Engine stalls?

Tiny
ROB_STONER
  • MEMBER
  • 1991 OLDSMOBILE CIERA
  • 6 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 109,000 MILES
My engine starts up just fine every time but just as I put the car into gear ( any gear ) but neutral the car would stall. I stalled out, out of now where, at a light and started it up just fine and thought GOOD! But as I put it into gear it stalled and continued to do so. I pushed it to the side of the road and let it sit for about 10 mins or so and started it up, put it into gear then it drove for about half a mile when I had to stop and the car stalled and continued to stall when put into gear. Could you please tell me what it could be I just bought it for 1500 two days ago
Wednesday, October 21st, 2009 AT 10:48 PM

46 Replies

Tiny
BLACKOP555
  • MECHANIC
  • 10,386 POSTS
Does it work good until the vehicle gets warm? cold start good. warm start? did it drive good until it randomly acted up? Try going over this guide as well

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/engine-stalls

Please run down this guide and report back.
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Thursday, October 22nd, 2009 AT 5:20 PM
Tiny
JDBURK
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1991 OLDSMOBILE CIERA
  • 6 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 204,000 MILES
The car was ran out of fuel & refilled, Got about 2 miles & it stalled. It fired but would not run. Changed the filter, started and went 2 blocks & stopped again,
Fault code 42 came up, replaced ECM & it cleared, again it started & ran about 5 min. & Stopped, changed the plugs which had a gap of about.080-.085 ! The new plugs are set at a tight.060 same results !What gives? Any help is appreciated.
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Saturday, September 26th, 2020 AT 10:32 AM (Merged)
Tiny
JMALECKI
  • MECHANIC
  • 118 POSTS
Hello
Unfortunatly you have most likely damaged the fuel pump by running out of fuel. The fuel lubricates the pump and if you run a pump dry for 12 seconds it damages the pump, you should never run a fuel injected vehicle under a quarter of a tank turning corners can cause fuel to slosh to one side of the tank which can cause the fuel pump to not be submerged in fuel at which time the pump has no lubrication.
John
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Saturday, September 26th, 2020 AT 10:32 AM (Merged)
Tiny
SETTERGRENH
  • MEMBER
  • 80 POSTS
  • 1991 OLDSMOBILE CIERA
  • 6 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 107,000 MILES
I have a 1991 cutlass ciera that keeps on stalling, I think it might be the fuel pump but its in the tant, can I use a electric fuel pump placed near the fuel filter?
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Saturday, September 26th, 2020 AT 10:32 AM (Merged)
Tiny
DAVE'S BIG BACKYARD!
  • MECHANIC
  • 262 POSTS
It will run but not very good.
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Saturday, September 26th, 2020 AT 10:32 AM (Merged)
Tiny
FIXITMR
  • MECHANIC
  • 9,990 POSTS
I was always curious about this. You'd of course have to use a pump that has sufficient pressure to equal/exceed stock pump. If you try it, let us know how it goes.
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Saturday, September 26th, 2020 AT 10:32 AM (Merged)
Tiny
EMOGS929
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1991 OLDSMOBILE CIERA
  • 88 MILES
After going high speeds (50mph) and coming to a stop, it feels like the transmission is having a hard time shifting down. Once I stop it stalls out. My husband checked the transmission fluid and it is a bit overfilled and dirty. Will a transmission flush fix this?
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Saturday, September 26th, 2020 AT 10:33 AM (Merged)
Tiny
DRCRANKNWRENCH
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,380 POSTS
A transmission flush will fix the issue, unless some damage has been done. This is possible as the fluid should be clean and it can do damamge to the pump and internal seals when they are over-filled.
The best things you can do at this point is to take it to a transmission shop and let them look at it. I reccommend going to a transmission shop as opposed to a regular repair facility as auromatic tranmsissions can be hard to diagnose and even harderr to fix.
AAMCO is overpriced. Use the search engine on this site to find a transmission shop near you.
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Saturday, September 26th, 2020 AT 10:33 AM (Merged)
Tiny
DAISYBITC12
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1990 OLDSMOBILE CIERA
  • 140,000 MILES
I have a 1990 olds cutlas cierra 3.3 liter 6 cyl. My car stalls if I am not heavy on the gas at all times. I did the paperclip trick and got code 21 which means tps sensor out of range. I was tinkering under the hood and may have turned a screw or lever on that sensor do I need 2 buy a new sensor or can it be tweeked or is this just not the problem as 2 why my car wont stay running?
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Saturday, September 26th, 2020 AT 10:33 AM (Merged)
Tiny
HMAC300
  • MECHANIC
  • 48,601 POSTS
Try cleaning the throttle plate and iac hole with choke clenr first then spray around tps where it enters the throttle body, clear the code and see if it come s back if it does replace the tps
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+1
Saturday, September 26th, 2020 AT 10:33 AM (Merged)
Tiny
PAT BARR
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1990 OLDSMOBILE CIERA
Engine Performance problem
1990 Oldsmobile Ciera 6 cyl Two Wheel Drive Automatic

1990 cutlass cierra with a 3.3 V6. It runs fine then will just stall. I have installed a fuel preassure gauge and it runs around 40 psi and doesnt change a bit when it quits, The car will not start and I spary a mist of starting fluid into the air intake and it fires up for a second untill it consumes the staarting fluid. This entire time the fuel preassure does not fuulter so I suspect for some reason the fuel injection system is intermittantly working. After a bit the car will start up and run fine then quit again with all the same symptoms. What would cause all the fuel injectors to worki ntermitanly?
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Saturday, September 26th, 2020 AT 10:33 AM (Merged)
Tiny
FACTORYJACK
  • MECHANIC
  • 4,159 POSTS
The fact that it fires on an alternate fuel source, and has fuel pressure, narrows it down to a couple possibilities. First I would check the warm resistance of each injector, it should be around 12-13 ohms. The possibility exists that you could have one or more shorted injectors, causing the ECM driver to shut down due to excessive current. Another possibility could be a faulty ECM. There is a ground for the injectors/ecm on the transaxle stud, or a bolt to the trans case, it just states 'on a transaxle bolt'. The same fuse that powers the injectors, powers the ignition module, and it sounds like you have ignition. I don't believe the crank sensor can stop triggering the injectors, and still fire the coils.
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Saturday, September 26th, 2020 AT 10:33 AM (Merged)
Tiny
DAVIDHOLAUNO
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1988 OLDSMOBILE CIERA
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 55,000 MILES
I got a 1988 oldsmobile cutlass ciera and it wont keep running you can turn it on by putting gas in the carburator but then its just shuts off could it be the fuel pump? And if it does run then it will go for about a mile then slowly come to a stop and it shuts off what could it be?
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Saturday, September 26th, 2020 AT 10:34 AM (Merged)
Tiny
JDL
  • MECHANIC
  • 16,098 POSTS
If the vehicle cranks good but won't start, have helper crank it while you check for an injector pulse. With TBI you should be able to see injector spray pattern, engine cranking. If there is no spray pattern, you need to check the injector plug for a pulse. You could also use a fuel pressure gage and check fuel pressure.
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Saturday, September 26th, 2020 AT 10:34 AM (Merged)
Tiny
STEPHENBENSON3
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1988 OLDSMOBILE CIERA
  • 6 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 198,988 MILES
Car starts soon as the gas is pressed the car cuts off
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Saturday, September 26th, 2020 AT 10:34 AM (Merged)
Tiny
JDL
  • MECHANIC
  • 16,098 POSTS
How long since a tune-up? Any applicable mil codes? Use a gage and check fuel pressure.
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Saturday, September 26th, 2020 AT 10:34 AM (Merged)
Tiny
RASMATAZ
  • MECHANIC
  • 75,992 POSTS
Check and test the throttle position sensor, manifold absolute pressure sensor and the knock sensor-
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Saturday, September 26th, 2020 AT 10:34 AM (Merged)
Tiny
2CP-ARCHIVES
  • MEMBER
  • 4,540 POSTS
  • 1988 OLDSMOBILE CIERA
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 193,203 MILES
1988 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera mileage: 193,203. My car is constantly stalling. My father and I used car code reader and came up with a number 42 EST (Electronic Spark Timing) code. We then replaced the computer and fuel pump, but it is still stalling. As far as I can tell there is no pattern to the stalling, it stalls at idle or going down the road at almost any speed. Our next step is to try the fuel pump, but that is a whole day under a car.
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Saturday, September 26th, 2020 AT 10:35 AM (Merged)
Tiny
2CP-ARCHIVES
  • MEMBER
  • 4,540 POSTS
Code 42 (electronic spark timing) refers to the ignition system. What you should probably do is replace the pick-up coil, the ignition module and the ignition coil. They should all be replaced at once, because they work together as a “team.”
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Saturday, September 26th, 2020 AT 10:35 AM (Merged)
Tiny
S15JIMMYNUT
  • MEMBER
  • 7 POSTS
  • 1988 OLDSMOBILE CIERA
  • 6 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 140,000 MILES
I am a certified mitsubishi technician so im not a newbi. I have asked many and I do mean many people about this concern. I have a friend that is a ASE Master tech and we messed with it for 3 months. Its a 88 olds cutlas ciera with a 3.8L. Sometimes when coming to a stop, slowing down or sitting at a stop it starts idling rough then dies. Starts right back up. I have so far done the following. Replaced MAF, cleaned throttle body, replaced fuel pump, replaced injectors a year or so ago. Plugs/wires. Swapped ignition modules, inspected and tested grounds and the list goes on. I would realy appreciate some ideas? Im replacing the IAC this weekend. Any other ideas? Thanks
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Saturday, September 26th, 2020 AT 10:35 AM (Merged)

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