'00 GP won't start and idle. Has spark, is dumping excess gas

[Thaine]

Vehicle: 2000 GP with 3.8L, auto with 85K mileage
Problem: Wife's car, was running fine. While I was driving it to work last week, I noticed the RPM dropped off rapidly a couple of times when I let off the accelerator to slow or stop (sudden dip then return to normal). It only happened twice in 5 round trips (30 miles ea.) so I figured it was just an anomaly. Started it up one morning, idled fine, put in reverse, backed into street and it died. Wouldn’t start, it would cough and was spitting gas out of exhausts and the only way I could get it to run was fire it up around 3k RPM. Would not idle. This condition lasted 2-3 days. Neighbor put his diag. reader on and it showed a dirty MAF sensor. Bought a can of CRC MAF cleaner, took it off, cleaned it, replaced it and it started right up. Drove it around a bit and all seemed ok. Drove it to work the next day and ran fine other than one instance of RPM dipping. Started it up to go to work yesterday and it started fine, idled about 2 minutes and died. Back to same symptoms. Coughs, bangs and dumping gas. So any suggestions before I start the expensive parts swap or equally expensive trip to the shop? I will clean the MAF again, but the resistor looked fine (light gray) when I cleaned it and there really didn’t seem to be any obvious fuzz or gunk. Should I start with the MAF or is there something else I need to check and can test?
Thanks
Thaine

[Scottydoggs]

un plug the maf, then start the car, if it runs better the maf is bad. also check the wires to the maf for broken insulation, or missing insulation on the wires at the plug end.

those metal prob's in the maf should be kinda shinny looking.

is the check engine light on again? if so have it scanned again. the cel will come back on when you unplug the maf, so scan before you try the unplugged maf trick.

[Thaine]

Scotty,

Neighbor isn't around so I went ahead and tried it. First, I tried to start it and had the SOS. Then I unplugged the MAF and it fired right up and settled into an idle. Went ahead and pulled it and sprayed it again. Looks nice and clean. Reinstalled and it starts both ways now. Just like last time I cleaned it. Check enginge light has never come on. He just brought his scanner over last time to see if there were any codes in it and then cleared the code when it started running after the first cleaning. i have a reader on the way (hate borrowing stuff or bugging people) so will be able to clear it next week when itgets here.

Looks like I am on the way to tghe store for a new MAF correct?

thanks
Thaine

[Scottydoggs]

dont get a after market maf. they suck. its best to look for a used map from a junk yard, they run 40 ish used.

[Frosty]

Local yard up here gives me them for 6$ .... definitely a bad maf from the sounds of it... I was lucky when my stock maf failed and it failed by the frequency dropping to 0 every once in a while. and the car just fell back on the map sensor....

[GPGTMAN]

is the car supposed to run even after you unplug the mass air flow sensor cause when i unplug mine it dies i have the problem of it just randomly stalling untill i plug in code reader then it runs fine for a few days my code reader said it was a maf sensor so i replaced it still randomly stalls so i unplugged the maf sensor and everytime i unplugged it, it dies

[Scottydoggs]

you check for a blown fuse in the fuse boxes yet? theres one for the maf.

your unplugging the maf with the car off right? then starting it up? thats how your supposed to do it.

unplugging it puts the car in closed loop, a pre set maf setting thats just good enough to run the car when its unplugged.

[BillBoost37]

Do not unplug while the car is running. Turn the engine off, unplug and restart.