97 Lumina 3.1 stalls intermittantly

[ciras3]

I have a 97 Chev Lumina 3.1 Maybe once or twice a week it will stall out at low mileage. There are no codes being placed in the computer and the service engine soon light never comes on. Sometimes I can go for several weeks without the engine stalling. Most of the time it stalls as I am turning into my driveway after coming home from work, my foot is off of the gas pedal. This car will start right up again just as if there was no problem at all.

I was looking at the other posts here and see where other Lumina owners have a stalling problem but don't see where anyone has reported that they finally solved what was doing it.

I followed the advice of one thread and pulled my EGR, cleaned it a little ( it wasn't really dirty or clogged) and I recently have had my fuel pump/sending unit replaced. According to some of the other reported stalling problems, owners are saying that they have to press on the gas pedal once their car finally starts and rev up the engine (points to the TCC) my car isn't doing that. Other owners are stating that their car revs up and then dies at a stop light. Mine doesn't do that either.

I saw the advice of one person that seemed to think it was the CPS (crank position sensor) However, I've had this go bad on another GM product, and while this car did stall, each time it did the check engine light would come on and leave a code for the CPS. It was also hard to get it started again. I don't think this is the problem with my Lumina either as I get no computer codes and it starts right back up.

I also followed the advice to tap on the MAF sensor housing with a screwdriver to see if the engine ran any different. There was no difference.


Does anyone have any other ideas as to why my Lumina would do this?

Thanks in advance

[ciras3]

Since I last posted this message, I tried a few things to figure out the intermittant stalling problem. I knew it wasn't related to the clutch solenoid since I didn't have the bucking and jerking as reported by other owners. I eventually traced it down to a crack in the underside of the 90 degree rubber PCV connector which connects the PCV valve to the metal inlet tube. The crack was right at the bend, and you couldn't see it unless you took the rubber connector off of the PCV valve and bent it a little. I ended up purchasing a different PCV valve with a 90 degree hard plastic angle already on the valve, and put a straight piece of vaccuum hose from the PCV valve to the inlet tube. My 1997 Lumina hasn't stalled once since I figured this out. For all the time it took to trace this down, it was an easy fix. Amazing what a stupid little crack will do ?

[jeffcoslacker]

Awesome! I love to hear stuff like that. Gotta love the cheap simple fix.