Question: 1998 Chevy Malibu
I have a 1998 Chevy Malibu 3.1 liter V-6. The car has about 160,000 miles on it and I have already replaced the engine at 100,000 miles. The car is always in need of maintenance, and for the most part I have been able to diagnose the problems and get them corrected until now.
I am currently troubleshooting a fuel system problem and I am in need of some help. About 2 weeks ago while driving home from work my engine suddenly died as I was driving down the highway. I coasted to a shoulder, turned off the switch, and immediately restarted the engine. This happened with approximately 1/2 a tank of gas in the car. I pulled out onto the highway and went about 1 mile and it died again. This happened several times before I made it home.
I filled up the tank the next morning, drove to work 25 miles down a mountain, drove around during the day, and I did not have any problems. On the way home as soon as I made it to the top of the mountain the engine died again. Same symptoms as before, only this time with almost a full tank of gas. I drove to work the next day without adding any fuel and did not have any problems. When I topped the mountain on the way home the engine died again.
What is going on here? I thought I might have water getting into the fuel system because of the angle of the vehicle going up the mountain so I changed the fuel filter and added some Regane treatment. This had no effect. I guess at this point it is time to start spending money. Should I replace the fuel pump, coil pack, or crank sensor first? It seems that perhaps something is overheating due to the extra load of pulling the mountain. Any ideas? I need some help.
Thanks,
Joshua S. Meeks
Answer: Well Josh, the first thing we have to figure out is what we are losing when it dies; fuel or spark. When it dies pull a plug wire and see if you have spark. If you do then spray some carburetor cleaner into the intake manifold and try to start the engine. If it starts and runs as long as the carburetor cleaner lasts then it's a fuel problem.
Then check the PCM for codes to see what, if anything, is stored. That will go a long way in pointing us in the right direction.
If it's fuel then the fuel pump is the most likely culprit, especially if it's the original fuel pump. If it's ignition then I would suspect the ignition module is at fault.
Question: Acura Electrical Problem
We are having electrical problems with our Acura. Sometimes the speedometer turns off for a few miles and then comes back on. Different warning lights come on and go off, and sometimes the cruise control turns off. I am just wondering if this is usually a big expensive problem to fix. Thanks for any advice.
Answer: There is no set time or price for troubleshooting electrical problems. This type of job is based on the amount of time it takes to find the problem. Usually the minimum is one hour labor and then goes from there. With a problem such as this I would recommend taking it to your Acura Dealer. They have the most experience with the vehicle and have resources at their disposal that independent shops do not have.
