94 Olds 88 Royale Pain, Shuts off when driving around bends

[merpster]

MaxWedge I need your help!!!, (and anyone else for that matter)
I have the same exact problem as entry number 242, "96 88ls 3.8 non supercharged stalls out" post a few years back. Unfortunately, there seemed to be no resolution to the problem on that post.

My 94 Olds 88 started stalling out only when one went around right hand bends. Almost always did it when fuel was below 1/4 tank. Just shuts off like you turned off the key, almost as though centrifigal force causes the car to stall. Kick car into neutral, wrestle with the steering to keep from hitting a telephone pole, hit the key and it starts right back up. Occasionally shuts off when lifting throttle at very light throttle when approaching a stop light. No codes from OBD, and Fuel pressure is ok but replaced fuel pump and fuel filter anyway. Tried the Crank position sensor and the cam postition sensor as it seems that is a common cause of 3800's shutting off. No help.

Teenage kid threw a rod in the motor, so after a few expletives and him denying that he was flogging the car, I put a new motor in it. You can probably guess what comes next. The car still stalls!! The only parts used from the previous motor was the MAF and the ignition/coil pack, so I replaced them from a bad tranny car that I knew ran ok with no improvement. Mechanic thought it possible that he got a bad fuel pump, so he put another in it and checked the wiring and looked in the fuel tank for something that might be rolling around in it or broken baffles. No trouble found.

Now it is stalling going down hills also, but car stays running with no power or ability to increase RPM's. Stop along side of the road, car is running, pull back onto the road and all is well for a while. Whoa to you if you come to a stop sign that is on a downhill grade. Shuts off and won't restart unless you can coast to a flat spot. Car rpm's also surge up and down slightly as it idles.

Any ideas, anyone????
It has a different motor now in the car, so everything is changed as far as sensors, etc... but it has the same problem. Vacaum hose?? Fuel pump relay?? Why would centrifigal force cause it to stall?? Bang head here ->
Thanks in advance.

[MagicRat]

Change the fuel pump roll-over switch...... I think it's located somewhere in the trunk (I am not sure).

BTW..... Olds 88 Royale Pain....... classic..... the name should be on the trunk lid.

[brcidd]

There is no fuel pump roll over switch- on a GM unless someone added one..

Same thing happened to me-- It is the baffles inside the gas tank- fuel pump sucks air (when fuel level is near 1/4 tank) around curves and on a slope- baffles are bent out of shape or broken loose- either live with it or do like I did, make your own out of a coffee can- Mine was on a '96 H car.- a Bonneyville- same car as yours...

[merpster]

Thanks guys for your help, I was thinking that it could be a baffle in the fuel tank... brcidd, how did you get the coffee cans mounted in the fuel tank?? I'm not sure how to do that??

[brcidd]

Pull the fuel pump out, drill 3 or 4 1/4 inch holes in the bottom of your big coffee can- set can in tank, set fuel in can.. put tank back on car....done- Its either that or never let tank get below 1/4....

[merpster]

Thanks for the help. I hate to say it, but I have been driving the car now with a full tank and it is still shutting off. Most of the time it has when I have been making a right hand turn (most of them low speeds under 5 mile per hour), but it shut off on me the other day just approaching an intersection (straight on, no bends) with a freshly topped off tank. Started right back up of course. I am going today to replace the vacuum lines just for general purposes. I am soo frustrated.. I hate to give up on the thing, especially after putting all that money into it and it only has 115,000 on the clock. But mostly what bugs me is IT IS BEATING ME!!!!! I hate it when something mechanical gets the best of me.

Anything in the tranny (solenoids) that could make the car shut off?? Maybe a wire in the steering column getting pinched??

The number of a good witch doctor or priest would be appreciated.

[brcidd]

My 77 vega would do that when it got low on oil- but those were the days when only oil pressure switch drove the fuel pump-- yours has a fuel pump relay in parrallel with FP relay-- so your realy would have to be inop and your oil would have to be low at the same time.....what's the chances..

[PensacolaDad]

I'm not expert, but would try putting car on blocks to try to re-create the problem while parked. That would allow for trouble shooting while problem exists. Hard to fix when working. With car on blocks or lift to make it die, verify if have spark, and check fuel pressure at engine. May be electrical short caused by swinging wire. Wish you well on that.

[Ohio Olds Man]

I had a 94 Olds 88 previously. I do recall a problem with it, sometimes it would shut off while slowing down but not all the time. I'm really reaching with my memory with this car but I took it to a repair shop and they changed something on top of the motor. Not sure what it was called but it was some sort of selonoid. It was round (1"), black & was about 2" in height. Thats about all I remember. I'm sorry if this does not help but thats about all I remember about that problem.

My 94 also had paint pealing from it really bad, especially on the trunk lid. I seen other 94's with this same problem.