Intermittent stalling

Tiny
SCOTTBERGIN
  • MEMBER
  • 1993 BUICK CENTURY
  • 6 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 179,000 MILES
Stalls after starting or sitting at a light. It stalled while driving a couple times but eventually restarted and I made it to work.I have done plugs/wires, tried used coil pack, fairly new fuel pump.
Monday, January 11th, 2010 AT 2:15 PM

51 Replies

Tiny
JDL
  • MECHANIC
  • 16,098 POSTS
Welcome to the forum, You could replace parts all day.... You will need to find out what is missing when it wont restart, this will lead to the problem. I have seen these ignition modules cause issues like this before as well as the crankshaft position sensor.

Read these guides, they will help

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-cranks-but-wont-start

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/throttle-actuator-service

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

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/stall-at-idle
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Monday, January 11th, 2010 AT 2:23 PM
Tiny
TBWATRY
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
  • 1993 BUICK CENTURY
  • 6 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 93,000 MILES
I have a 1993 buick century 3.3l automatic. Lately, the car dies while driving, but it idles great. It doesn't matter if I am going 5 mph or 65 (if I can keep it running long enough to go that fast) but it will just die. It restarts fine and might stay running for a minute or 15 minutes. I have replaced the fuel pump, fuel filter, o2 sensor, maf sensor, and tps sensor with no luck. The flash codes are currently 24, 38, and 39. Although this points to the tcc, I am unable to find the wire to disconnect it and am thinking about replacing the crankshaft sensor. Any suggestions?
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Friday, February 15th, 2019 AT 7:07 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JDL
  • MECHANIC
  • 16,098 POSTS
Welcome to the forum. The 24 is vehicle speed sensor. 38 has to do with the brake switch. 39 has to do with tcc. Because I don't know how old the codes are, I'd erase the codes, drive it, see if anything comes back. How long since a tune-up?

The TCC should be located, low, on front side of transaxle, four wire connector. I can't recommend leaving that unplugged.
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Friday, February 15th, 2019 AT 7:07 PM (Merged)
Tiny
TBWATRY
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
After unplugging the tcc (which is attached to the speed control sensor) the car ran great! No more stalls or hesitation! Are buicks more known for solenoid problems or do you think this is the tcc itself?

Also, could you tell me what could happen if I left this unplugged? I have seen mechanics online post that no harm will come and others say just the opposite.

Thanks
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Friday, February 15th, 2019 AT 7:07 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JDL
  • MECHANIC
  • 16,098 POSTS
Hi, The info I looked at was for a century custom. The vss and tcc connectors are not even close to each other. Leaving the tcc unplugged may cause the transaxle to overheat, effect gas mileage. I don't know what else?
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Friday, February 15th, 2019 AT 7:07 PM (Merged)
Tiny
TBWATRY
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
I'm not sure what I unplugged then. It was a single connector on the transaxle with two wires (a brown and a yellow) in the connector. It was the only plug I could find and when I unplugged it the car ran great, but the speedometer didn't work. The tranny is the 4t60, which I am sure you know. I plan to take the car in to have the tcc solenoid replaced.
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Friday, February 15th, 2019 AT 7:07 PM (Merged)
Tiny
SCUT
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1993 BUICK CENTURY
1. Make and Model of your car: Buick Century 1993 3.3 v6 OHV
2. Current odometer reading : 127,000
3. Stick Shift or Automatic Transmission : AT
4. Strange sounds or smells :see below
5. Fluid leaks : see below
6. Past repair history :

I bought the car not to long ago its been only a couple of months. When I first got the car the first problem appeared when I looked at my coolant in the overflow coolant tank and realised that the coolant appeared murky very sludgy brown and disgusting. When the car was given to me I was told that it had a new radiator, water pump, and etc and had put a shitload of stopleak in the coolant "to make it run nice". However I think they put the stop leak in and all of the repairs (which in return became obsolete through rusting) they did because they could not be smart and realise there was a coolant leak in one of the hoses. As soon as I figured this out I replaced the hose ( Upper ). Since then I have flushed the car several times and have even taken the over flow tank out and scrapped the inside walls of it until it looks brand new. From the rust that has collected in the coolant system from the large amounts of stop leak and completely rusted out heater core (the heat in my car has never worked ) everytime I flush it a month later the coolant starts to again turn brown. Though I dont think that this problem has anything to do with the problem occuring now, you ask the car's history. Then the alternator needed replaced. Recently after this the stalling problem began. There is no common gesture of what you are doing with the car when it stalls out. It just does whenever it wants. You will be driving and then all the sudden boom the car is off, no sounds, tinks, or jerking. I ran a scanner on it and the code said it to be the mass air flow sensor. The code read either mass air flow sensor is dirty, defective, or a misfire condition. Originally the problem was very suddle, it would only happen once in a while and the car would start up 10 minutes after it stalled out. However now it has been getting increasingly worse, to the point where my car would not start after it stalled out for 8 hours. It is doing it much more frequently too. As a cheap way to see if it would fix I replaced the spark plugs ( NGK ) and premium wires. Even though the car ran smoother, the stalling would persist. Before I could afford the mass air flow sensor however, there was another vital thing wrong with my car. A nasty, marbles in drier (eventually leading worse and worse) sound came popping from the engine in which I discovered the idler pulley assembly was ceased. I replaced that pronto. Yesterday I finally saved up enough money to get a remanufactured mass air flow sensor from advanced auto parts, put it in my car, drove it down the street, and boom. Stalls out again. I had to leave the car there over night. The car is scarey to drive, no mechanic can tell me what the problem could be. It has been suggested to me to check my ignition module and coil packs. However, I am 19 years old and am out on my own and make 150 bucks a week ( so as you must understand this car has been stressing me out very much ). I do not have the room to play around and keep adding parts that are not fixing the problem. If someone could please, please help me try and figure out what is wrong with my car I would be so ever grateful. Also so just so you know I also have full cat back flow masters and a k&N short custom intake on it. Thankyou - Melissa
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Friday, February 15th, 2019 AT 7:07 PM (Merged)
Tiny
RODMAN1
  • MEMBER
  • 7 POSTS
You have two problems:
1. The intake manifold gasket is leaking causing oil and coolant to mix.
2. Your torque cinverter lockup solinoid is starting to malfunction.

#1 problem could also be that the #6 cylinder has a crack around the valve guide area in the head, but the stopleak should have taken care of that.

This engine is very susceptable to the problems above. These problems generally start around 95 K miles
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Friday, February 15th, 2019 AT 7:07 PM (Merged)
Tiny
AMYDONTKNOW
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
  • 1993 BUICK CENTURY
Electrical problem
1993 Buick Century V6 Front Wheel Drive Automatic 62000 miles

We've got a 93 Buick Century and it won't start. At first it would start but wouldn't stay running and now it has no power-no lights, nothing--anyway I was wondering if anyone had any ideas about this? Thanks
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Friday, February 15th, 2019 AT 7:07 PM (Merged)
Tiny
NDDUNC
  • MECHANIC
  • 47 POSTS
First, check the alternator & battery. If you have power, check the battery cables at the starter [pos]&at the engine[neg] how did it sound when running before?
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Friday, February 15th, 2019 AT 7:07 PM (Merged)
Tiny
AMYDONTKNOW
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
I think all that has been checked, I think it's something to do with the electrical at this point. But when we were trying to jump it, it just quit and now it has nothing.
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Friday, February 15th, 2019 AT 7:07 PM (Merged)
Tiny
BMRFIXIT
  • MECHANIC
  • 19,053 POSTS
Make sure battery fully charged .
check two locations for fusible links
1.:-- at the starter
2.:-- around the battery positive side cable


https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/99387_Image_2.jpg



https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/99387_Image1_3.jpg



good luck
let me know
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Friday, February 15th, 2019 AT 7:07 PM (Merged)
Tiny
NDDUNC
  • MECHANIC
  • 47 POSTS
Bmrfixit seams to have all you need. God bless
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Friday, February 15th, 2019 AT 7:07 PM (Merged)
Tiny
THOMAS32
  • MEMBER
  • 24 POSTS
  • 2003 BUICK CENTURY
2003 buick century, just replace fuel pump, fuel filter, fuel pressure regulator, spark plugs and wires what is the problem. Just replaced all these parts car will not stay running the car will run but once I apply the brake it dies out but if I restart it will stay started but once again when apply brake it dies out help please
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Friday, February 15th, 2019 AT 7:07 PM (Merged)
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,869 POSTS
Do you have any codes in the computer?Also in park when applying the brakes the engine will dye?If so could be a leaking brake booster.
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Friday, February 15th, 2019 AT 7:07 PM (Merged)
Tiny
THOMAS32
  • MEMBER
  • 24 POSTS
Yes it still dies out
iam at auto zone now trying to see what the codes will be that they give me I will log back on once the codes come up thanks alot
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Friday, February 15th, 2019 AT 7:07 PM (Merged)
Tiny
THOMAS32
  • MEMBER
  • 24 POSTS
Ok a lot of electrical codes came up from autozone but once I cut the car off its now not starting at all
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Friday, February 15th, 2019 AT 7:07 PM (Merged)
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,869 POSTS
What are the exact code numbers you have?Also have the battery tested. Make sure the battery cables are clean and tight. You could have a bad alternator.
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Friday, February 15th, 2019 AT 7:07 PM (Merged)
Tiny
THOMAS32
  • MEMBER
  • 24 POSTS
  • 2003 BUICK CENTURY
  • 90,000 MILES
2003 buick century will not stay started just replaced fuel pump and battery keeps dying out on start what could it be or what can I try plus a new relay put on it. Car just died out while I was driving and will not start back up
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Friday, February 15th, 2019 AT 7:07 PM (Merged)
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
Have the fuel pressure checked with a gauge. See if you have spark as it may be a module breaking down or a cran sensor.

Roy
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Friday, February 15th, 2019 AT 7:07 PM (Merged)

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