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01 Grand Prix has me totally baffled. Please help!!

1

1taylor2few

New member
ok i have a 01 Grand Prix GT. Nothin special just the 3.8L. About a month ago my wife was driving it and it just died. She said it didnt do anything funny before hand, it just died. She tried to restart it and it would not start. I towed it back to my house and replaced the fuel filter thinking that it was a cheap and easy fix. After the new one was installed it started right up but as i test drove it, it died again and wouldnt start. The fuel pump was the next thing i changed (even though it cycled normally and appeared to work fine). That didnt fix the problem. I replaced the ignition module next and that didnt work, then the crank shaft sensor (even though my tack never dropped before it died which usually is a sign of a bad crankshaft sensor) and it still dies!! Sometimes i can drive it a few miles, sometimes 20, then it will die and not restart. Sometimes an hour later it will restart and other times it wont start for a day. I am so lost!! Does anybody have any suggestions??
 
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first unplug maf sensor and see if car starts and runs. if starts bad maf. if not check other threads about fuel problems. the typical is fuel pump resistor. # 15 in fuse panel bed on tab and see if that is it.
 
if that is not it my ex wife 2000 buick had similar problem was camshaft sensor. Her car had a code that picked it up. with no codes it is the fuel pump relay
 
No codes. The check engine light goes on and off, has for quite awhile but currently has none. I hooked a scanner up to it anyways and it found nothing
 


k, Ive been reading some other posts and read a couple that ended up being the MAF sensor. The symptoms were similar but not exact to a T. Its not a cheap part so I'm hoping to get some opinions before I buy one. Thanks
 


crank position sensor...car will quit while moving, in gear and tires rolling...If car quits at stop or before or after accel or decel then it is fuel related.....Other place to check before CPS....Fuel filter...if you use 87 octane, in the winter, the amount of water that can gather at the bottom of your gas tank after sitting is unbelievable.
1. try some heat gas treatment(at least 2 bottles for full tank)
2. Fuel filter (change it, drivers side right next to unibody frame rail)
3. Main Ground on car and Negative and Positive terminals on battery.
(if you have corrosion on battery or if you see green on copper wire going to car body or steel bolt then there is your problem)
In the winter with the salt and water...corrosion is amplified by electricity...
Potholes can jar a bad connection and cause a drop in voltage, dimming of the interior lights when turn signal is on, or brake is applied, etc...

If it still dies then you need Crank position sensor replaced. Without knowing history of car and not having the normal visual cues....difficullt to diagnose, but most of the time if it is rolling or she is driving down the road and all of a sudden engine shuts down it is cps...
 
With the car off unplug the maf. Please don't ever unplug a sensor with the car running.

Use some throttle to get the car started and keep it running. The PCM needs to learn a little. Soon it'll idle and run decently w/o the sensor. Keep in mind you are running off preprogrammed tables and should not to WOT, but can drive it. Soon enough you should know if that's the culprit.
 
most of the time it is fuel pump resistor. real easy check, # 15 fuse bend bottom left tab shown in other pics and start car . that simple. that would have saved me 330.00 busks for a ne gm fuel pump
 
You said that the check engine light has come on and gone off a couple of times but when you scaned it there were no codes. I'm guess you were using a inexpensive scanner, due to the fact that most off them will only show current codes and not history/memory codes. Try using a snap on solus or otc genisis, you'll be able to pull those history codes and find out why that light came on and point you in a better direction...
 


You said, The Engine just shut off. And then you check'ed a few things .
I think, maybe ???? Just to be sure check under the coil packs there's a
plug in with, many wires held in place with a I think a 1/4 inch screw.
Disconect the plug in and, Sepreate the coil pack from the Print board.
Check the print board. Check it for cracks or brown spots.
It's free to check , And MAYBE the problem.
 
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