Thread: engine dying

what will make my car die while driving and kick my fuel pump off that i have to turn my key switch on and off a bunch of times for my fuel pump to kick back on?

No nothing happens. The car just dies. Then you have to work the key back and forth until you hear the fuel pump kick on then it starts and runs for a lil while then repeats

97 grand prix.

sorry i was trying to delete the other

As bill said, it could be the ignition switch. Once one thing has a issue, it could cause what they call the Domino Affect. This could be anywhere from a mechanical issue to a electronic issue. Its could just be a simple drivability issue like a vacuum leak or just a loose connection.

There are numerous things that could cause a car to shut off so u have to start from somewhere and consist of starting with the most simplest diagnose then to the more time consuming ones if necessary.

In this situation, i would check that ignition switch, the spark plug gaps/wires, check the fuel relay, check ya fuel PSI(system possibly clogged), Vaccuum leaks, Alternater voltage output, check oil PSI, do a compression test, etc. Theres a lot of possible issues but u start with the most simplest.

U might wanna make friends with a OHMs meter, OBDII scanner, and some PSI guages!!!

Good luck, DEE!!!

And usually the ignition switch is an issue while trying to start the car opposed to while its already running. But u never know, now of days everything is ran electronically so u never know what could affect what. Damn near everything is electronically connected, thru Ground or Power. U pulling any engine codes(dtc)?

Everytime I get it checked it comes up something different. never the same thing two times in a row.

All of the warning lights on the dash are on also. so could it be the computer itsself?

U also gotta remember that one code could cause random codes(dtcs). When u use the scanner again, u always adress the lowest DTCs(#s) first. Then go from there. Thats y your probaly getting random trouble codes every time u use the scanner.

Now possibly it could be that the PCM is effected or maybe there is some issue in the electrical system(sensors, grounding issues, or power supply)

I would check your fuel pressure and make sure your problem isn't just the fuel pump dying and kicking out.
Sounds like a similar problem I chased on an l36 99 Monte, went through it all and did the crank sensor too but ended up being a bad fuel pump that dropped pressure and kicked out in hot weather once the car was heat soaked,the car(fuel pump) ran great all winter in the cool weather but went for a crap in the heat every time.

At work right now. but when i do have the coads pulled no there is no commonality. I have had it on the scanner about 25 times (no joke). the codes are rarely the same. I was told yesterday it could be a wiring harness under the steering coumn. Tapping the key while its in there does nothing. All the warning lights stay on all the time. Not just a few seconds. The car starts fine. until after it dies when im drivng. the initial start is fine, always. Ill go ahead and get the coads pulled today again if you think it would help, but i can get them pulled everyday the rest of the week and they will say something diff everytime.

Hey, it could be anything and without having a solid cause or solution, I wouldnt cancel out testing anything thats possible. It wouldnt hurt to do some of those checks, bc u may very well need it checked anyway and could possibly prevent the next issue from happening.

And i may have said that wrong, but depending on the scanner u use, the lowest code # sometimes is the cause of other codes appearing(and sometimes the other codes have absolutely nothing wrong with them) or could just simply be the first code to occur. the highest # code being the one that occured last or least likely to be the cause.

As I said and what was mentioned, I would check the fuel relay, resistor, regulator, psi, and whatever that has to do with that fuel system. Diagnosing the ignition switch or system may be a bit more difficult but with a schematic(diagram) u could figure it out. But like i said, I wouldnt rule out any diagnosing of the other systems bc it wouldnt hurt to do so. Try clearing or fixing the first code a and see what happens. U might have to let the PCM reset or have a few cycles of driving b4 they clear. If u continue to recieve more codes then maybe the PCM is affected or is intermittent(in the wiring) and if the same code keeps appearing then maybe u didnt fix that paticular problem or that sensor could just be bad

Let me know..........

Im not doubting anything your saying, but your reading into what im saying to damn hard. If I can remember correctly: DTCs are displayed in Alphanumeric codes in which each character has a specific meaning. EX: P0108 this is obviously a Powertrain DTCs, but in general the P=indicates area of fault, 0=indicates whether the DTC is standard or a common code or a manufacturer specific code, 1=indicates the area that the code lies in, and 0 and 8 specifies the specific detected fault. Thats how u would read each section of that code P0108(or any code in general)

U have high priority and low priority DTCs. High DTCs are basically a HARD signal that will set of your MILs immediately letting u know theres an issue, and LOW DTCs are a lil less serious which is like a SOFT signal which could be intermittent and the MIL may not come on right away but will occur the second time if that code is triggered again or may just come on intermittently jumping on and off.

I could explain how to use a scanner or read codes all day, betta yet explain AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY in general but im not. If it was my car or your car we would have had it figured out by now, but its not our car and im just trying to direct him in the right direction. Inspecting the entire system of whatever system your working on wont hurt, especially when u cant seem to find the root cause. You would save a bunch of time taking the right steps and giving a thorough diagnose rather than beating around the bush only picking certain areas and components to check.

And something like the fuel system is one of the easiest systems to diagnose, theres just a few components to check and its pretty simple. I wouldnt do one check without doing the next. Thats all im saying, just tryna help the man out.........