I have a problem. I'll try to make this short..

I own a 2002 MC SS 3.8 with 71,000 miles on it. I have no problems with it other than it dies, doesn't matter if im at a red light or driving down the highway it will just die. When i try to restart it will kick over, but i have to wait for around 15 minutes and usually crank it around 10 times. All the instuments work fine, doesn't matter the time of year or day. It will do this to me multiple times a day and is VERY frustrating.

I took it to 2 chevy dealers. The only code it threw at them was to replace the thermostat, which i did, but it didn't fix it. No other codes are coming up and both dealers say they have no idea. I've also replaced to ignition modulator, the battery is fine, fuel pressure is also good. I called GM the car had one owner before me, and the only thing done to it was coolant pellants, GM aslo didn't know what it was. I've checked for loose wires but maybe i'm missing something. Some people have suggested that maybe i have a bad ignition coil or need a new PCM.

Any suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated. I'm stuck here, with the chevy dealers telling me they can't recreate the problem and don't know whats going on (1 dealer kept if for 5 days) i'm running out patience.

 

How long has this been going on?


I've heard of a similar situation where it was linked to the PCM. Pull the battery cable for a couple of hours to reset the PCM, if it continues you may want to replace it.


Secondly, I would check your battery cables for corrosion.

 

we have aguy in our club tha tis having this same issue and just replaced the coil packs . seems to have cured it for him. they said they were getting hot and would shut down and you have to wait till they cool enough to get them to reset and fire correctly again so it will start.

how he narrowed it down was to reset the computer.
then he drove it til it did it agian.

after he did this he got out and checked the coil and they were warmer then they normal;y should be (he hit them with a heat gun first to get a base line)

they were reading hot.

After the car started he checked them agian they ahd droped like 15 deg. and it started and ran fine till they would heat up agian and start all over again.

till he changed it he would be running down the road and it would just shut down like he hit the key switch and shut it off.

he replaced it and so far sems to be doing good but i will update you it has only beed a few days and i havent heard anything from him on the status of weatehr or not it fixed it perminet or not.

onthing the did say it to make sure your ground cabels are real clean and that the chassie ground it real clean and TIGHT so that you know you have a good ground to the car.

 

Thanks for the replys. This has been goin on for about 5 months now.

I was wondering about the coil packs...but wasn't sure


Thanks again

 

I don't know if this is the same problem but my 2001 monte carlo was dying during my highway driving and I even could start it while it was coasting. It started to get more frequent so I took to one of my friends who works for a Chevy dealer. At first, he thought it was the igition module but come to find out he end up replacing this magnet sensor on the flywheel. It is located behind the front right wheel. He did it at his house in 2 hours and it has been working ever since.

Go figure.

 

I ahve run into this same problem a few times. It is always one of three....the ignition modual, the crank sensor, or the ecm. Most often ist is the ignition modual. What happens is that the circuit inside gets hot then breaks, then it dies. While youre waiting for it to start again the circuit cools and makes the connection again and runs fine until it get;s hot again. Is a very hard problem to diagnose if you havn't had the issue to deal with before because by the time you run all the tests it all cools down and works properly. Hope this helps ya