Need Help, Check Gauges light comes on and car shuts off.

[thespricket]

Sometimes when I come to a stop, or slow down to make a stop at a light for example, the CHECK GAUGES light comes on and my engine completely shuts off. And none of the gauges are in dangerous areas when in happens. When it shuts off, i put the car back into park and turn it back on and it runs as usual. It doesn't happen all the time, and never when I'm driving at a constant speed.

It started happening before I got my alternator fixed, the voltmeter probably caused it then. But it still happens.

I'm thinking it's a computer thing, or some kind of bad fuse or connection there. It'll go a week or two and not do it, then all the sudden it will.

The car is a 97' firebird, v6.

[wrightz28]

I'd say your presumption is correct that there may be a bad connection or corroded wire somewhere. I'd give the battery cables a good look for a starting point.

[cafirebird]

I have had the same problem. I bought my 02 firebird 3.8L engine on 01-19 of this year. The second day I had it, I had just gone to the gas station and filled it up. As I slowed down to turn right to get on the freeway onramp, my bird just died out on me. No warning, felt like I was running out of gas. but i had a full tank. No warning lights ever came on at the time nor were my gages showing bad levels. A couple of times I was at a stop light and the engine would shut off while waiting and when I gave it gas, no power. So I turned off the engine and was able to restart it right away.
This has been happening intermittently ever since I bought the car, like once or twice a week. I had been able to start my car up right away until last week. The dealer told me they could not find anything wrong because there are no codes stored. Well I know there is something wrong.
Last week, on two different occasions, while driving along, my car hesitated, the CHECK GAUGES warning light came on and the car lost all power, even though I stepped on the gas pedal. I managed to coast to a stop on the side of the road. It took me nine attempts to restart the car. It would crank but would not turn over. Last night, while on the freeway, the dreaded check gauges light came on, my car lost all power and I was barely able to coast to the far right off the freeway. It took me ten tries before I finally started the car. No other warning lights came on. I also noticed that this problem seems to occur the next day after filling up the tank and 2 or 3 days after. I have had the fuel pump and the fuel filter checked and they were ok. The mechanic seems to think it is the crankshaft position sensor and the ignition module. I am afraid to drive the car now because of the danger of someone rear ending me. Please let me know if you find a fix to this dangerous problem or if anyone out there knows how to fix this problem. I cannot afford to buy another car and I really love my bird except for this hazardous problema.

Originally Posted by thespricket

Sometimes when I come to a stop, or slow down to make a stop at a light for example, the CHECK GAUGES light comes on and my engine completely shuts off. And none of the gauges are in dangerous areas when in happens. When it shuts off, i put the car back into park and turn it back on and it runs as usual. It doesn't happen all the time, and never when I'm driving at a constant speed.

It started happening before I got my alternator fixed, the voltmeter probably caused it then. But it still happens.

I'm thinking it's a computer thing, or some kind of bad fuse or connection there. It'll go a week or two and not do it, then all the sudden it will.

The car is a 97' firebird, v6.

[cafirebird]

My bird had the same symptoms you described for your bird. After reading on another website about the same problems other GM vehicles were having, I had the crankshaft position sensor on my bird replaced 2 weeks ago and so far, no more stalling!!!