Having some issues....please help.

**MarineGrunt** · 09-23-2011

First off, I want to thank everyone that takes their time to help out others on here.

My mom has a 2000 Grand Prix. It has the 3.8 supercharged. About a week ago she was out shopping (a woman shopping? no way). When she came out to start the car it would turn over but wouldn't start. She tried starting it again about a half hour later and it turned right over. On the way home it died while she was driving. She kept trying for about an hour to start it with no luck. She had to leave it parked on the side of the road. Later that day my step-dad and mom got the truck and trailer and went to get it. When they got there it started up and they were able to drive it home. It did the same thing a few more times over the course of a few days. For some reason my step-dad thought it was the fuel pump so he replaced that. That didn't fix the problem. A friend of mine said it was either the cam shaft sensor or the crank shaft sensor so both were replaced last night. My mom drove the car home from his shop, which is a couple miles from her house and it ran fine. She got back in it a little later to run to the store and she said it didn't die but when she stepped on the gas it felt like the engine didn't want to go and was lacking power.

Does anyone have any idea what could be causing this?

Thanks!

**BillBoost37** · 09-23-2011

Howdy...

first things first... let's clarify what you are saying.

it turns over great, but won't start then later it turned right over. Uh.. this makes little sense. However I have magical powers and can translate.

The car turned over, started for a second and died. At that time it would turn over but not start again. Then half hour later it turned over and started, ran fine for a short distance and left her stranded. Step dad figures by the way it's acting that it's a fuel pump.So far the fuel pump, cam and crank sensors have been replaced and the car continues to do the same behavior.

Being a supercharged W body, it has a fuel pump resistor. Double check that my version of the story is right and that the car would start and stall right away. If so, pull the fuel pump speed relay out and bend either tab 85 or 86 so that it won't make contact and put it back in. That will put the pump into high speed mode all the time and would fix the issue as I wrote it up.

Or...we need you to clarify your story a bit further.

**MarineGrunt** · 09-23-2011

Thanks for the reply Bill and sorry for not clarifying better. When the car would actually start it would start right up and drive fine. It never stalled right away after it started. It would drive fine for 5 miles and sometimes 30 miles but never stalled right away. Then, out of nowhere, it would just stall while driving. It will never start up immediately after stalling but will eventually after it sat for a few hours or sometimes it would have to sit overnight.

After replacing the cam and crankshaft sensor she took it for a short drive. It ran fine but she only drove a mile or so back to her house. She then got in it to go the store. It started up just fine but when she got a mile down the road she said it felt like it didn't want to accelerate but it didn't stall. She then turned around and took it home.

I just called and told them to try bending the number 85 or 86 tab (it's number 85 on the relay they have). The tried it but with no luck.

A buddy of mine mentioned that it could possibly be the catalytic converter? Any opinions on that? Any other ideas?

Thank you so much for the help!