HELP!!!!- '92 Cutlass Cruiser Stalls and won't restart

[Nathan1097]

Hi. I have a '92 Cutlass Cruiser wagon that stalls unexpectedly while driving. I've taken it in to Firestone twice now and all they've said is that their computers can't find anything wrong with it and after running it for a long time they can't get it to stall! It just happened today again. Seems to me, it happens when its warmer out, because it happened last week and I remember it was warm- like today. I can't remember if I had the air on last week but I did today. At any rate, it just stalls out of the blue and all the "lights' come on on the dash and it will not restart. It makes noise but will not turn over to actually start. The power windows and radio still will work with the key in, though. It takes it a while and then eventually it will start up again, but not immediately. I mean several hours.

[Slade901]

The are lots of possibilities that might have caused the problem you are having.

1. Fuel pump relay failing. The contacts inside the fuel pump relay might be loosing its connectivity when the engine reach at higher temperature. Once the engine temperature and around the engine bay cools down, then the fuel pump relay contacts will regain its connectivity again. If you have dual radiator fan, you can swap the secondary fan relay to the fuel pump relay and test it. If you only have one radiator fan then you can just purchase another fuel pump relay around $10 and test it.

2. Fuel pump itself is failing and works again once it cools down. In-tank fuel pump fails often if gas tank is contactly driven when the gas tank level is too low.
The fuel pump requires fuel around it to keep it cool. If you want the fuel pump to last longer, don't let the gas tank level goes down past 1/4 of gas tank level.

3. Coolant temperature sensor (CTS) might be failing. Either giving out too cold or too hot signal to the computer and thereby minimizing fuel or excessive fuel. Try cleaning the CTS and see if that makes a difference.

4. Computer getting hot and recovers when the temperature goes down. Some people employ using a 12 volt fan (fan used in computers) and directing it at the surface of the computer.

5. Engine bay temperature excessive. Some people rig their radiator fan with a manual overdrive so they can turn on the radiator fan by themselves when the outside temperature is too hot.

[Nathan1097]

It FINALLY died in the shop! They had it all weekend and finally this morning it died! Apparently the box (ignition console?) that gives the sparkplugs their spark needs replacing, thus when it doesn't do its job, the spark plugs don't do theirs and thus the car dies!

[ludakrissy]

Honey, welcome to the wonderful world of alternators from hell!!! It sounds awfully familiar 3 times over check it out.

[Jimmy Ray]

My 92 Olds Cutlass Cruiser is doing the exact same thing.
Nathan, do you know what exactly needs fixed and approx. how much it costs?
Thanks!