Thread: Can a bad oil pressure sensor cause a GTP to stall?

I've posted my problem on here before. Anyone who's interested can click on my username to find my other posts. In any case . . .

I thought my GTP finally died. I let it idle for 15 minutes and it stalled. And wouldn't start back up. Tried it for like 15 minutes. It would turn over but not start.

So, I called AAA to tow it to garage and I was actually kind of excited because I thought I'd finally figure out the problem. Instead, when the flatbed finally got there a half hour later, the car started right up and the guy drove it onto the flatbed.

So, the tech calls me today and tells me he can't find a single thing wrong with the car. But, in talking to him, he believed it was possible it could be a faulty oil pressure sensor that could be making the car stall once in a while. Does anyone think this is possible? His reasoning is that the check engine light never comes on when it stalls. Frankly, he sounds a bit stumped and I don't want to start hanging parts on a 2000 GTP with 122000 miles on the odometer.

Any ideas? Like I said, for a more complete explanation of what problems my car has had, you can research my other posts on here. Thanks.

Yes, it does it while moving. It does just any time--15mph, 40mph, 60mph, or 0mph. But the tach never drops to zero before it happens. However, I don't know if the crank sensor has ever been changed or not before I bought the car. The reason I don't think it's a crank sensor is because the check engine light never comes on when the stalling happens and I know crank sensors throw codes whereas oil pressure sensors don't. In addition, if you've read my posts about my car, there seems to be a certain time after starting the car that it does it. Won't do it when I start the car warm. Just about always happens when I start it dead cold. Having said all that, do you believe it could possible be a oil pressure sensor? I know it's not a popular part to go bad but anything's possible.

To answer the last question: varying amount of gas tank. I'm not a guy who drives around on E, so it happens anywhere from near full to near empty.

In any case, I thank you all for the input. Going to get the crank sensor changed. I will let you know if it fixes it.

I would look into it a little futher before throwing parts at it and not knowing what the problem is...I've changed a crank sensor for no reason before!
Stalling is caused by loss of fuel or spark, could very well be the crank sensor but I'd rule out other things like checking fuel pressure and monitoring it when the car is stalling. A dying fuel pump will also not throw a code.

I am starting a new thread because I have some updates. But, to clear up a few things: I replaced the fuel pump 9 months ago in an attempt to fix this problem--obviously it didn't fix it. Tech checked crank sensor on Wednesday--could find nothing wrong with it. Only problem he found was a leaking oil pressure sensor.

You can click on my username and find out the ongoing problem I've had with my GTP. I don't want to re-count the whole entire story again. I'll keep it short by saying: it stalls when it's warming up.

In any case, I thought it finally died this past Monday. Was idling outside for about 10 minutes then stalled. Wouldn't start for 15 minutes. Called AAA. By the time tow truck got there, the car started right up and driver drove it onto flatbed.

At garage, tech couldn't find anything wrong except a leaking oil pressure sensor. Checked crank position sensor. Found no problems. Picked it up yesterday. Car stalled one mile down the road but started right back up.

So, I drove it from where it stalled the whole way to Orlando, FL--over an hour and a half drive--with absolutely no problems. This morning, let it idle. Stalled at exact same time as on Monday. Took a while to start up. When it started, it stalled again a mile down road. Took about 30 seconds to start again. But, after it did, drove great for rest of the day.

I'm thinking it is a fuel pump relay. But, I need to have a good understanding of why these cars have two-speed pumps? When do they switch over from one speed to the other? Does the pump always start at one speed and switch to the other? OR, does it start on the other speed when you start the car after it is already warm? The reason for this last question is: if the car is driven, sits for like 5 hours, I start it again, it never stalls. BUT, if it sits for 12 hours and is bone-cold when I start it, it will almost always stall about 10 minutes after starting.

I've had others tell me it could be a crank sensor. And, I'm open to it but before I spend any more money I'd like to know a few things. And I don't want guesses. Please, I appreciate the input but I need some reasoning--not just because the CPS has gone bad in other cars. I need a fix that is specific to my set of facts.

-I'm convinced this has something to do with engine temperature because it stalls every time when car is started cold. But, never happens when car is started hot. This has happened WAY TOO MUCH to dismiss it as a coincidence. Operating temp is a determining factor whether car stalls or not. Does a CPS have anything to do with engine temperature?
-it happens every time at the exact same time--about ten minutes after cold start up. Does a CPS know how long the car has been running? Does it count how many times the crank has spun?
-the Check Engine Light never comes on. Half the people who tell me it's the CPS say the engine light should be coming on, while the other half tell me it shouldn't. So, I'm not sure if no Engine Light is meaningful or not.
-having read about dozen other instances of CPS' failing, my experience doesn't fall in line with any of those, mainly because of the operating temperature facts. In not one of those cases has the owner stated that the car would run fine if started hot. In every one of those cases, the car stalled no matter what the temp was or how long it had been running. In some of the cases, the car was running fine one day, wouldn't start the next.

And, by the way, I'd still like some info on how the two speed pump works, if anybody knows. Thanks.

As for fiddling with the fuel relay, I've also read it will burn the pump out. And I've already replaced one for no reason. I don't want to risk it. Is there any way to test the relay while it is in the car? Or, take it out and test it?

For anybody who clicks on this thread, this is a note I'm leaving with tech tomorrow when he gets his second try at fixing it. It also is the best explanation I've written to explain EXACTLY what happens when my GTP stalls and when it specifically happens.

Info on this GTP: PLEASE READ
--the conditions under which this carstalls are very specific and I'm sorry I couldn't make this shorter..But, having driven it like this for ten months, I can predict almostto the minute when it's going to stall.


When it first happened and up to now:
--problem has been on-going for aboutten months.
--made 2 attempts to fix problem backthen.
1. computer threw out a code for a badMAF. Switched out. Didn't fix it.
2. second attempt to fix—new fuelpump. Didn't fix it.
--so, since about February I've beendriving car with stalling problem hoping the car would finally
die. But, it hasn't. It stalls, buteventually starts again and runs fine.
--last try at fixing it—oil pressuresensor. Switched out. Didn't fix it.
--in fact, after I picked it up, itstalled a mile down the road. Started right back up and
I drove it the whole way to Orlandowith absolutely no problems.
-drove it back from Orlando with noproblems as well.
--However, while in Orlando, itstalled during cold start-up like it always has and took
about 5 minutes to get running. Itsat for 12 hours before this happened.
--tech at one point believed it couldbe a crank position sensor. But, after checking it,
decided that it wasn't. I'm inclinedto agree with him because this problem seems to have something todo with the engine temp/running time of the car, and who long it sits
between start-ups. And the CPS hasnothing to do with any of that.


What happens (sorry if this is complexbut I can't explain it any other way):
--the car stalls when started under thefollowing conditions:
1. When started cold and allowed toidle. Will start fine. Idle for ten minutes. Then stall. Willsometimes start right back up. Or, it will take some time. But, oneway or the other, it will start again then drive fine.
OR
2. When started and it wasn't allowedto reach operating temp on previous drive. An example: I start itand don't let it idle. I drive two miles down the road. Park, shutcar off, let it sit for a while—an hour, let's say. Get back in,start it, and drive it. At some point very soon, it will stall again. And, I have to go through the entire procedure as if Istarted it cold in example #1.
OR
3. When started cold, and I drive itwithout letting it sit. At some point, down the road, it will stall.Doesn't matter the speed—15mph, 40mph, 60mph, 0mph—it will stall.Also when under these conditions, it will attempt to stall againbut it kind of catches itself—like it misses for a second—andthen keeps going. After this, though, it will run fine for as long asI drive it.


When it doesn't stall:
--the car DOESN'T stall under thefollowing conditions:
1. If the car has reached operatingtemperature (above the first long hash on the temp gauge) whiledriving it before turning shutting it down. An example: I start itcold. Let it idle. It stalls. I start it again. I drive it tenmiles—long enough for it to totally warm up. Shut if off. Let itsit for a few hours. Get back in it. Drive it. It won't stall. I'vetested this up to a span of about 7 hours of it sitting withoutrunning. In essence, if I drive car and it totally warms up, it won't stall again until it is allowed to cool the whole way back downagain which takes several hours. Keep in mind this is different than#2 above because in that case the car isn't allowed to reach operating temp during previous operation. Whereas, in this case, itis.
OR
2. The car never stalls if it is onlydriven short distances and allowed a short cooldown between trips.For example, I drive a mile. Shut the car off for 15 mins. I driveanother mile. Shut car off for 15 mins. Drive another mile. Shut caroff for 15 mins. Etc., etc., etc. But, if the cooldown periods gettoo short and the driving gets too long, it will stall for sure.




Notes:
--when I'm trying to start it after ithas stalled, I never smell any gas as if I'm flooding it. When
it finally does start, no black smokeever comes out of tailpipes as if the car is running
rich.
--when I'm trying to start it after ithas stalled, I hear pump whine before turning key whole
way over. Although I can't say forsure if this is true every time.
--this car is from NV. This neverhappened there but started no more than a month and a half
after moving here. Not sure if thatis a coincidence or not. I went from a high altitude,
dry climate to a sea-level, humid,saltwater in the air climate. So, there's a part of
me thinking this could have somethingto do with condensation on a bare wire--
something like that.
--Although the Check Engine Light cameon originally and put out a code for a bad MAF,
the Light has never come on since.And when I say “never,” I mean never.
--In fact, the only two lights thathave ever come on in this car since then are the ABS and TCS lights. And they're on all the time.
--I've talked to at least 50 differentGTP owners online about this who've had various
problems with theirs, some withsymptoms close to mine but none with the exact
same issue of the car stalling whilewarming up, and then running fine after warming
up.
--Keep in mind, whatever you do to tryto fix it, the car needs to be started cold and idled
for at least ten minutes aftersomething is switched out. When I say cold, I mean temperatureneedle at the bottom. If it is even raised a bit, there's a chance itwon't stall
and you won't know if it is reallyfixed or not.
--Having said all this, I think a goodplace to start is the fuel pump relay. These cars have a
two speed fuel pump (for some reason)and it could be that something
is happening when the pump goes fromone speed to the other. And the fuel
pump relays on these cars do go bad.BUT, they usually don't go bad like this from
what I've been told from other GTPowners.
--The key I think is figuring out whythe car can be started when it's already at operating temp and notstall. BUT, when it's started cold, it stalls every time about tenminutes after
starting it up.