Hi Guys,
Well I had a FUN commute to work this morning. About half way here, my Monte just Died on me. I was doing about 65 MPH when it suddenly felt like my Fuel Pump just cut off. I'm thinking Oh Good, Now I have a bad Fuel Pump. But when I tried to start it she started right up. I maid it to work but she did this Several more times before I got there. A couple of times she would start and Die right away. Others she would start and let me get a 1/4 mile or so before cutting off again. I know its not the Fuel Pump cause she did start. And the Fuel filter was replace this last spring. I have heard of this problem in other threads associated with the BMC or security module, I don't remember which one But this, Right After Christmas is the WORST time for anything to go wrong with the car. Fundage is VERY LOW to almost non existent. And if I can't get to work it will stay that way!
Although I may be able to use the Mrs Mobile, I don't even have a driveway to store she in till I can fix her! Life just isn't fare! Funny, I tell that to my Kids all the time! Some things you just don't want to be a Living Example of! OH WELL!!!!! :-( Hopefully, I can Make it home so I don't get stuck in this blizzard and I don't have to have her Towed?????

 

BMC, do you mean BCM (Body Control Module)?

My step mom's Grand Am has had a similar issue (but it's stalls were not as frequent). We found issues with ICM and that was replaced. Shortly after, that same car has begun a new problem that seems rooted in the ignition switch (stalls and won't restart, doesn't even respond that you are turning the key, no starter sounds, no dash activity, yet the remote start works).

Another issue I have heard of is that when the fuel pump fails it may stall a couple of times prior to the pump being 100% dead. You might want to see if you can borrow a fuel pressure gauge. The GM shop book has a process to follow for working the pressure gauge. That might help determine what the problem is.

 

Hi Jason, Thanks for the reply. From what you said, and what it was doing in the Twenty mile trip home, mind you I live 22 miles from work, I think it is the ICM. The engine would run, until it reaches about 150 - 160 degrees then it shuts off. No spitting or sputtering, just off. I would sit and let it cool and it would run again until it reached that temp.
I didn't menchin that yesterday I had to return my buds scanner, So I took a reading before giving it back. It came up with a code for a miss fire on cylinder #1. That combined with what it's doing today leads me to believe I have a bad ICM. As you know, I replaced my coils this spring, and spark plugs in Jan 2013. So now I sit 2 miles from home waiting for a tow truck to cart my Happy Butte to pep boys. Wow Hoo!!!

 

I just hope it's something easy. Most parts stores can test the ICM (I've heard sometimes when they pass, the ICM still *might* be faulty, so I guess those tests are a bit of a gamble). Have them run the test a few times in a row to "warm" things up.

I remember you had all the coils replaced. Luckily for me, it's been a RARE thing for me to see any of these coils go bad. But of the failures I've seen, I have become unimpressed with aftermarket replacements. I'd rather grab a used or new OEM. Not saying it is a coil, but don't 100% rule it out because it's new(er).

 

Did a little reading on net and it could be like Jason says, your cars ICM could be the culprit. Below is an excerpt of the article I read.

Temperature Stalling

Perhaps the most telling symptom of ignition module failure is temperature-related stalling. Temperature failures most often happen when the module has an internal short or one of its relays stick closed. As current flows through the module, its circuits will overload and refuse to function until they're left to cool. Most often, the car will start and run fine, but will stop running anywhere from seconds to minutes later. The engine may not restart immediately but will do if left to cool for about 10 minutes.

Basic Testing

One old-school mechanic's trick is to douse the overheated module with water, which cools it almost instantly. Throwing water on hot electrical components isn't the brightest idea, but it usually works. Generally speaking, any shock to an overheating module will affect how it works, so rapping it with a screwdriver handle can either cause the engine to stall or help it run if it does stall. This kind of shock-test is pretty telling since a properly functioning module won't react at all.

 

Jason, you know me. I ain't letting someone charge me $300 to put $100 worth of parts in. Lol Zippy s article describes exactly what Old YellaJAC is doing. And as I stated earlier. When she runs, she runs, but then she hits that 160° Mark and shuts down faster than when I shut her of with the key. And then there's the Miss Firing on only one cylinder. A bad coil would miss fire on 2. I have had the misfortune of owning a BMW, with a coil for each cylinder, same for my Oldsmobile Cutlass Calie Quad 4, Also with One coil per cylinder, my Cavalier Z24 with 3 coils, mounted right behind the radiators to the engine block, and a Z34 with 3 coils mounted on a bracket above the front valve cover. I've had at least one bad coil on each of these cars. My luck, GM don't like me? Plus all my electronics training say this is a temperature issue. So the GM COIL has gained my mistrust. But I used them anyhow. And the weather has been messed up here. It s like 5° now but it was 70 on Thanks giving.

 

Hey JC, the coils are a fickle thing. I had MSD's and in about 1.5 years one failed (weak spot arching to block), ended up dumping them (more money wasted on GOOD parts) and going back to the GM coils. I read that article and it did have all the symptoms described by you earlier and so I had to post it and see if you concurred.

Your weather out there is horrendous, picked up the national weather and you people out that way have been and are still in for a clobbering. From 70 to 5 degrees has to be a shock to most people and probably wrecking havoc on marginal car batteries and other components.

Feel bad for you and all your trials the Monte is putting you through. Tough break when the family income has little to no room for hundreds more in car related repairs. Wish she would just straighten up and give you some breathing room for a few months.

 

Greg, I read the article. Thanks. That's exactly what my car was doing. Been a little more than 2 years since the ICM was replaced. Hate having to take it to pep boys for something So simple. But it's too danger cold out there for the shade tree.

Jason, sorry about getting snippy with you. I was frustrated cause 2 tow trucks canceled on me. I left work at 4:30 pm and just got home at 12:30. Sorry!

Yeah, 70 on Thanks giving w/e, 5 now. We've had some bad weather swings here. Then the motor gets to what 900°? The electronics, coils and ICM should not be Montes right on then heat source. Well I'm going to sleep. My job is still operating normal business hrs. Go figure!

 

No worries man. Trust me, I understand how you feel. I think anyone who's owned a car at least ONCE in their life feels this way. Most of the time I need a tow home, I typically end up feeling defeated (plus side, re-imbursible towing on my insurance, in the end, it costs me nothing).

Typically when one of these coils fail, you do expect it to be a two cylinder fail. But if the failure is in the tower, you could get a one cylinder fail.

I'm still with the ICM being the cause. It just sucks, things tend to never break when weather is good.

 

So, Pep Boys found no codes in my cell that could explain the shut down. But they found that not all the signals from the MAS were not getting to the PCM. He Also said that the Lean code on Bank 1 sensor 1 could be cause by a bad MAS. I can kinda see that. So he put in a new GM MAS and the Pass-Lock system kicked in on him. Hee Hee Hee!
Since now I have to go down there tomorrow and dothe security relearn So that he can run the car and see if the new MAS was the problem. Hopefully, YellaJAC will be taking me to work on Monday?