Stalling at random times

I have a '96 GASE 2.4L that has been acting very problematic lately.

Let me apologize in advance for how long this is. There's quite a bit of background info that is necessary to help explain my questions.

I purchased the car about 1.5 years ago and have put a little more than 30,000 miles on it during that time. I replaced the spark plugs and boots a week or two after I purchased it. I had the fuel filter replaced last summer - about 20,000 miles ago I'm guessing - because I suspected it was causing a problem I was having last summer (it didn't fix the problem, but I eventually tracked down the real cause and fixed that). I replaced the front O2 sensor last summer, and again a couple of days ago.

I've had code P0141 (a rear O2 sensor code) show up pretty regularly (it's on more often than it's off) for about a year now, but have never gotten around to replacing that sensor due to its cost and the perhaps-misguided-belief that a bad rear O2 sensor wouldn't cause any actual issues but would just not tell me if my cat converter was acting up (you can probably see where this is going).

Code P1133 showed up a few weeks ago. It's a code for the front O2 sensor - insufficient switching, or something like that - but not one of the usual codes thrown then that sensor goes bad. I replaced that front sensor a few days ago since it was easy and cheap, hoping it would fix the P1133 code. The CEL stayed off for a day-and-a-half after that, then came back on yesterday. I stopped by AutoZone to get it read and the P0141 code was back, but that was the only code.

I've had some intermittent lack of power issues for a little while now (see this thread: http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=718902) but no real stalling problems except for the one instance detailed in the thread I just linked to.

Last night on the way home from work it started running very roughly/sputtering like it was going to stall, pressing the gas pedal made no difference at all, I pulled off onto the shoulder of the freeway and it stalled/died on me a few seconds later. My gas gauge was very close to empty - but I've run it down to and below the empty line more than a handful of times since I've had the car, and the location of the gas gauge when the car died was just above the E line, where I've always gotten 30+ miles out of it after that before having to get gas. After trying to get it going a handful of times, it finally started up once and I was able to limp it a few hundred feet (sputtering the whole way) before it died again and then it wouldn't start again. I decided to add more gas just to see if that was the problem since that's an easy fix to try. By the time I got back my hazard lights had drained my battery (wasn't aware my battery was that low) and there wasn't enough power left to try to start it. Let it sit out there overnight, got a friend to drive out there this morning to try to jump-start it; that worked and it ran okay after that and I came in to work this afternoon.

Left work a little while ago to get lunch and it was fine except for one brief moment when it sounded like it wanted to die again. Returning from lunch was a different story. It died on me once as I was slowing down at a stoplight. A minute later it started up fine and I made it another mile or so, when it started sputtered while driving about 40mph; I was able to limp it along a little bit farther as it hadn't died completely, but then it did die all the way. Then it started up okay again and I was able to make it the rest of the way back to work.

(I warned you this was long!)

Ok, now my questions:
-Could this be caused by a bad cat converter or exhaust system? (Really wondering about this now since I've let that rear O2 sensor code go for so long.)
-It seems like it's a fuel delivery issue to me. The fuel filter that I had replaced last summer shouldn't be bad already, should it? Can I rule that out, or is that a definite possibility even though it's been replaced in the last year?
-What about plugs/boots? Those are supposed to last more than 30k miles, aren't they? And that doesn't seem like a probable cause of my problem, does it?
-What other components of the fuel delivery system might cause something like this, besides the filter, the fuel pump, and the fuel pressure regulator?

I'm trying to decide if I should just give up and take it into the shop. Checking/replacing the fuel filter or fuel pump is beyond my capabilities. Checking the fuel pressure regulator I think I can do, but I can't replace it because I can't drop the fuel tank to relieve the fuel system pressure.

Anyway, that's where I'm at and those are the general questions I was wondering about. Any advice would be appreciated. Sorry again for how long this is.

Check your Crankshaft Position sensor :thumbsup:

All this sounds very familiar to me. This car is a major headache.

1. The converter and/or exhaust system wouldn't cause those problems but your converter could go bad as a result of a bad O2 sensor and a handful of other ingnition or fuel problems. You first need to diagnose the initial problem before attemting to replace any parts of your exhaust system. (i'd reccomend getting rid of the converter all together or running a pipe through it)

2. I don't belive this is a fuel delivery issue. It sounds like an ignition problem more than anything. You can always check and clean your injectors and throttle body as well as replace a fuel filter and pump but I doubt that would produce any positive results. your problems sounds like an ignition problem. However one thing to consider, as you mentioned, is a fuel pressure regulator that tends to go bad on these cars. I've replaced mine 3 times since i got the car. It may be a part of the problem.

3. On these cars spark plugs/boots easily burn out. My car doesn't go more than 10K w/o a plug and housing replacement. Also if your fuel/air ration is at fault than spark plugs can go bad within days.

4. Don't take it to the shop just yet. This car is hard to figure out and mechanics usually really like to take their sweet time with it and then charge you an ***load for what ends up not fixing the problem. Start with plugs and housing...maybe coils...see how it responds. Change the fuel regulator. See if it does anyting.

Thanks for the tips. I should finally have some time to work on the car this weekend, so I'll start checking some of that stuff out. Interestingly, the car hasn't died on me again since the 2 times it did when returning from lunch that one day last week. Gotta love these random, intermittent problems.

Have you resolved this issue? I have a similar problem with a 94 GA, Quad 4. I just replaced the ignition coil housing, plugs, boots, but the car stalled when coming to a stop after driving for about 30 minutes. I suspect the fuel regulator may be a good next step, or moisture in the fuel system.

Thanks.

So you just replaced the coils and plug/boots ?
Or the Ignition control module ?

Could be the ignition control module if its a continuous miss.

So does it miss out randomly at highway speeds,
or when you are setting idle ?

ps kinda watch the post dates, we usualy cut them off at 3 months old.
bringin up old threads also clutters the servers(and my brain).