2000 3.8 GS cuts out, barely idles.

[fastrogue]

Hoping to find some help. My Buick GS runs about two hours on the Interstate and suddenly won't run well enough to pull the car at two miles an hour. If I turn it off for about 30 minutes it will run fine for another two hours. I have spent over $3000 at the dealer and it runs no better. They tell me there are no error codes on each trip to the dealer. On the first visit, they pulled the fuel tank and cleaned it and replaced the fuel filter. On subsequent service visits they replaced the fuel pressure regulator, two injectors, crank sensor and all three coils. Now they want to replace the fuel pump, but they keep writing "Customer directed repairs, no warranty" on the bills! Of course the car is out of factory warranty. The vehicle has always been dealer maintained for oil changes, air filter and air conditioner filter change, transmission tune-up and warranty checks. None of these bills are included in the $3000 amount associated with this problem.
This vehicle had this problem at the end of this summer and now it is mid-winter. It runs fine on local driving, even several hour trips through the country at 55 mph or less is fine. There is no check engine light or any warning it is about to go limp. It has 46,000 miles on it and I really like the car, but the vehicle is just plain unsafe on long trips.

[Hypsi87]

Originally Posted by fastrogue

Hoping to find some help. My Buick GS runs about two hours on the Interstate and suddenly won't run well enough to pull the car at two miles an hour. If I turn it off for about 30 minutes it will run fine for another two hours. I have spent over $3000 at the dealer and it runs no better. They tell me there are no error codes on each trip to the dealer. On the first visit, they pulled the fuel tank and cleaned it and replaced the fuel filter. On subsequent service visits they replaced the fuel pressure regulator, two injectors, crank sensor and all three coils. Now they want to replace the fuel pump, but they keep writing "Customer directed repairs, no warranty" on the bills! Of course the car is out of factory warranty. The vehicle has always been dealer maintained for oil changes, air filter and air conditioner filter change, transmission tune-up and warranty checks. None of these bills are included in the $3000 amount associated with this problem.
This vehicle had this problem at the end of this summer and now it is mid-winter. It runs fine on local driving, even several hour trips through the country at 55 mph or less is fine. There is no check engine light or any warning it is about to go limp. It has 46,000 miles on it and I really like the car, but the vehicle is just plain unsafe on long trips.

I would go to another dealer and get another tech to look at it

[RABarrett]

Having worked at a dealer myself, I am constantly amazed that, in most cases, these places are manned by individuals who know less than you do about your car. I still have a difficult time understanding the idea of the diagnostic code determining whether the vehicle can be fixed. To answer the question, I suspect that you may be experiencing a catalytic convertor failure. These units are very sensitive to heat, and when they start dying, the added heat of the exhaust restriction aggravates the problem. You might try disconnecting the convertor temporarily, and see if this has an effect on driveability. Another idea would be to visit a muffler shop who canb measure exhaust back pressure, shedding some more light on the problem. As far as the dealer is concerned, if you only specified that the problem be fixed, you did not specify the course of action taken. In that case you are entitled to a warranty, and a refund if they cannot fix the problem. These dealers think they havew a license to steal. They are no different than any other service facility. Do it right or do not get paid. That is why I refuse to work for them anymore, and why I eventually moved on. Please stay in touch. I think we can sort this problem out, and get this vehicle fixed in spite of the dealers help. Ray