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1992 Pontiac shuts down when driving


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slortiz
User

May 3, 2009, 8:08 AM

Post #1 of 22 (1856 views)
1992 Pontiac shuts down when driving Sign In

I have a 1992 Pontiac Bonneville, V6, 122,000 miles.
when driving during normal conditions, service light will come on and then car will shut down completely.
When this happens, I will coast safetly to the shoulder of the road, wait a few seconds and then start it with no problems. The service light will no be on. I have taken this to a few places for repairs, but no luck as they say, they are not able to diagnose the problem, if the service light does not come on or stalls when they drive it.
I would like to know if this has happen to anyone before?


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

May 3, 2009, 12:32 PM

Post #2 of 22 (1851 views)
Re: 1992 Pontiac shuts down when driving Sign In

If you are getting a check engine light, then there will be a stored code that can be retreived. if you live near an AutoZone or Advanced Auto, they will scan it for free.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



slortiz
User

May 3, 2009, 7:37 PM

Post #3 of 22 (1847 views)
Re: 1992 Pontiac shuts down when driving Sign In

Like i mentioned before, when the light goes on, the car shuts down. all power. When I re-start the car, light stays off. I don't know what is causing this shut down. I have taken this car to Pep Boys and Firestone with no luck. They tell me the same thing, if this doesn't happen to them, how are we going to diagnose the problem!
Thanks for the thought, but as you can see no light, no problem.....


slortiz
User

May 3, 2009, 7:43 PM

Post #4 of 22 (1844 views)
Re: 1992 Pontiac shuts down when driving Sign In

I have had the alternator checked, fuel pump pressure. all good. I replaced the fuel filter, starter (as it was dragging ). We replaced the cam shaft sensor and someone said it might be the oxygen sensor??


autojoe
User

May 3, 2009, 8:35 PM

Post #5 of 22 (1842 views)
Re: 1992 Pontiac shuts down when driving Sign In

The code should still be in the computers memory whether or not the check engine light is on or not.I understand that in order to test the circuit/component you have to have the problem show up while you have diagnostic equipment hooked up to the circuit/component.I don't know how many times I have driven vehicle with a scan tool and a labscope hooked up driving down the road looking at several sensors at one time trying to get something to act up.The code in memory will give you a starting point to look or start a diagnostic starting point.1992 is an obd1 system and does not usually give you to much to go on and most of the time will not even trigger light when there is a problem.Like mentioned above you need to have ecm scanned for history code or codes stored in the ecms memory.Take to autozone and then report back here with code.If there is no code stored in the ecm then there may be a problem with the ecm.There are lots of things that can cause total shut-down including things that would not be sensed by the computer like the ignition switch.The fuel pressure would have to be monitored while driving and when stalled look and see if fuel pressure stayed up during the stall.I use a remote digital fuel pressure gauge.When you say all power is lost........are all the dash warning lights off/radio ect.?All the dash warning lights should be on during stall.


(This post was edited by autojoe on May 3, 2009, 8:37 PM)


autojoe
User

May 3, 2009, 8:48 PM

Post #6 of 22 (1840 views)
Re: 1992 Pontiac shuts down when driving Sign In

I wanted to add you stated that the service light came on when car stalled....it should.all the warning lights will come on just like when you turn key to on position before you start car.does car stall during acceleration load or during de-cel with foot off gas pedal or during turns?


(This post was edited by autojoe on May 3, 2009, 8:59 PM)


autojoe
User

May 3, 2009, 9:09 PM

Post #7 of 22 (1834 views)
Re: 1992 Pontiac shuts down when driving Sign In

I wanted to add.....start car and lightly tap on the side of the ecm and see if you notice change to rpm.If so replace ecm.I have seen some bad ecms around that year.Also try wiggling the camshaft position sensor electrical connector and listen for any change.Just some thoughts.


Loren Champlain Sr
Veteran / Moderator
Loren Champlain Sr profile image

May 4, 2009, 4:50 PM

Post #8 of 22 (1823 views)
Re: 1992 Pontiac shuts down when driving Sign In

Slortiz; These are classic symptoms of either ignition control module or crankshaft sensor. Neither will always set a DTC. A bit more diagnosing will be needed. When it does die, do you have spark and/or fuel?
Loren
SW Washington


slortiz
User

May 4, 2009, 6:49 PM

Post #9 of 22 (1817 views)
Re: 1992 Pontiac shuts down when driving Sign In

When this shuts down, it will start immediately, but sometimes idle rough. I will then turn it off and re-start, then it will idle smooth. Spark isn't an issue, becuase I don't have a problem starting once stalled.
I have this car at another mechanic and he thinks the gas might be contaminated, but he is still looking into it further.
This is actually my daughters car and today I drove it again, sure enough, stalled at the light, like someone turned off the key. I put it in park and it started immediately. When I drove further and stopped at lights, I noticed the idling got rougher, sometimes it would stall. The stopping and going was when I noticed it got rougher.
When I drove down the highway, car ran smooth, no stalling, no issues.


Loren Champlain Sr
Veteran / Moderator
Loren Champlain Sr profile image

May 5, 2009, 2:43 PM

Post #10 of 22 (1808 views)
Re: 1992 Pontiac shuts down when driving Sign In

slortiz; I should have read your symptoms a bit more closely. Sorry. If it starts right back up, I'd probably disregard both the module and crank sensor.Unsure A fuel sample would be a very good idea. Sorry if I steered you in the wrong direction.
Loren
SW Washington


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

May 5, 2009, 3:16 PM

Post #11 of 22 (1807 views)
Re: 1992 Pontiac shuts down when driving Sign In

I wouldn't disregard either of those simply because it starts back up in fact I would probably suspect the crank sensor the most under those circumstances although it could be almost anything.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



slortiz
User

May 8, 2009, 8:11 AM

Post #12 of 22 (1789 views)
Re: 1992 Pontiac shuts down when driving Sign In

ok, this is what we have done so far, replaced the crankshaft sensor, control module, new plugs, plug wires, tried checking the wire harness for any pinch/cuts. Checked the fuel pump pressure when it would die on us, all is good. We thought maybe contaminated gas, but it would do this all the time (rough idling). We are getting spark. After all this, same issue.
When you stop and go, this is when it acts up more versus driving down a highway/freeway.
I have been told that it might be the ECU?? any more thoughts out there.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

May 8, 2009, 8:16 AM

Post #13 of 22 (1785 views)
Re: 1992 Pontiac shuts down when driving Sign In

Have you been able to monitor spark, injector pulse and fuel pressure during the failure to determine which one of those is dropping out?



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



slortiz
User

May 8, 2009, 8:28 AM

Post #14 of 22 (1780 views)
Re: 1992 Pontiac shuts down when driving Sign In

Spark was good, Fuel pump pressure was just above 40. I haven't tried the injector pulse.


Lanf3ar
Novice

May 8, 2009, 8:33 AM

Post #15 of 22 (1779 views)
Re: 1992 Pontiac shuts down when driving Sign In

We just solved this problem on my friends bonneville.. Its your mass airflow sensor yank it out and spray it with brake cleaner fixed our problem quick . The mass airflow sensor was not always shooting out the code either. If you clean it and it still doesnt work you might need a new one easy to find at a yard and simple to pull out. Oh is this the supercharged ssei? And it would still be a good idea to go get the codes read. These cars along with the grand prix have alot of problems with them. My friend is on his 3rd one in his GP


(This post was edited by Lanf3ar on May 8, 2009, 8:43 AM)


slortiz
User

May 8, 2009, 8:48 AM

Post #16 of 22 (1773 views)
Re: 1992 Pontiac shuts down when driving Sign In

all the sensors have been replaced on the throttle body, still nothing.
This is not a supercharged ssei.
Checked with teh mechanic and he said, no codes come out on the computer.
He was waiting on the ECU if it needs flashing or not..


Lanf3ar
Novice

May 8, 2009, 8:49 AM

Post #17 of 22 (1771 views)
Re: 1992 Pontiac shuts down when driving Sign In

Your 100% sure the Mass airflow was changed? Still be a good idea to clean it.


slortiz
User

May 8, 2009, 8:51 AM

Post #18 of 22 (1769 views)
Re: 1992 Pontiac shuts down when driving Sign In

It was replaced and then we rechecked the wiring to make sure the connection was good.


Lanf3ar
Novice

May 8, 2009, 9:01 AM

Post #19 of 22 (1767 views)
Re: 1992 Pontiac shuts down when driving Sign In

Take your car around the block a few times nice and slow and run through your gears (1,2,3) see if it still happens


slortiz
User

May 8, 2009, 1:19 PM

Post #20 of 22 (1759 views)
Re: 1992 Pontiac shuts down when driving Sign In

we were messing around with the mass air flow sensor and the rpm's were going crazy, so we are taking this off and taking it back to the autoparts. This is the one sensors we first bought.
more to come later.......
thanks for the tip


slortiz
User

May 9, 2009, 11:43 AM

Post #21 of 22 (1749 views)
Re: 1992 Pontiac shuts down when driving Sign In

So.. we took the mass air flow sensor back to the auto parts for exchange, put the new one and success!!!!
Goes to show, never trust new parts??
Thank you all for all the tips, i really appreciate it.


autojoe
User

May 10, 2009, 7:17 AM

Post #22 of 22 (1742 views)
Re: 1992 Pontiac shuts down when driving Sign In

Thats good.Got to love after-market parts.Happens to me alot.






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