Stuttering and dying

[jasonder]

I have a 95 Explorer 6 cylinder. Lately the car has started stuttering extremely bad to the point where it is dying. Also I was driving down the road the other day on vacation and the car just died with no warning. I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem. I bought the car from my parents and my dad said last winter he had the same problem. Something about it being cold. I have yet to see any check engine light come on so I don't think I can trouble shoot it that way. If I can that would be great and I would appreciate any idea on how to check the code. Thanks in advance.

[shorod]

You should try posting this to the GMC -> Commercial Trucks forum. Other Vandura owners seem to post there. Maybe Way2Old will move this thread for you.

-Rod

Originally Posted by biggm

Helo, I have a similar problem that cropped up like many others have in similar ways. My van has a security system that is not working right first of all. It has the little idiot light that blinks showing it is on and off. I tried to start it one day and the engine would not fire up on my 87 vandura 305. I flipped the little toggle switch and it fired up after I hit the little button next to it. So far this was all that went on. The check engine light came on showing the oxygen sensor needed help. I fixed that. Now, the starting problems were happening again intermittently . No fix yet. Now, the check engine light comes on and the engine dies out completely leaving me in the middle of the interstate in traffic nearly getting killed because of some dumb nut not knowing how to help someone out for nothing. I am really dumb on this one. I spray starting fluid in the TBI because it would not fire up while cranking out on the interstate. It starts up. I take off and when it shifts into second gear it dies out again over an over this happens and then it quits and drives of for about another two hours and starts doing the same thing again. I don't want to get my family killed because of this GMC that is doing things that I cannot afford to get help to fix. I just don't have the money for experiments on my wallet. I need to know exactly what it is when I install the first and only component. Any idea?

[shorod]

Originally Posted by jasonder

I have a 95 Explorer 6 cylinder. Lately the car has started stuttering extremely bad to the point where it is dying. Also I was driving down the road the other day on vacation and the car just died with no warning. I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem. I bought the car from my parents and my dad said last winter he had the same problem. Something about it being cold. I have yet to see any check engine light come on so I don't think I can trouble shoot it that way. If I can that would be great and I would appreciate any idea on how to check the code. Thanks in advance.

I don't recall if the Explorer was one of the 1995 vehicles that incorporated the OBD-II protocol or not. If so, the diagnostic connector will be located under the instrument cluster on the driver's side. If not, the connector will be under the hood off to one side, probably near the firewall. If it's under the hood, you can check the codes using the method described at the bottom of the page here.

It sounds like you probably have a pretty large vacuum leak, maybe one that gets worse when things contract. Because of that, I'd focus first on inspecting the rubber hoses and the air intake tubes. Make sure they are tight and connected properly.

-Rod

[way2old]

GMC post moved to non specific. Thanks for the notification Rod.

[KanTech]

A bit more information would be great. Is this a consistent fault, or intermittant? When does it studder? Do you have to drive for 5+ min before it starts studdering, or does it studder right from start-up cold? Is there anything you can do to make it run smooth when the fault is occuring?
You stated it just stall out when your driving. when this happens, can you restart the vehicle immediatly, or do you have to wait for a bit? What speed did this occur?
Cheers,