1994 grand am stalling

My grand am starts great - no problem there. Sometimes going forward, the battery warning light comes on and the car dies. It will start right back up and keep running. Any ideas? The car has been in to the shop - cables were dirty and has been cleaned and tightened to the battery. They couldn't reproduce the problem and sent it home.

You don't say what size engine or how many miles but it sounds like you may have a crank position sensor going bad. The battery light is coming on due to the engine dying. Although you may want to have your alternator tested just to make sure it is still working. If the alternator is weak or not working at all it can cause the car to stall.

Sorry --- 94,000 miles --- 4 cylinder(?) After 4 days in the shop (until they could reproduce the problem they couldn't help - we went to pick it up and it died on the way out - go figure!)... well, they then jumped in and drove around. After putting it back in the shop -- they called and said they need to install a new computer - and would look for an used one. Does this make sense?

The computer controls the alternator, so yes its possible, but with 94k miles I would start asking why the computer is bad. I have a 95 with 242k miles and the computer is original, never had a problem with it. I have heard of ecm's going bad, but not very often. Have your alternator tested to make sure its not overcharging.

OK - questioned the shop guy some more. First asked him why he thought it was the computer -- he replied that their computer indicated a message of "fuel is lean" - which makes him think it is the computer. When questioned if it could be the crank position sensor he said "no because the car would start back up.". Should I let him install the computer - he found an used one to put in. We said we wouldn't pay for it if it doesn't fix the problem. Keep in mind - we live in a very small town!!!!

I seriously doubt its the computer. Fuel is lean could mean a bunch of different things: Clogged injectors, bad fuel filter or pump, fuel pressure regulator, maf sensor, o2 sensor to name a few. Pull your plugs check them, if they look ok run some fuel injector cleaner lucas makes a good one, see if the problem persists.

Unfortunately, I have to disagree with the mechanic. Intermittant stalling with no code in the computer almost always leads to the CPS. It is a cheap install vs a new ecm that is why the garage wants to put in the new computer. More Money! Have them change the cps and see what happens.
Other items can cause this issue like skibum1111 says but your car runs well otherwise. Just my 2 cents!!!

HA! They changed the computer - called us and we drove 50 feet and guess what!!!!! IT DIED AGAIN.

Back to square one - I gave my husband the list that you all have provided to be checked and he is asking them if those items were checked out.

I'm getting rather angry! Thank you all so much for your ideas!!!!!

Please let us know what the final problem turns out to be! It is very important to those of us who frequent the forum to find out what the actual problems were.

Just an update --
Changed computer as stated above, also:
1) Changed O2 Sensor - died
2) Changed valves - died
3) Changed ignition module - drove it all day yesterday and died this morning after going 10 feet.

Will bring it back to the shop tomorrow to try something else.

Have Grand Am 3.1 95. Similar or same problem.
Car ran fine. After 2 week vacation (Car left outisde, unused) experience stalling problem.
For a week now I drive mainly 2-footed, since the car stalls often on a turn or a traffic light/stop. Most often the stalling and problems starting happen not in the morning, but after driving ~30min and waiting ~5min. This is usually when going to the grocery store.
A couple of the spark plug connector wires were very corroded, cleaned them, but still the same problem. Also changed PCV valve and put fuel injector cleaner in fuel, same problem.

I see this problem on several sites online, but no where can I find what the problem is. It seems even the shops and/or dealers don't know.

Roger

Well, the car is going on 5 days without stalling (and hoping by posting this that I don't jinx it!).

The Idle Air Control Valve was replaced and seems to be doing the trick. ($53 dollar part -- labor unknown at this time).

Now, it will just take time to trust the car again. Will let you know if any stalling problems occur again or if the Idle Air Control Valve did it.jj

My grand am starts great - no problem there. Sometimes going forward, the battery warning light comes on and the car dies. It will start right back up and keep running. Any ideas? The car has been in to the shop - cables were dirty and has been cleaned and tightened to the battery. They couldn't reproduce the problem and sent it home.

I had a similar problem with my old 98 grand am. Found out it was the starter coil.

Bad news - today it has stalled two times this morning. It was fine for two weeks. Back to square one. Back to the shop.

You have changed everything but what is causing the problem. Have the CPS changed and you shouldn't have any further problems with the car stalling. It is a $50 part and will cost about the same to have it changed.

GTP Dad --- When we got the car in (died onceon the way - tried to die a second time but threw it in neutral and kept on the gas and got it through its "moment"). The shop said they said something about checking the harness? I will call them again tomorrow - I've brought up changing the CPS and both times was told there would be no way the car would start back up and that it wasn't the problem. I know - its time to go to a new shop - I'm the customer right?! This is just an area I have absolutely no knowlege (thats why I'm here - I'm trying to be an informed customer!). Will let you know! In the meantime I have a very frustrated daughter who wants a different car... NOW.

I really can't blame her! The problem with crank position sensors is that they are designed to monitor the rotation of the crank so that the car fires at the proper time. The CPS can fail and will not give a code just the constant stalling issue. When the car stalls, the CPS resets and then will allow the car to start again. It will continue to do this until the CPS totally fails and then it will not restart. You will find this to be a common problem on a lot of GM cars and I would venture to guess that I have replied to 50 or more members with this issue. I hope you get it resolved!

The shop called today and told us to pick up the car. They don't know what else to do with it. The Grand Am is a shop flunk out. I even asked AGAIN about the CPS. He doesn't believe it could be it. But he did say to call next week and if we REALLY wanted it in he'd put it in. So, there the car sits --- can't let my daughter drive it knowing any minute it may (will) stall. Sad.

Whomever this crack headed mechanic is needs to have the tool police come confiscate his tool box and put a "Parking Only" sign on his garage. As GTPdad as stated, your car shows every classic sign of a CPS failure. The windings in a CPS will swell with heat, short out, and fail with age. After it cools down, the windings straighten out until the cycle starts again.

Just an update - going on 2 weeks with no stalling (I probably jinxed it now and it'll stall tonight). Haven't made an changes to the CPS yet -- we talked to another mechanic and they said they'd have no idea where to start and that it's impossible to know what it is until it does it consistently.

Maybe the car heard us threatening us to pull out her battery and toss it her in the junk yard.

No laughing now...... after fighting with this car for the last month -- (my daughter switched to my husbands pickup - he's been stuck driving the beast so she is not injured) ----- my husband took in to a "quick" oil changing place. After talking to the guy about this beast of a car - he took a peek at the fuel filter. He just about peed in his pants laughing as it was the ugliest filter he'd seen --- was sure it hadn't been changed ever.............. guck thick as guck can be. After a new fuel filter, the car is back to its rev-ing little self and hasn't died since. I'm waiting a bit to go back to the "shop" and ask them a few questions. Expensive lesson?????

I am extremely pleased to hear that the car is in running order again. Unfortunately, it is hard to find out just what is going on with a car when you only have a description. As for the CPS, your mechanic is all wrong about the restart issue. The CPS often overheats when it is going bad and when it shuts off, even for a short time it will reset and allow you to start the car.

Secondly, that mechanic should have known to check the fuel filter the very first thing. Fuel filters are easy and inexpensive to change and are often overlooked when diagnosing a problem. As I have said on most occasions, there are no mechanics anymore just technicians. Now that is not a slam at technicians because they know their business, the slam is at the fact that everyone relies on the computer to tell them what is going on not on their eyes and ears.

Hopefully, this car will not give you some good service from now on. Just remember to keep up the maintenance and what ever you do find a new shop to go to.



No laughing now...... after fighting with this car for the last month -- (my daughter switched to my husbands pickup - he's been stuck driving the beast so she is not injured) ----- my husband took in to a "quick" oil changing place. After talking to the guy about this beast of a car - he took a peek at the fuel filter. He just about peed in his pants laughing as it was the ugliest filter he'd seen --- was sure it hadn't been changed ever.............. guck thick as guck can be. After a new fuel filter, the car is back to its rev-ing little self and hasn't died since. I'm waiting a bit to go back to the "shop" and ask them a few questions. Expensive lesson?????