Engine quits

[Steve428]

While driving down the road at any speed, my 90 olds cutless will
quit without any warning. I had it looked at and the fuel system was fine. I changed the coil control module and it continues to quit. The pattern seems to be after about 10-15 minutes, when it gets hot. No trouble codes are showing up. Does anyone have any idea how to fix this or where to start so I don't get sucked into putting a lot of money and time into this problem?

[Sidswim]

Check the ground wire for corrosion

[Steve428]

I checked the ground wire and it seems fine, I also unplugged the mass air flow sensor and started the car, triggering the default setting, car still quits after 10 mins or so. That eliminates the air flow sensor, I am attempting to pull out the ECM, and also the CPS, but I am not even sure if that is the problem, without any codes still showing. Any more help out there?

[trappie]

prior to the engine just quitting? Does it sputter, hesitate, etc. before the engine quits or does it shut off as if you turned off the ignition?

[SpitAndDirt]

Need to know your engine size. I would look in this order for problems with hot stalls. Crank position sensor or sensorS, ignition module, and then fuel pump. These are just suggestions. What are you referring to when you say CPS exactly? I need more specifics in order to help you better. I have troubleshot many cutlass' of many different years. There really not that bad. -Chris

[Steve428]

Engine is a 3.3. There is no hesitation or any noises or indication even that the car is going to quit. Feels like someone pulled the plug on it and it just stops. It seems to idle fine. I was referring to the Crank Position Sensor with the CPS. Fuel pump was check and was fine. Fuel filter was replaced, and lines are new. I am going to run more diagnostics this sunday and hopefully will have some results. Any help prior to then will be great! Thanks for you help.

[Gopher]

My 92 olds cutless ciera has been intermittently cutting out while driving or coming to a stop or already stopped. This has been happening for the past 3 years. No codes show up and does not quit running when I have it at the service station or they run it on the computer, spend hundreds of dollars trying to fix this problem. It used to ONLY happen in temperatures around 80 degrees and higher..two years in a row..say from end May till Fall. Then this year, the past month or two it is cutting out at temps anything from 50's and higher. It is not daily usually. It can happen 10 times in an hour or two and then be ok for 2 weeks! It does not happen at high speeds (like highway driving). What happens is it just quits as if I turned it off. No prior notice, just suddently all the brake lights, engine lights, etc. come on and I have to steer it to safety and restart it. Usually it will restart but I have to keep foot on gas heavily for a while else it quits immediately again. I have had fuel pump replaced, ignition module and 3 other plug things and their wires (cant recall names), had a new computer put in, had fuel injectors cleaned but still doing this. Oh yes, at times I can be driving and the car will hesitate and then "take" again as if nothing happened (not quiting on me - but most times when it acts up it does not hesitate but just quits without any warning). Sometimes I seem to feel a stiffness in the steering column when it acts up. Would appreciate some advice!!! Potentially dangerous when turning across a street too!
Thanks..Gopher

[53bruce]

I just posted about a 3.1 engine not starting issue that started out just like yours. It would run for about 10 minutes fine, then just quit!
while I replaced the crank sensor as it seemed to be a bit different from the others I measured, the only REAL reproducibile BAD thing that I found was a connector failure at the ignition module. Litterally, the pins were not touching the female side of the connections! By flexing the connector I could get the connection to make and break. I squeezed each of the recepticles in the connectors just enough to securely grab the pins. Then I could flex it all I could and the connection was secure.
Once I have fixed this 3 days ago, the car starts and no longer seems to quit randomly.
This isnt the only place I have found where this has been an issue, I also noticed that the dash connections ( electronic dash) were somewhat suspicious. These connectors seem to be a weak spot. In general they dont seem to be as reliabile or forgiving as the modern connectors that I find in most electronic equipment that I work on.
Of course, after you have tried the simple things, then to do any real troubleshooting on these cars, you need an accurate schematic diagram and a volt/ohmmeter. Then start checking each wire and connection. it can be slow, but then you know for sure what works and what doesnt.

I hope this can help you out,
good luck!

[Steve428]

Ran the Monitor 4000 on the ecm, and code error came up as 42. EST ERROR. Checked and changed the Coolent Temp Sensor still quits. Temp went to 197 degrees first time and quit just as the fan was kicking on. Changed CTS when restarted it quit at 163 degrees. Don't have any idea what temp it restarts at. Any ideas? Being that it is an EST error should I change the the Spark control module, or should I look at the ECM? Check Engine light stays on even after I unplugged the battery and reset the codes.

[hugh-john]

have same car as Steve428 (and similar to Golpher's)

sounds like same problems too

have you found any workable solution ??

originally my oil sensor went haywire had it replaced last friday

can find no commonality to when and where and why problem happens

kinda like "close encounters" when different lights start going ...

also speedometer will drop to zero then return on highway
and tachometer ...

Was going to trace wiring looking for bare wire grounding out but seems misplaces since if there were bare wire then rough potholed roads or up/down speed up/brake should make "problem" happen

can't find any way to recreate problem ...

best bet sounds like crank sensor ??

[Steve428]

I am not sure about the Crank sensor, Did you run diagnostics on it? The error I came up with indicates the Coil Control Module is bad even though I replaced it, the new module could have issues as well, I am going to replace mine tomorrow and I will post again with new outcomes, if that fails, it will most likely be the ECM, since I have checked or changed all of the other sensors. Good luck.

[Steve428]

I changed the coil control module again, the second one was bad as the monitor 4000 reported. The third one had no codes and the car started and ran and then quit after ten minutes, which brings us back again to the begining, which I am unsure what could be wrong. I do know the coil control module is good, the Cooling temperature sensor is good, the Mass air flow sensor is good, and there are no issues with the fuel system that I am aware of, and I am certain that is not the issue. With the new coil control module the service engine soon light has disappeared, and the 42 code is gone which means the coil module is working properly. Could it be a wiring issue from the ecm to the coil? Seems to be mocking me or playing an amazing game of chess.

[hugh-john]

there were no codes showing to run diagnostics ... today car is not idling properly and appears to be stalling in addition to numerous lights flashing on and off notably 'service engine' and 'temp' but also have "tailgate adjar" light which is not supposed to even have a bulb in it ... before had appeared to be lights on then engine turns off but today seems more engine stalls then lights react ... what drives me nuts is I'm driving 80 mph on highway and engine turns off ... have to shift to N restart engine and continue believe will have to have "crank posotion sensor" replaced >>> also car acted up 1 minute after starting it so was not even warm yet .... again same symptoms as Golpher and Steve428 above
any help is appreciated most kindly

[Steve428]

That sounds like the ECM has gone screwy. They will do alot of funny things when they go haywire. could be a combination of things, or connections between things. Good luck with it, I will let you know if I have any luck with mine.

[hugh-john]

Good News !! Replaced Crank Position Sensor and all seems fine ... was unable to check Ignition Module connections as bolt refused to budge and was unwilling at this time to force it ... interesting that old cps was 'all chewed up' and was apparent that it was at it's end ...
OF course --- driving to the Service centre the car was running flawlessly and even driving around for 15 minutes with technician with diagnostic hooked in ready to 'catch' some indication of a problem -- car was perfect ... anyway went ahead replacing cps and can notice real difference driving - very smooth now
trusting that that is it !