1996 Chevy Lumina Car Dies and hard to start

RSANGEL79

MEMBER
1996 CHEVROLET LUMINA

Engine Performance problem
1996 Chevy Lumina 4 cyl Automatic 39,000 miles

I have to gas my car when I start it or it will die. Also it has started to die randomly when I am driving it. All electronics stay on and the oil and volt lights come on but the steering locks up and engine turns off. It seems to happen when I am stopping or have come to a stop and I am starting to go again. Not sure what to do or where to start.

3 Replies

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

MECHANIC
108,179 POSTS

Has the check engine light come on? To me it sounds like a vacuum leak or a bad idle air control vmotor. Also, the steering shouldn't be locking. You will loose power assist, but you should be able to steer.

Let me know.

Joe

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Friday, October 8th, 2010 AT 12:22 PM

RSANGEL79

MEMBER
2 POSTS

My service engine light did come on a couple of days ago but went back off within a day. When the car does die it is hard to turn the wheel but it is not totally locked up. Such as last night I was sitting at a stop light and when I went to turn the car died and I was just able to coast into a parking lot, where I turned the car back on.

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Saturday, October 9th, 2010 AT 11:23 AM

NICKHEADZ34

MEMBER
62 POSTS

Sounds like an extreme vac leak. If you can get the car to idle in park you can spray carb cleaner and listen for the engine idle to ramp up. Luckily it could be a bad intake hose or sumthing or maybe even the intake gasket

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Saturday, October 9th, 2010 AT 8:16 PM