Engine Cut's Off

[offroadfury6]

So my dad has a '02 grand prix N/A GT and a while back it would shut off while driving down the highway...sometimes it will crank back others it'll take up-most an hour til it fires back up...Basically it just dies...almost like its not getting fuel or sometype of power to fire the pistons...

I told him about this website and he wanted me to ask a few of you guys about this issue...

we orginally thought it was the fuel pump so he bought a new one and we installed it but last week it did it again...

any of you guys had this problem or know an easy around-the-house checks and maintaince?

[Sabrewings]

Random stalling is usually caused by one of two things. Bad crank position sensor, or a bad ignition switch.

[SyntheticShield]

I would lean more to the Crankshaft Position Sensor.

I guess one way to isolate it would be to ask if you have all your fan speeds on the HVAC and if you have had any trouble with the Accessories. If the ignition switch is failing I would expect something along those lines to show up.

To isolate it to the Crankshaft Position Sensor, the next time it dies and has trouble starting up, take off the #1 cylinder plug wire and put in a spare spark plug and ground it (They sell a test tool in the parts store for doing this) rather make sure the threads or the metal part is touching ground and try and start the car. If you have no spark it is most likely the CPS as that is a common failure item for the GP's. The CPS controls spark and also the tachometer. So if you are seeing your tach signal go to 0 on the dash, thats another indication that the CPS is bad.

[Sabrewings]

Yeah, usually with the ignition switch the accessories will shut off with the engine (since the car thinks it was turned off) and come back on when you try to restart.

[offroadfury6]

k good suggestions...be sure to try these and see

[offroadfury6]

we're going to try and change the crankshaft position sensor....can anyone please tell me where to locate it?

[SyntheticShield]

Theres a write up in the How To section that walks you through the process. The CPS is behind the crank pulley otherwise known as the harmonic balancer.

[offroadfury6]

thnx syntheitic, the part is $36.99 at autozone...i'll show him the write up, first thing tomrrow...

http://www.grandprixforums.net/cps.php

[offroadfury6]

UPDATED: thanks all you guys...just so happens to be the CPS...we changed it out and the car runs fine now.

[SyntheticShield]

I have seen so many of those things fail, I think I have it down to a near science being able to tell when they go bad.

offroadfury6, do you still have the old sensor? If so can you take a pic of it? If its the of the design I think, Id be willing to take it off your hands and pay for shipping if you want to part with it.

[offroadfury6]

I just got in today syn, I'll get up with him tonite...he says he may have it in the back of the SUV

[SyntheticShield]

Cool, if so, let me know.

[offroadfury6]

[SyntheticShield]

Thats it, let me know what you want for it and/or what shipping would be to 74006.

[offroadfury6]

nah its so small man i'll probably just ship it all for free...might need a favor from ya one day ... just send me a PM of ur address and I will see if I can pop it in tomorrow or after christmas, depending on my schedule...

[SyntheticShield]

PM Sent.

[offroadfury6]

roger that

[offroadfury6]

don't have a box handy for ya...will get it to ya n maybe a few days syn

[SyntheticShield]

Sounds like a plan, Im in no particular hurry.