Car stalled on me twice yesterday

[Tifosi24]

As the thread title eludes to my car stalled twice yesterday, and the way in which it stalled had happened once before, but the car did not in fact stall that time. Both times the car stalled after I was on the highway for a rather long time (35 plus miles at 70 miles per hour and 3800rpm) and then as I came to a stop on off-ramps the thing started shaking horribly and then stalled. I was afraid at first that it was the gearbox, but as I could feel it coming on the second time I shifted it into neutral and then it didn't stall until I put it back into drive. The strange thing is that I noticed that my heater was on both times, so when I got to another point where I would be coming to a stop I turned my heater off and I didn't happen. I tried to recreate the same scenerio today, but the car ran like a champ. I can say that the car stalled on both an up and down hill ramp. I have replaced the ECU unit before and after the neutral experiment I have a feeling that something in the computer cycle might be screwy, but I am not sure. The car had been sitting for about a week before I drove it yesterday, so I am not sure if that has anything to do with it. Is there some way to flash the ECU or something, because this problem is something that I would much rather not have to worry about, and replacing the ECU is something I am not interested in. The car in question is a 1990 Lumina Euro Sedan with the V6 engine.

[Andrew Longman]

When was the last time you changed your timing belt? Check the owners manual for the proper intervals.

As the belt stretches and wears it will throw the ignition timing off. The ECU can compensate for it, but under certain conditions will become confused, especially under warm engine conditions when you just changed speeds or gears. Shutting off the engine and resetting the ignition completely will often reset the ECU and the car will run fine...

... until the belt breaks and sends your valves into the pistons.

Replacing the valves and other damaged parts is about $1200+ on a fourbanger. Replacing the timing belt is a couple hundred bucks.

Of course it can be a lot of other things such as a bad sensor or even a bad ECU, but your symptoms are sadly familiar. :(
Good luck

[racer2c]

When was the last time you changed your timing belt? Check the owners manual for the proper intervals.

As the belt stretches and wears it will throw the ignition timing off. The ECU can compensate for it, but under certain conditions will become confused, especially under warm engine conditions when you just changed speeds or gears. Shutting off the engine and resetting the ignition completely will often reset the ECU and the car will run fine...

... until the belt breaks and sends your valves into the pistons.

Replacing the valves and other damaged parts is about $1200+ on a fourbanger. Replacing the timing belt is a couple hundred bucks.

Of course it can be a lot of other things such as a bad sensor or even a bad ECU, but your symptoms are sadly familiar. :(
Good luck

A broken timing belt on an interference engine will do head damage but usually on a non intererence engine it just won't let the car start. That paticular engine is probably the GM venerable 3800 which I don't beleive is an interference engine. Not that you want to keep driving it. I never drive more than the owners manual recommends for timing belts. I once changed a timing chain on a 340 Mopar on the sid of the road.

[Ziggy]

Hey dude, your injectors are plugging up

there expensive :(

[manic mechanic]

As the thread title eludes to my car stalled twice yesterday, and the way in which it stalled had happened once before, but the car did not in fact stall that time. Both times the car stalled after I was on the highway for a rather long time (35 plus miles at 70 miles per hour and 3800rpm) and then as I came to a stop on off-ramps the thing started shaking horribly and then stalled. I was afraid at first that it was the gearbox, but as I could feel it coming on the second time I shifted it into neutral and then it didn't stall until I put it back into drive. The strange thing is that I noticed that my heater was on both times, so when I got to another point where I would be coming to a stop I turned my heater off and I didn't happen. I tried to recreate the same scenerio today, but the car ran like a champ. I can say that the car stalled on both an up and down hill ramp. I have replaced the ECU unit before and after the neutral experiment I have a feeling that something in the computer cycle might be screwy, but I am not sure. The car had been sitting for about a week before I drove it yesterday, so I am not sure if that has anything to do with it. Is there some way to flash the ECU or something, because this problem is something that I would much rather not have to worry about, and replacing the ECU is something I am not interested in. The car in question is a 1990 Lumina Euro Sedan with the V6 engine.

Tif,

You have a malfunctioning TCC solenoid in the transaxle. I have seen it hundreds of times, and replaced them about as many.

You can confirm this by disconnercting the solenoid and driving normally for a few days. The connector is a small 2 wire plug at the front right corner of the transaxle case, and will allow the trans to function without the overdrive (which is actually convertor lockup on that model). If the stalling problem disappears, there's your answer.

To change it out, you will have to remove the side oil pan from the transaxle to access the solenoid (I doubt that the parts will run more than $50...that's for the solenoid and side pan gasket) and you will need about 6-7 quarts of fluid to refill the trans once you have the new one installed.
If you don't want to attack this one yourself and haven't had the trans serviced within the last 30k miles, check with a trusted shop and see if they will do both as a "combination labor" job (most of the fluid will come out with the filter change, so the additional parts and labor charges should be reduced accordingly).

Let me know how it all goes.

manic

P.S. Guys, that is a 3.1"muffy" (MFI) engine...No timing belt involved, and if the timing gears jump, it would run like crap (if at all). The 3.8 was not available in a Lumina in those years. :D

[Tifosi24]

I called a place in town and they said it was a chain, but they can't get me in until noon tomorrow. Problem is I am at my fiancee's and I have class in Milwaukee tomorrow night at 5:30.

[nrc]

I called a place in town and they said it was a chain, but they can't get me in until noon tomorrow. Problem is I am at my fiancee's and I have class in Milwaukee tomorrow night at 5:30.

You posted at the same time as manic. You may want to review his post before you head for the garage.