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Chevy Lumina Car Repair Questions and Answers

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Question: 1990 Chevy Lumina euro 3.1 mileage: 140,000. I am completely stumped. I have read all of the questions posted and my problem is not in them. When my car gets warm the engine shuts off and will not start until it sets and cools for about an hour. I have changed all of the following; crank sensor, coil packs, ignition mod, knock sensor, engine temp sensor, fuel filter, O2 sensor, computer. The car runs beautifully until it gets warm. I have tested fuel pressure and it is 38-41 psi before, during, and after the engine stops. I hooked up a noid light to the injector, I am losing injector pulse I'm not sure why. Could you please give me some info on what to try now?

Answer: Considering all that you have already replaced, it is our bet that you either have a faulty power relay for the computer or the ignition switch is bad.

Question: 1999 Chevy Lumina Minivan mileage: 101,000. I have read all the posted Q&A on Lumina's and some are close but not addressing my issue. I have done a major tune-up including the O2, map, TPS, airflow control, full injectors and regulator replacements as well as fuel pump pressure testing. Cooling temp sensor has been replaced and the cooling fan cycles with the temp of the engine when needed. Although it now really runs sweet my problem has not gone away. This van has never failed to start cold. If the van was just shut off hot and then restarted; it starts and drives without issue. However, drive the van around and get it warm, park it for 30 minutes the problem starts. It will start without failure but if you try to drive away it stalls and dies. To correct the issue you must feather the gas pedal for around 30 seconds until you can build the engine RPM up and hold it high until it smoothes out. Then drivability is fully restored. I have shot carb cleaner at the TBI while it was doing this and that helps the vehicle to recover so my guess is fuel related. The top end of the engine gets extremely hot after shutting it off and letting sit. I noticed while changing the last injector some fuel dripped on the butterfly in the TBI and it sizzles and evaporates. This leads me to wonder why the heat is rising to the top end to such a high degree when shut off, it gets hot enough the breather is difficult to handle. We have had the van over a year; put over 20,000 on it, many long trips and the problem has been there from the beginning. The problem hasn’t really gotten any worst, however it is not near the problem during our cold Iowa winter, spring is here though. My next thoughts are Exhaust system and maybe the EGR.

Answer: Your problem may be related to a slightly plugged-up radiator causing the engine to be on the verge of overheating. This would explain the problem you have starting the car as the fuel is very hot and is vaporized as it comes out of the injector as opposed to a mist if the fuel and injector were not so hot.

Question: 1998 Chevrolet Lumina mileage: 92,000. My car started running hotter than usual for about a week followed by an occasional leak from the driver’s side of the radiator. I put in some stop-leak and the problem went away temporarily. Then the car over-heated. I took it to a local service garage. They replaced the radiator and thermostat. I told them the car has specific servicing instructions for the cooling system. They told me it was done correctly. However, after the work was done the car got a low coolant light. I took it back they purged the system and got some air out. Then it did it again. When I run the car cold, it overheats. I stop it, it makes a gurgling sound, and when I start it the next time, it runs at normal temperature until the car is cold again. Do you think this is because they have not serviced the cooling system correctly? On the other hand, do you think this could be because of a different problem? If so what?

Answer: Your described symptoms suggest a blown head gasket. However first, examine the entire cooling system for leaks and then check the intake manifold gaskets.

Question: 1997 Chevy Lumina 3.1L mileage: 57,000. Service Engine Soon light comes on when you start the car and flashes. After the car has been running a few minutes, the Service Engine Soon light stays on constantly. Had it in 3 times and a misfire on plug 3 is the code that it always shows us. Mechanic replaced plug wires and coil, but the problem still exists. Mechanic can't seem to find the problem. Any suggestions on what may be causing the light to come on and flash and then stay on?

Answer: Do a compression check on all cylinders. Make sure that all spark plugs and plug wires are in good condition. If the problem persists, check the fuel injectors.

Question: 1996 Chevrolet Lumina. I bought the car a week ago. I note that there are 2 fans for it, one for the AC which works when I start the AC, and the second one is the ordinary. But I note that it is not starting directly and maybe it still stop for a time, can you tell me if there is a special system for the fan and what is the normal temperature for the car when the AC is off (the weather is too hot in Kuwait in the summer) with my regards.

Answer: It sounds as if the radiator fans are working properly. One radiator fan will automatically come on when the engine temperature approaches 220 F and it will shut off at approximately 200 F. The radiator cooling fan that comes on with the air-conditioner will stay on all the time that the air-conditioner is on.

Question: 2003 Chevy Lumina  mileage: 37,000. Last summer I was cruising at about 55 and my car suddenly stopped. It had broken the timing belt and the timing chain. I've taken it to (2) different repair shops 4 different times to try to get it timed right and they just can't seem to get it. It runs great in drive but when you put it in over drive, it vibrates until your reach about 55 mph. I've had the spark plugs and wires changed but it still won't run right. They can't find the right book with the diagram for the spark plug wires. What else could be the problem and where in the world can I take this car to get it running right?

Answer: A compression check of the engine should be done. When the timing belt broke, it may have bent a valve or two. A Chilton or Haynes manual will have the wiring diagram for the spark plug wires.

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Question: 1997 Chevy Lumina LS mileage: 37,554. Recently, when I go to brake, the brakes make a "noise" and my low traction light comes on along with my antilock light. This does not happen all the time. I notice it a lot when I go to make a turn. It is harder to stop when this happens, but I just push harder on brakes. The antilock light turns off when I shut car off, but comes back on when I brake. It reminds me of being on ice, but there is no ice!

Answer: Have the brake linings checked. The "noise" that you hear may be caused by worn out brake linings. If the linings check okay, scan the ABS computer for fault codes.

Question: 2002 Chevy Lumina Cylinder mileage: 34,000. The other day I took my car riding in the country on some dirt roads and now when ever I get it above 45 MPH my wheel starts to shake. Could you help tell me what it might be?

Answer: Check for mud or dirt buildup on the back of the rims.

Question: 1997 Chevy/Lumina 3.1 mileage: 73,000. Very hard shift (bangs) from 1st to 2nd after driven 40+ miles. I had the trans serviced at about 68K and asked the mechanic to clean the accumulator. (He said the trans was dirty but no other problems.) This did not remedy the problem at all.

Answer: The problem with your transmission is probably due to the fluid pressure control solenoid in the valve body. Replacing it and clearing the codes in the drive train control module should solve the problem.

Question: 2001 Chevy Lumina mileage: 76,000. Engine runs great sometimes, other times idles rough and after acceleration engine will not idle back down almost as if the throttle is stuck at about 1800 rpm. As you slow down using the brake and coming to a complete stop, engine continues to run at high rpm until suddenly it will idle back down and begin to idle very rough again at about 700 rpm. Then sometimes, with no particular pattern, the engine will settle down and begin to operate normally again. As long as you continue to drive it after it settles down it runs fine. If you stop and shut off the engine for a few minutes and start it, again the whole process starts over with rough idle and high rpm when driving. I have changed the following parts with no improvement: map sensor, oxygen sensor, spark plugs, pcv valve, idle air control valve, throttle position sensor. I have checked trouble codes and I get an error 33 (map sensor low vacuum, high voltage) and error 44 (oxygen sensor lean exhaust) but these codes appear I think as a result, rather than the cause, of the very rough idle. I have run out of things to try. Can you help? Thanks

Answer: Check for a plugged catalytic converter.

Question: 1996 Chevrolet Lumina Van. Water began to appear in the interior driver and passenger compartment. My mechanic replaced the drain hose and the problem got worse. We now have at least a pint to a quart of water in the passenger compartment whenever we run the a/c or heater. The next step is to pull the dash, an $1100 expense, to see what is the problem. Do you have any other suggestions prior to this step?

Answer: You may have a cracked housing around the air-conditioning unit under the dash. If this is your problem, removing the dash is probably your only solution. Before you do anything more, have your mechanic check to see if the drain itself is partially plugged.

Question: 1998 Chevy Lumina 3.1 mileage: 96,000. When I press the brakes to slow down the car will slow in a lunging fashion. I replaced the front brakes and rotors about 2 years ago because the rotors were warped. It feels like the same thing all over again. I have 4 wheel disk brakes and when I apply them with medium or hard pressure the car stops great. I don't know if this has anything to do with it, but I have dust shields on all four wheels. Other than that, the car is stock. Any ideas on what might be causing this?

Answer: Assuming that you properly tightened the wheel lug nuts to the proper torque, the dust shields may be holding in the heat generated by the brakes causing the rotors to warp.

Question: 1999 Chevy Lumina    Engine floods, has an intermittent miss, and idles rough. I have scanned the car with repair shop scanner, have run a compression test, checked fuel pressure (38 + pounds), checked fuel regulator, replaced ECM, plug wires, plugs, MAP sensor, removed catalytic converter for testing purposes, checked voltage at every conceivable location, cleaned throttle bore, beat, cursed, and replaced every thing possible that could cause this problem. All tests performed within or above specs. Any ideas?

Answer: Sounds like you may have a faulty ignition module. In addition, check the fuel injectors to be sure none of them is leaking.

Question: 1999 Chevy Lumina 3.1 liter mileage: 55,000. What is causing the intermittent engine miss I get driving at highway speeds? My mechanic cannot find the problem. I have replaced spark plugs and wires, CO2 and temperature modules to no avail. During a 100-mile trip, it may not miss at all or it could miss sporadically several times. The misses may last 10 seconds or continue for several miles. The check engine light has never come on. It was put on a scanner and there were no trouble codes. Thank you for any help you may have.

Answer: Check the fuel pump for pressure and volume. You possibly may have a faulty fuel injector. In your question, you commented that it was put on a scanner and there were no trouble codes. If you did not use an OBDII scanner, you may have missed important information that would have isolated your problem.

Question: 1999 Chevrolet Lumina 6 cyl mileage: 54,000.  The car has been sitting idle for 3 months.  When I tried to re-start, a loud, rapid ticking comes from the engine.  When I checked the lights, radio, a/c, etc., all worked OK. There seemed to be no loss of power.  Before I call a tow-truck, is there something I can do or work on?   Thanks.

Answer: After reading your question we are taking an educated guess that your “ticking” noise is probably a stuck hydraulic lifter.  If you let the car idle for a while, there is a good chance that the lifter will come back around and your noise will go away.  If it does not, you will have to replace the lifter.

Question: 2003 Chevy Lumina.  The left door handle was broken during a theft attempt. I replaced the handle with no problem, I also cycled both the interior and exterior handles and manually tripped the latching mechanism to insure the function prior to closing the door.  I closed the door and again both the interior and exterior handles worked fine to open and close the door.  Then I screwed up; I cycled the locking mechanism with the door in the closed position!  Now I can't get the door open at all.  The exterior latch has a short travel distance and the interior one has a normal travel.  (As when the door is locked)  I have tried a coat hangar on the mechanism I can see thru the gap between the window weather-stripping, the same between the door and frame to no avail.  My question.  How can I get to the latch mechanism in the door?  I need a detailed breakdown (schematic) of the interior door molding showing the 'hidden' screws and how this panel pops off.  I also need to know if there is another way to get to the latch or is there a way I can trip it from between the door and frame?  I also believe I know what I did wrong, the locking lever is not 'timed' with the lock tumbler therefore the travel distance is not enough to unlock the door.  I'd appreciate any help.  I'm using every resource I can think of for advice.

Answer:  What you may want to try, is to disassemble the passenger side door for the information you need about the locations of the mechanisms you need to fix you driver’s side door.  Obviously, the passenger side door is a mirror image of the driver’s side door.

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