned off the AC. It was the same thing it was doing over the winter on the warm days. I noticed the cover to the AC is cracked in a couple places too.

I have yet to check the TBI butterfly, but hoping to get my tools back from my girlfriends place so I can do it before the weekend, or I will just get it in the shop and get it done while getting the new fuel filter put in.

Thank you very much again.
AJ

Update...Did some inexpensive stuff to try and tune her up. Changing filters, and cleaning the Throttle body which needed it. It has been running pretty good, until I got on the road during a down pour and it started to stall again. Actually it is more of a "turning off" than stalling. All the electrical goes haywire, dash lights turn on and key alarm goes off. Luckily it started back up again almost as soon as it turned off, but it happened several times. I checked to see if maybe I was getting a short in any system and turned off a bunch of electronics in the car including the vent fan. I also noticed that my Cruise Control was on, and turned it off too. I was able to get to a safe place and it has yet to happen again. Rain seems to be the main common denominator. I am not sure how the rain could effect the ignition, but that does seem to be what it is.

Andy

Update...Did some inexpensive stuff to try and tune her up. Changing filters, and cleaning the Throttle body which needed it. It has been running pretty good, until I got on the road during a down pour and it started to stall again. Actually it is more of a "turning off" than stalling. All the electrical goes haywire, dash lights turn on and key alarm goes off. Luckily it started back up again almost as soon as it turned off, but it happened several times. I checked to see if maybe I was getting a short in any system and turned off a bunch of electronics in the car including the vent fan. I also noticed that my Cruise Control was on, and turned it off too. I was able to get to a safe place and it has yet to happen again. Rain seems to be the main common denominator. I am not sure how the rain could effect the ignition, but that does seem to be what it is.

Andy
Check all grounds and pos feeds and battery cabels.
As said 97 is a bad year on ign switches.

I have a feeling I am missing something obvious. I checked the battery and connections to it, as well as what what electrical connections I could see. Much of what I see in there does not match the manual. I also found these two "Corrosion Control" boxes located above each wheel well, and one was not connected. I could not find anything about what they are.

Thank you again,
Andy

I have a feeling I am missing something obvious. I checked the battery and connections to it, as well as what what electrical connections I could see. Much of what I see in there does not match the manual. I also found these two "Corrosion Control" boxes located above each wheel well, and one was not connected. I could not find anything about what they are.

Thank you again,
Andy

Did you check them with a volt/ohm meter or just look at them?

I knew you were going to say that. :D..I have been searching for my lost volt/ohm meters that are still packed away from my last move. So no, I only was able to do a visual inspection, with some hand checking of the connections, making sure they are tight and clean. I am going back to my storage space to find them and the rest of my tools tomorrow.

Any idea what the Corrosion Control Modules are? I have never heard of them, or been able to find anything about them online.

AJ

Never heard of corrision control modules.
Where did you find reference to them?

Find yours or borrow ot rent or buy another volt ohm meter.

Remember to check grounds as well as pos feeds.
Also check the ign switch power feeds real close.
97 had a lot of bad ign switches.

Let us know how it goes.

I never found anything about the modules at all. They are a mystery, but are hooked up to the electronics on my truck, and connected directly to the frame at the wheel wells inside the engine compartment on both sides. This truck seems to have other electrical connections I have yet to identify as well. There are a ton of variations in this truck and the manual covers all the other related vehicles like Blazers and pickups in it too, so maybe a bunch of stuff was left out. Still I find it weird that I can not find one word about them online. Very weird, almost suspicious.

I hope to not have to buy another meter, especially since I own two. I am asking around to see if I can borrow one. The truck has been running like a champ in the dry weather. I am hoping I can find the short where ever it is soon, but I have had quotes on just doing the testing to find the issue, and it is a lot more than I can afford right now. The wiring harnesses are also not cheap.

Thank you again,
AJ

I never found anything about the modules at all. They are a mystery, but are hooked up to the electronics on my truck, and connected directly to the frame at the wheel wells inside the engine compartment on both sides. This truck seems to have other electrical connections I have yet to identify as well. There are a ton of variations in this truck and the manual covers all the other related vehicles like Blazers and pickups in it too, so maybe a bunch of stuff was left out. Still I find it weird that I can not find one word about them online. Very weird, almost suspicious.

I hope to not have to buy another meter, especially since I own two. I am asking around to see if I can borrow one. The truck has been running like a champ in the dry weather. I am hoping I can find the short where ever it is soon, but I have had quotes on just doing the testing to find the issue, and it is a lot more than I can afford right now. The wiring harnesses are also not cheap.

Thank you again,
AJ

In 50 years of repair work I never came across a corossion control module.
My shop key does not metion them.
What brand of repair info are you using?
Are they OEM or add on stuff?
Can you post a picture of them?
Have the got a Brand or a GM part no on them?

Most strange electrical problems on a 97 goes back to rthe IGN switch.
Has you been replaced or checked out?

Okay, The correct name on it is "Corrosion Control Device" (not "Module" as I mispoke before) made by Auto Saver Systems. It looks aftermarket. Probably some anti rust gimmick, which I can say for a fact has not worked ;). (Photo to come).

I guess it helps to have the correct name when searching for something online I guess, because here is a link I found in 3 seconds...
http://www.shinefactoryburnside.com/green-rust-protection

More info about the concept...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanic_anode

not sure if the connection, or lack there of, of these things is causing the short or not, but I did find out that leak in my washer fluid is right above the cruise control electronics, and also might be seeing some rain water...other findings the more I search behind stuff too. This is going to take some time :D

AJ

Okay, The correct name on it is "Corrosion Control Device" (not "Module" as I mispoke before) made by Auto Saver Systems. It looks aftermarket. Probably some anti rust gimmick, which I can say for a fact has not worked ;). (Photo to come).

I guess it helps to have the correct name when searching for something online I guess, because here is a link I found in 3 seconds...
http://www.shinefactoryburnside.com/green-rust-protection

More info about the concept...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanic_anode

not sure if the connection, or lack there of, of these things is causing the short or not, but I did find out that leak in my washer fluid is right above the cruise control electronics, and also might be seeing some rain water...other findings the more I search behind stuff too. This is going to take some time :D

AJ

I would say them things are about as worthless as the tits on a boar hog.


If any electrical stuff hooked to them un plug it.

Still checking connections, but I need a rainy day to test it out now. Thank you for all your help. Cross your fingers ;)

AJ

Still checking connections, but I need a rainy day to test it out now. Thank you for all your help. Cross your fingers ;)

AJ
You are welcome and good luck.
And do not forget to run a voltage check on neg. and pos. circuits.

Let us know how itn goes.

Update...so far we have not found any shorts in what we were able to test without a lift. Haven't checked fuel pump connections yet. Rear wipers seem to be dead too. Another mechanic told me to check my Body Control Module. Can't find its location in the Chilton manual. It also has not stalled/turned off again, but we have had a long dry spell.

AJ

Update,

We never found any shorts or opens in the wiring. The problem also seemed to stop once I realized the Cruise Control switch on the steering column wiper/blinker arm was turned "on", but not activated. Once I turned it "off", it seemed to stop happening all together. Recently I had to replace the fuel pump too, and the thing was working great, but then I decided to change the serp belt, and refill the transfer case which was running low, along with an oil change. A day afterward the problem came back, and even on dry days. It seems random, but the power will sometimes just turn off for a hot second, and come back on again. Like a hiccup. Though if it happens when I am coming to a stop the truck will stall out completely. We think it might be the ignition switch, but we just cant get it to repeat the problem in the garage with the sensors on it. We are all baffled.

Thank you,
AJ

The ignition switches on 1997 S&T body GM vehicles has been a known problem for quite some time and can cause a multitude of seemingly un-related electrical problems to occur. Like you mentioned though, it's tough to confirm unless you are checking it while it's acting up.

I am also wondering if a heavy set of keys on a key chain could also be part of the problem? It seems to happen most when I am slowing down or turning. Both would make the chain swing. Just a thought anyway.

Thank you,
AJ

It might be the heavy keys are causing the entire problem, but it might just be that they are moving the switch far enough to make it lose contact on certain pins in the switch. Try using just the ignition key and see what happens.

It does seem like the key can move out of the start position pretty easily and does not seem to "catch" in totally. It could be very easy to just turn the key out of position. I am just going to drive it around locally and see if it happens again. Thank you.

AJ