I just purchased this van it ran great had a slight miss. After about 1 hour the van started to run very rough then stalled. Van would restart and run good in park but would stall when put into any gear. I took to shop they put in a new distibuter, cap, rottor, ign. module, plugs and wires. van ran awsome for about two hours and then stalled again. started in park but stalled again in drive. Please help.

Did it run rough and stall as you were coming to a stop?

Then stop dead when put in drive, or stall out normally?

Did it run rough and stall as you were coming to a stop?

Then stop dead when put in drive, or stall out normally?

It ran rough as I was coming to a stop, and then yes it just stopped dead when put in gear

You may have the sticking torque convertor lockup problem.

Syptoms are:

Feels like you are trying to stop a manual trans car without pushing the clutch in. Will shudder and shake as it winds to a stop, then stall. Starts right up in park or nuetral, but slams to a halt when you try to put it in gear.

Will usually work fine after a few seconds to minutes, and might be fine until the next episode.

Only happens after engine is fully warmed up.

Sound familiar?

When the TCC is stuck the motor will stall with a heavy "thud" or jerk when put in gear, feels different than when they die out from lack of fuel or low idle.

It's very abrupt and unhealthy feeling.

You may have the sticking torque convertor lockup problem.

Syptoms are:

Feels like you are trying to stop a manual trans car without pushing the clutch in. Will shudder and shake as it winds to a stop, then stall. Starts right up in park or nuetral, but slams to a halt when you try to put it in gear.

Will usually work fine after a few seconds to minutes, and might be fine until the next episode.

Only happens after engine is fully warmed up.

Sound familiar?


How would I check this? Secondly there is no thud or clunk when I try to put it into gear after it stalls. I am wondering if it could be the iac motor. is this a possibility.

the first time it happened it did start and go after a few minutes but ran like it was missing on 3 cylinders and was sputtering.
thank you for your help trouble shooting this

When the TCC is stuck the motor will stall with a heavy "thud" or jerk when put in gear, feels different than when they die out from lack of fuel or low idle.

It's very abrupt and unhealthy feeling.

I am not experiencing any heavy thud also this van is automatic would a tourqe converter still be a issue. it does almost feel like a lack of fuel or low idle.

My money says it's a torque converter. Had to do the same thing on the '90 Lumina I mentioned in another post that I'm looking to stick a 2.5L in.

My money says it's a torque converter. Had to do the same thing on the '90 Lumina I mentioned in another post that I'm looking to stick a 2.5L in.

Good, but how do I check this, and how do I repair this. I cant find it in any manual.

Good, but how do I check this, and how do I repair this. I cant find it in any manual.


Oh yeah... mechanic did it for around $200. :( What would happen though, and lemme know if this is what happened with your's too, is after coming down from "highway" speed and coming to a stop... then starting back up again with the accelerator pedal would make the car stall, similar to letting the clutch out too fast on a manual transmission. Car will start fine, run in park and neutral, but once you try to "go", it doesn't. If those are the symptoms, then that's gotta be it.

How to fix it? Chliton manual would do it. Sorry I can't be of more help... but I may have helped ya narrow it down.

Oh yeah... mechanic did it for around $200. :( What would happen though, and lemme know if this is what happened with your's too, is after coming down from "highway" speed and coming to a stop... then starting back up again with the accelerator pedal would make the car stall, similar to letting the clutch out too fast on a manual transmission. Car will start fine, run in park and neutral, but once you try to "go", it doesn't. If those are the symptoms, then that's gotta be it.

How to fix it? Chliton manual would do it. Sorry I can't be of more help... but I may have helped ya narrow it down.

The symptoms are different than yours. I was driving at city or town speed and when I took my foot off the accelerator pedal the van stalled while braking. van would restart in park but as soon as i put it into gear it would stall without applying the accelorater. it took about ten minutes before it would go again, and even then it was running rough. The second time it happened was the same circumstances. but on both occasions I felt the vans sputtering or what feels like a miss or a fuel shortage it was just after that it would stall. this time when I started it the first time it stlled immediatly putting it in gear. the second time I was able to drive. Are these things that have happened to you? Also if you read earlier entries you will see repairs that have been done. The Mechanic is claiming that it all the sensors are reading within normal range. He is also caliming the iac motor is gummed up and required more cleaning. I have never heard of a iac motor, have you? lastley he said this problem may correct it self that after two tanks of gas the computer may reteach itself to opperate differently. How does this sound? is it Possible? please help if you can. Thank you for your help

All of those things were sililar to my situation in one way or another and the torque converter was the only problem. If I waited long enough after the stalling problem, the car would drive just fine. But yeah, once it got into gear, it would stall. Before coming to a complete stop, the car would sputter like your's too.

I've never heard of an IAC motor either. Sorry.

my 1990 3.1l pontiac 6000 has the exact same problem as your van. Rough idle when hot dies at 60 miles an hour starts in park but won't go into drive. wait for half an hour and its like nothing went wrong. no error codes. I unplugged the torque converter lock up selnoid that didnt help changed the two bad fuel injectors no difference changed the fuel filter no change cleaned the erg as best i could no change. The frustrating part is that you can drive for hours before she dies and then you're stuck on the side of the road waiting. I talked to my brother who is a top notch mechanic and he suggested the fuel injectors and altough they were bad they didn"t fix the problem. guess I have to call him again. The ecm has a calibration chip that I am going to change next because GM changed it in 1993 because of some additives in fuels. Apparently the chip controls normal fuel functions in the car along with other emmision related things and some fuels will cause major performance problems. Does your van run differently with a different brand of gas say one that doesn't contain ethanol? Good luck and Ill watch your board but know that I know exactly what you are experiencing.