Back again!!! I fixed the stalling problem, not really sure how....changed plugs, oil dipstick, mass air flow sensor, IAC falve, throttle control valve and a temperature sensor. Checked for air leaks and changed air filter. Now car is running better, but every once in awhile it starts back firing and loses some power. Took it to the mechanic, he is stumped. It is very sporadic, no time it does it more than others. We did get a code "Misfire on #3" but checked that and no problem. Thinks maybe we need particular spark plugs for that model? Any ideas?? My car has 96,000 miles on it, don't want to get rid of it, but this is getting frustrating.

 

If you used BOSCH plugs, rip them out, they are junk. I've had enough bad experience with BOSCH plugs in the 3100/3400/3800 drivetrains, I won't touch them. AC Delcos, always the best plug in a GM. I am recently also OK with BOSCH.

The code says misfire on cylinder 3:
- Verify the firing order of the engine (do not rely on the coil pack to be accurate, if they were swapped, the numbering could be wrong).
- first, take the plug out, see how it looks. Perhaps you got a damaged plug. If BOSCH, re-read above
- Check the plug wire, make sure it's not damaged.
- Check the tower on the coil for that cylinder. If it's rusty, clean it with a scotchbrite pad.
- If the above does not work, you can swap the coil with another coil, see if the problem moves to another cyilinder (if so, you might have a bad tower on a coil).
- If the problem does NOT move, you may have a failing injector. You can try moving the injector to another cylinder, again, seeing if the problem moves. When moving injectors, I recommend replacing the O-rings on them, other wise, worn injector O-rings being re-used can cause other problems.

 

2000-2002 often had catyltic converter failures, have yours checked.