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Chevy Cavalier Car Repair Questions and Answers

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Question: 1994 Chevy Cavalier mileage: 65,250. The car suddenly started running rough and noisy with what sounds like backfiring through the intake manifold on acceleration. Replaced plugs and plug wires, fuel filter, air filter and PVC valve. This made no difference. I added fuel injector cleaner to the tank and took it out on the road for a long drive at highway speed and the problem only got worse. One point of note was that five plugs were normal and the cylinder on the back driver's side was covered with black soot. Any ideas?

Answer: The symptoms you mentioned point to a valve train problem. Check the valve springs and rocker-arm assembly especially the cylinder with the spark plug with the black soot. Also, check for a flat cam on that same cylinder.

Question: 1998 Chevy Cavalier mileage: 88,000. After the car has been driven 20-30 minutes, when slowing down or coming to a complete stop it feels as if the transmission is staying engaged, rather than coasting. If you shut the car off then immediately restart, it will stall when shifting into gear. After being shut down for ten minutes or so, it works again. I also noticed once it reaches this point it auto shifts very roughly. Thanks in advance, for any help you might provide. P.S. I had the transmission serviced, and it didn't solve the problem.

Answer: Since you have already serviced the transmission, the next step would be to remove the valve body and clean paying special attention to the TCC solenoid. The TCC solenoid may have to be replaced.

Question: 1994 Chevrolet Cavalier mileage: 92,000. I've been having an idle problem and a stalling problem with my car. It happens once it gets warm and it doesn't happen all the time. The idle will stay a little under 1000 Rpms and it will stall. I also had it stall while going seventy five. What might be causing this? I already had these things replaced: EGR Valve, Fuel Filter, Fuel Pump, Air Filter, spark plugs, and a tune-up. Help me please!

Answer: An oxygen sensor not working properly may be causing your problems. If replacing it does not cure the problem, scan your computer for fault or error codes. The information should pinpoint the malfunctioning components.

Question: 1994 Chevy Cavalier mileage: 52,200. At times, the car will crank, but not start. No trouble codes are stored for this problem. The dealership replaced the ignition module, and the crank sensor. The problem still occurs on an intermittent basis. Also, the car will stall while driving at various speeds. It will quickly restart after stalling. Any ideas as to the cause (s) of these two problems?

Answer: Your stalling problem may be caused by the fuel pump. Replacing it and the fuel filter should fix your problem.

Question: 1991 Chevy Cavalier mileage: lots. Car starts and runs fine in cold weather, but after driving for about five minutes, the engine stalls. It will crank but will not restart until the engine is cold again. Possible solutions greatly appreciated. Thanks very much.

Answer: When your car is cold, the computer is in “open loop.” As you engine warms up, the computer switches over to “closed loop.” In open loop, the computer has a set value for each of the sensors. In closed loop, it reads the sensors and makes adjustments. Obviously when your car is in closed loop one or several sensors are not working properly. An independent auto service center can scan your computer for fault or error codes. The information should pinpoint the malfunctioning components.

Question: 1998 Chevy Cavalier mileage: 81,000. My car dies when I come to a stop, once it's warmed up after having been driven for about fifteen to twenty five minutes. It's an automatic, but the characteristics of when it dies is like having a manual shift car and leaving it in third or fourth gear and coming to a stop without engaging the clutch. It gets jerky and then dies. I immediately put it in neutral and it starts right up, but when I try to put it in D [drive] again it dies as if I put it in a higher gear. What could be causing this and how can it be fixed? I've thought about changing the transmission fluid, but will that be enough?

Answer: Your car has a lock-up torque converter in the transmission. It locks-up only in high gear. It is supposed to disengage at lower speeds. Yours is not disengaging. There is probably a valve in the transmission “hanging up”. Having the transmission serviced with new fluid may help the problem. Next step, the valve body will have to be removed and cleaned paying special attention to the TCC solenoid. The TCC solenoid may have to be replaced.

Question: 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier mileage: 54,099. My dealership is claiming that my water pump has a leak in it and needs to be replaced. It seems to me that 54K miles is quite pre-mature for replacing a water pump. Does that seem normal? Also, they quoted me a price of $700 to replace the water pump. Does that seem out of line?

Answer: It is not unusual to see a water pump go out at 54,000 miles. However, $700 sounds a little steep. Check around for a more competitive price.

Question: 1992 Chevy Cavalier mileage: 67,500. My battery light came on last night. How do I know if I have a bad alternator or just a battery that needs to be changed? My headlights do not dim when I drive and it seems to drive normally.

Answer: Check the alternator for voltage output and load test the battery.

Question: 1991 Chevy Cavalier mileage: 173,241. Where can I locate my PCV valve? I bought one at my local auto parts store and I can't find anything that looks like it. There are two hoses that lead into the valve cover. One can be removed to expose a silver tip that somewhat resembles the PCV that I purchased but it seems to be a different size. The other hose, when removed, exposes a plastic piece that can be unscrewed to reveal three or four plastic prongs on the end. Could the PCV go in here?

Answer: From what you describe, you found the PCV valve, the one with the silver tip. The auto parts store may have sold you the incorrect part.

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Question: 1994 Chevy Cavalier Wagon mileage: 76,000. I just recently purchased this car, and I was wondering why is it when I turn the heat on, it smells as if it were heating up although the temperature gauge doesn’t seem to show it? It smells like antifreeze. Is there any thing I can do or fix?

Answer: The heater core is probably leaking coolant. This could be the source of the “coolant” smell. The heater core may need replacing to fix your problem.

Question: 1991 Chevy Cavalier RS mileage: 104,785. When I turn on my heat or air conditioning, my blower works but only a minimal amount of air flows. I have taken the blower off, and didn't see a clog there. What would be the next step? I tried to get to the main air flow trunk, but it is buried by other things that I didn't want to mess with. Help is much appreciated, as winter is setting in and I don't want to be left in the cold.

Answer: The "doors" for the heater/air condition ducts are controlled by vacuum. Check the vacuum hoses for cracks or loose connections.

Question: 1991 Chevy Cavalier mileage: 112,000. My daughter’s starter keeps going out. She has had four replaced with a few months. Someone said it could be the flywheel is this an expensive part and hard to replace?

Answer: Yes, the flywheel may be the cause of the failing starters. The flywheel is not very expensive but the labor to remove the transmission in order to replace the flywheel is.

Question: 1997 Chevy Cavalier mileage: 22,000 The engine races on its own. Also accelerates from about 45 up to 90 mph maximum throttle on its own; brakes don't stop it, have to shift to neutral and turn off ignition switch. Intermittent situation can't prove it to dealer. Sometimes engine will stall while driving 35 to 60 mph. Could this be the cruise control? Have you heard this before?

Answer: Yes. The cruise control could cause your problem – acceleration on its own. The cause of the engine stalling 35 to 60 mph could be many things. Your car is equipped with a computer controlled engine management system. The computer will store any fault or error codes. Having it scanned will retrieve these codes and pinpoint the malfunctioning component.

Question: 1994 Chevy Cavalier mileage: 102,000. The car seems to run fine except when I'm in drive and at a complete stop then it idles very roughly, makes the whole dashboard vibrate. It idles smoothly when the car is in park, reverse, neutral, and when the car is being driven. Can you give me any idea as to what the problem might be?

Answer: If a major tune-up has not been done recently, this could be the cause of your problem. Replace the spark plugs, plug wires, fuel and air filters, etc. Also, replace the oxygen sensor. In addition, service the fuel injection system. Clean the carbon deposits from the throttle bore and idle passages.

Question: 1992 Chevy Cavalier mileage: 62,000. My car has been dying at stoplights after I have been driving it over 50 mph. It has an automatic transmission. If I shift down from Drive through the gears to first, it will sometimes not stall. It never stalls in town, only after it has gone into fifth. I don't know if it has to do with the fuel delivery system, or the transmission. Any ideas on what it is and how much it would be to fix it? Thank you for your time!

Answer: We don't think your problem is fuel related. Your car has a locked torque converter in the transmission. It locks-up only in fifth gear. It is supposed to disengage at lower speeds. Yours is not disengaging. There is probably a valve in the transmission "hanging up". Having the transmission serviced with new fluid may help the problem.

Question: 1990 Chevrolet Cavalier. My dome light is staying on and my fasten seat belt light on the dash and my defroster quit working. Where should I start to look to correct the problem?

Answer: Your dome light can be turned on and off by twisting the knob on the headlight switch. For your defroster and seat belt light problem, check the fuse panel.

Question: 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier, 45,000 miles. After the engine reaches normal operating temperature the engine will suddenly quit (diesels) when coming to a stop. It does not do this until after driving for a while. I have accessed the trouble codes and got a code #23 (MAT sensor problem.) I got this code from a Haynes repair manual. The illustrations in the manual are vague and generalized for several models and makes of cars and I am unsure of the location of this sensor. I believe it is on the air cleaner housing. Could the problem be carburetor and fuel mixture related? Also, how do you set the timing for this make and model? (Yes, the mileage is correct if you are wondering.)

Answer: The MAT (manifold air temperature sensor) is located to the rear of the intake manifold slightly to the left. (Driver’s side) Your problem could be fuel mixture related. The MAT sensor may cause the problem. To set the timing, ground the diagnostic connector, and B terminals (upper right two terminals) set timing at 8 degrees BTDC. The diagnostic connector is located under the left side of the dash on the right of the fuse block.

Question: 1992 Chevy Cavalier that has a bad ignition switch. My questions are: 1. Do I have to remove the steering wheel in order to replace the ignition switch? 2. Do I need to have a steering wheel puller, in order to remove the steering wheel? If I do have to remove the steering wheel, is that my biggest task? Thank you for your time and consideration.

Answer: You do not have to remove the steering wheel. Disconnect the battery. Remove the housing behind the steering wheel. It separates top and bottom. Remove the ignition switch from the back of the ignition lock.

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