Engine Cuts Out

[BLG66]

95 Aurora With 111k Miles Car Starts Fine You Drive Away But Than It May Just Cut Out, Go Dead, Gauages All Go To Off Position Just Like Someone Turned Off The Key. If I Coast Over To The Side It May Start Right Away Or I May Have To Wait A Few Secs, Minutes For It To Start. Usually Except For Today It Starts Right Up Today I Turned Key And Nothing. It Eventully Started. Any Thoughts On This One. One Of My Friends Sugguested The Crank Senors. Help

[97 silverbullet]

does it spudder right before it cuts out or does it just cut off, and does the electric cut out also. Give us some more detail of what its doing right before it cuts out.

[RoyH]

My 97 acted the same way for a short time, then it wouldn't start at all. The electronic security chip in the ignition switch deteriorates to the point where it cannot read the resistor in the key, so security locks up the PCM. I had to replace the ignition assembly and get new matching keys.

[BLG66]

Originally Posted by 97 silverbullet

does it spudder right before it cuts out or does it just cut off, and does the electric cut out also. Give us some more detail of what its doing right before it cuts out.

no the car just cuts out like i turned off the ignition. now if i try to restart it it spins over sometimes other it just does nothing. dead!
i'm going to clean all the grounds this weekend to see if that helps.

[scudballs]

Mine did that. It was a bear to troubleshoot. Very intermittent. It would just die and all the gauges would go off. Like someone turned the key off. Mine turned out to be the ignition. They have high current going through the switch and the contact points get carbon-ed up and just start making a bad connection. Anyway I bought a new one which comes as a whole ignition wiring harness. Cost was about $160 if I remember. You have to pull your steering wheel and take all the plastic off the column but its not to bad. You can test it for sure, it loses 12volts coming off the ignition, its a pink wire most likely but you will needs schmatics to be for sure. But I'll bet that's what your problem is.

Originally Posted by BLG66

no the car just cuts out like i turned off the ignition. now if i try to restart it it spins over sometimes other it just does nothing. dead!
i'm going to clean all the grounds this weekend to see if that helps.

[scudballs]

Originally Posted by BLG66

no the car just cuts out like i turned off the ignition. now if i try to restart it it spins over sometimes other it just does nothing. dead!
i'm going to clean all the grounds this weekend to see if that helps.

Also I didn't catch what you initially had said. If it will still turn over but won't start, then it won't be the ignition. That would most likely be the VATS/antitheft system. Either the resistor pellet in the is getting dirty or the connections inside are getting worn.

[BLG66]

Originally Posted by 97 silverbullet

does it spudder right before it cuts out or does it just cut off, and does the electric cut out also. Give us some more detail of what its doing right before it cuts out.

DOESN'T SPUDDER JUST GOES DEAD LIKE I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION, THAN WILL START UP IF I PULL OVER AND WAIT A SECOUND IT USUALLY STARTS.

[scudballs]

Sounds just like the same thing mine was doing. It got worse as time went along. It started doing it more frequently and would take longer before it would start again. I can tell you how to check it you would like. It's not easy though. If it is the the ignition like mine you can buy the ingition/harness for about $130 I think. Mine has never quite again since I replaced it.

This is assuming it will not turn over when it dies on you? And also loss of most/all dash lighting and instuments.

Originally Posted by BLG66

DOESN'T SPUDDER JUST GOES DEAD LIKE I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION, THAN WILL START UP IF I PULL OVER AND WAIT A SECOUND IT USUALLY STARTS.

[zephram22]

That happened to me on my old car (99 lumina) after I had the engine replaced. The positive wire going to the starter / electronics was not attached well. As a result, several times (AT NIGHT I MIGHT ADD!) everything went dead. After coasting a little bit the connection worked again and the car started up. I would check that on your car.

[firechicken1]

My moms 97 aurora has been doing this for some time aswell. She would be idling at a stop light and all of a sudden the car dies. Could this be an ignition problem, like you guys have stated above. It's a mystery as far as i know.

[bugheman]

Same thing happens with my Mom's 99----- **K miles - she says that it would just shut off. Had 2 keys, we tried switching keys from the main set to the set she either does not use or gives to me for driving around about 3x per month. I think it performed better using my key, but not sure...........

Guys how sure can you be on that IGN switch???

[scudballs]

I wouldn't be to sure on a 99'. Mine was a 1995 that was doing this. Yours may be completely different set up. The only way I tracked it down was with wiring schematics. When it would shut off I would lose 12 volts at the ignition. It took me weeks to track this down as it was not doing it all the time.

Originally Posted by bugheman

Same thing happens with my Mom's 99----- **K miles - she says that it would just shut off. Had 2 keys, we tried switching keys from the main set to the set she either does not use or gives to me for driving around about 3x per month. I think it performed better using my key, but not sure...........

Guys how sure can you be on that IGN switch???

[rdwrr]

My 01 did the same thing. It was the crankshaft sensors.