95 cirrus engine kill problem?
jflam
07-17-2007, 11:55 PM
hey guys, I've got a '95 cirrus LXi, 2.5 Liter V6 engine. For maybe the past 8-12 months it's had an intermittant problem where the engine would start, and then after 1 or 2 seconds, kill. All I could do was wait for about an hour or more, and after letting it rest it would start again. After awhile I found out this had something to do with the anti-theft system, because when the problem happened, I could lock myself in the car, wait for the anti-theft to arm, and then trip it (horn, lights, etc.) by pulling the handle, and reset it manually with the key outside the door. THEN the car would start right up (weird, huh?).. This worked flawlessly every time I did it, until about a month ago. Now the problem is still there, but the trick doesn't work at all :(... So now the car is in the shop and they want to try replacing the ignition switch- does that even make sense? Are there any wiring diagrams available to check what could be wrong? Thanks for any ideas/suggestions.
moparman400
08-19-2007, 08:40 PM
It's not the ign sw, or anti theft.......you have a loose pin conector at the computer..............after a short time a relay in the ign curcit will reset by itself, and it will start again. fix your loose conections . Don't pay for parts you dont need.
sub006
09-01-2007, 08:45 PM
Hello again, Cirrus people! Please see my posts about 15 threads down under "Stalling and Rough".
My middle son managed to crash our leftover "extra car", my wife's old '98 BMW 318i. Insurance has offered over 10 grand to my wife to total it, which is a good deal and she'll probably take it. Meanwhile my mother-in-law has decided to stop driving, so we're probably purchasing her 21,000 mile '95 Cirrus to replace the BMW. You will recall it got a new computer, distributor, etc. a few months ago. Crank sensor was checked a couple of times and not replaced. I don't think the EGR valve was replaced, either. The car has run flawlessly, smooth and 30 mpg.
As my wife and I have driven the Cirrus longer distances at higher speeds, the stalling at idle has disappeared. However, a few days after I had the car smogged last month, the "check engine" light began to flicker, then cycle on and off and for the last few days stay on continuously.
I don't worry about these lights if the car is running well, they usually are caused by needing a new gas cap or something similarly minor. This morning I took it to an AAMCO shop that I use every few years for their free "check engine" diagnosis,
Results were vague, "could be an electrical connector or an intake leak, take it to a smog specialist". My wife ran a few errands today, then suddenly it would crank but not start in a parking lot. The owner's manual warns that an ignored check engine light can eventually result in a no-start mode. Since it's a holiday weekend (no pros available 'til Tuesday), ungodly hot here in Los Angeles and many of these symptoms seem to reset after a while, I'm going to let it sit 'til tonight and try to start it again.
Don't know if it's just a coincidence the light appeared after the smog guys worked on it. They're far away, so whether or not it starts, I plan to take it to my best independent mechanic Tuesday morning.
Has anyone had similar experiences and/or comments? Thanks for your help!
My middle son managed to crash our leftover "extra car", my wife's old '98 BMW 318i. Insurance has offered over 10 grand to my wife to total it, which is a good deal and she'll probably take it. Meanwhile my mother-in-law has decided to stop driving, so we're probably purchasing her 21,000 mile '95 Cirrus to replace the BMW. You will recall it got a new computer, distributor, etc. a few months ago. Crank sensor was checked a couple of times and not replaced. I don't think the EGR valve was replaced, either. The car has run flawlessly, smooth and 30 mpg.
As my wife and I have driven the Cirrus longer distances at higher speeds, the stalling at idle has disappeared. However, a few days after I had the car smogged last month, the "check engine" light began to flicker, then cycle on and off and for the last few days stay on continuously.
I don't worry about these lights if the car is running well, they usually are caused by needing a new gas cap or something similarly minor. This morning I took it to an AAMCO shop that I use every few years for their free "check engine" diagnosis,
Results were vague, "could be an electrical connector or an intake leak, take it to a smog specialist". My wife ran a few errands today, then suddenly it would crank but not start in a parking lot. The owner's manual warns that an ignored check engine light can eventually result in a no-start mode. Since it's a holiday weekend (no pros available 'til Tuesday), ungodly hot here in Los Angeles and many of these symptoms seem to reset after a while, I'm going to let it sit 'til tonight and try to start it again.
Don't know if it's just a coincidence the light appeared after the smog guys worked on it. They're far away, so whether or not it starts, I plan to take it to my best independent mechanic Tuesday morning.
Has anyone had similar experiences and/or comments? Thanks for your help!
sub006
09-01-2007, 08:46 PM
Sorry, duplicate post.
sub006
09-02-2007, 11:53 AM
Update on the 1995 Cirrus with 21,000 miles.
Went down to the parking lot last night to try the car. My wife asked me to bring jumper cables along, "Because it always works for Auto Club". I told her there's no comparing our wimpy cables and donor car battery with what the tow trucks have, but I took them.
The car cranked plenty fast enough, but would not start. She insisted that I try to jump it. The big Optima Red Top in my Suburban speeded up the Cirrus starter noticeably, but still no start.
Out of frustration I thought "What the heck", floored the gas pedal for a second while cranking, then pumped it a couple of times. I know this is not supposed to work with EFI, but the car started, and drove home.
So now I think there may be a fuel-related issue. Will be interesting to see what Frank, the best indpendent mechanic I know, can come up with.
Went down to the parking lot last night to try the car. My wife asked me to bring jumper cables along, "Because it always works for Auto Club". I told her there's no comparing our wimpy cables and donor car battery with what the tow trucks have, but I took them.
The car cranked plenty fast enough, but would not start. She insisted that I try to jump it. The big Optima Red Top in my Suburban speeded up the Cirrus starter noticeably, but still no start.
Out of frustration I thought "What the heck", floored the gas pedal for a second while cranking, then pumped it a couple of times. I know this is not supposed to work with EFI, but the car started, and drove home.
So now I think there may be a fuel-related issue. Will be interesting to see what Frank, the best indpendent mechanic I know, can come up with.
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