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Car – 91 Chevy Corsica 3.1 automatic (160,000 miles)
Problem – Car struggles (no power), bucks and eventually stalls on inclines. If I wait about an hour, it will starts up OK and runs until it warms up.
Then it starts all over again – No power when I hit the accelerator while climbing up hills or steep country roads.
Speed drops down to 35-45 an hour, and stalls if I try to go faster.
Work done:
Items Replaced
EGR Valve
Map Sensor
TPS Sensor
Crank Sensor
2 Fuel injectors
Coolant Temp sensor
Catalytic Convertor
Tune-up (Spark plugs and wires)
Ignition Module and Coils (scan code showed problems with it)Components Cleaned and checked
Mass Air Flow Sensor cleaned
Throttle Body and IAC cleaned
Fuel Pump, Relay, Fuse & pressure checked – OKStalling problem is still there.
Any thoughts?
- Replies
Hey man. The first thing I would be looking for is a vacuum leak. On this car, which I believe uses a MAF sensor, especially check the air tube between the airbox and the throttle body for cracks, holes, etc, and make sure the connections are tight at both ends.
If you get through that and find your issue, great! If not, I would wait until the car won’t start, and go through the basics in this video, and see what you come up with:
On a side note, the 3.1/3.4 GM V6’s were notorious for lower intake manifold gasket leaks. You could do a coolant system pressure test and see if you can find a coolant leak around the LMG, as this might help you find a vacuum leak as well. The procedure is demonstrated in this video:
Good luck bud.
The car does not have a problem with overheating, just stalling.
Q – Can some other spray be used instead, like can air for detecting vacuum leaks?
Q – Does Eric have a video on how to change leaky brake lines?
Check the fuel pressure regulator for a leaky diaphragm which can dump raw fuel into the intake manifold causing hot restart, stalling, fuel economy issues. You will need a Mity-Vac to apply a good vacuum or a piece of clear aquarium tubing the correct size so you will not swallow a slug of gasoline when sucking on it. If you can apply near vacuum for 4-5 minutes without any raw gas then the FPR is fine. Scanner Danner did a video on problem and it is common on GM vehicles.
[quote=”bob453″ post=31051]The car does not have a problem with overheating, just stalling.
Q – Can some other spray be used instead, like can air for detecting vacuum leaks?
Q – Does Eric have a video on how to change leaky brake lines?[/quote]
No can air can’t be used. you need to displace the air. you can
use a spray bottle filled with water and follow the same procedure.
Heres a video on rubber line brake replacement. sorry not Eric.
http://www.ehow.com/video_4987181_replacing-front-brake-hoses-open.htmlI would go to the CEL problem first. Check your work done, wires, with a diagram to make sure you put everything back on correctly..
If you rev the car while the car is in park
does the engine sound strong with no stall or
hesitation? if its happening in gear. you may be
having a torque convertor issue not locking up.After reading I too was wondering if it could be a transmission problem and not an engine problem. If the torque converter is staying in lock up it could cause all kinds of performance problems and stalling.
That said I’d also be looking at the ignition system, if there is an issue with a coil pack or something it could also cause engine performance issues as well as stalling.
The ignition module and coils have been changed
– I’m able to gun the engine (no hesitation) while in park without stalling it.
– Oil pressure is good, no overheating and tach is within normal (600-800)range.
– The car has no problem starting up and stays on when switched into gear.
– It only stalls when I try to accelerate past 30-40 mph, especially on inclines.Once it stalls, the car needs to cool down before it can be started again.
I’ve heard people mention a defective ECU can stall a car.
What do you think?
FYI – I’m a novice at car repairs, electronics and have limited tools, but I’m a fast learner.
The ignition module and coils have been changed
– I’m able to gun the engine (no hesitation) while in park without stalling it.
– Oil pressure is good, no overheating and tach is within normal (600-800)range.
– The car has no problem starting up and stays on when switched into gear.
– It only stalls when I try to accelerate past 30-40 mph, especially on inclines.Once it stalls, the car needs to cool down before it can be started again.
I’ve heard people mention a defective ECU can stall a car.
What do you think?
FYI – I’m a novice at car repairs, electronics and have limited tools, but I’m a fast learner.
I still believe it’s worth looking into the transmission, if there is a transmission issue it could cause the performance issues you’re talking about. I would look into that before condemning the ECU.
OK,
How do I go about checking if it is a transmission problem?
Do you have any videos on the procedure?
i had that exact same car for many years and did many things to it.i had an issue one time were it would run good but after awhile or hard driving would stall and not start and then after some cool down would start again and after many times of removing and testing found out the fuel pump would get hot and shut down. the reason we had a hard time finding the issue is when out of the tank and in water pump would work fine so we thought not it put it back together and bang next thing im stuck side of the road again.we did pressure test when it was cold and it had perfect pressure and was fine.when it stalls listen for fuel pump to come on with key turn and also depress the little check valve and make sure you still have pressure at the fuel rail and remember do this when car is not starting or stalled out.
Thanks, I’ll try checking that when it stalls again.
FYI – I’m a novice at car repairs, electronics and have limited tools,
Q – Where is the little check valve and fuel rail?
it should be at the top of the engine looks like a air valve on a tire.When you depress it make sure your not stand or leaning over it cause it is under pressure and if all is good with pump and stuff should shoot fuel out with force.I’m sure they make a guage to check that im sure someone else may know where to get one or borrow one.
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