Can anyone sugguest what else can be done in my situation, I have a 1998 Camaro, V6 3800, for the past several months is has been shutting off at random, it does this while driving or sitting still, hot or cold, I have been driving at 75mph, 25mph or just sitting at stop light, it does not spit or sputter and it runs just fine otherwise, I have replaced the EGR valve, the fuel filter twice, one coil pack (that burnt up last summer) and the ignition control module. I have put denatured alcohol in tank thinking I had bad gas, this car has been to 2 different mechanics who have not been able to diagnose this because of course it would not do this while they had it. I have gone several weeks and it will be ok, then it will do it everyday, when it shuts off, sometimes you can turn it over and it will crank right away, other times I have to sit a couple of minutes and then it will crank, it used to crank right away after I did this, now it takes several times of turning over to do so. This is very frustrating, I don't think it is a fuel problem as it seems the pump would just shut down and not do this for several months, fuel pump was pressure tested at the last mechanic and they said it was working fine, this has got to be electrical but what? Can anyone help ?

Vicki

 

Sounds to me that you have an intermittent electrical problem, which is a #$%^ to find. One thing you can easily do, is to clean and tighten the battery cables at the battery end. A loose or bad connection at this point will kill the engine whenever the electrical connection breaks, as can happen when you hit a bump just right.

 

I think we have narrowed it down to either the crank shaft sensor or the MAF sensor, I drove it Saturday for a couple of blocks and it did just fine, I went to get into it Sat nite and it would not crank at all, came back a couple of hours later and it still would not crank, just turned over, the motor was not getting any fire at all, I thought that which ever one it was just finally went out, my son went out today and it cranked twice for him, I went out and it cranked for me also, when it shuts off and won't crank, I have power to lights, radio, dashboard etc......so I am going to get the crank and MAF sensors ckd and hope this fixes it, because you are right and electrical problem is the most dreaded words anyone can hear, but I am narrowing it down, I know the fuel pump is working, had it tested, replaced the EGR valve, two fuel filters, one of the 3 coil packs and the ignition control module, this is one tough engine, found out when we were changing the ingination control module, that I had been driving this car for almost 2 years on 5 cylinders, there was an extra spark plug wire on top of the motor that no one could figure out where it went, my friend jacked the car up and found that it was plugged onto a plug on the bottom of the motor but not to the coil pack, so he fixed that, said I should get alot better gas mileage, until I get the "electrical" problem solved I won't really know, but the car was not sluggish or spitting, skipping or anything else running on those 5 cylinders, does not do that while driving, just shuts off.....but I will ck the cables like you suggested, I just think I have a little more serious problem than that.....thanks.

 

Vicki, I could have written your letter myself. I have been having the same problems for almost two years. At first it only happened every once in a while. Now two years later I am breaking down every other day.Please let me know what you find is wrong. This is driving me coo-coo, and three mechanics have worked on my 94 and replaced fuel injectors, ignition switch,tps sensor, fuel filter,and still I am breaking down.Good luck to you, I know how frustrating this can be. Been there done that.

 

I believe it is the CPS sensor or crank shaft sensor, taking it to the mechanic to change out this weekend, will let you know.......see other msg under V6 discussions, good luck.

 

Z28pete, thanks for you input, I believe we fixed it, we replaced the CPS sensor, I have driven it 63 miles today with no problems, mechanic showed me some metal pcs or dirt, he really could not tell, but anyway, I drove it 6 miles this morning and it shut off on me on the way to the shop, got it cranked and he replaced that crank shaft sensor and so far so good, am keeping my fingers crossed.....

 

I replaced the CPS sensor, Crankshaft Positioning Sensor last weekend, I have driven it everyday for a week and put over 500 miles on it, it is fixed finally, try that camaro crisis it worked for me.......good luck

 

my uncle also had this problem it turned to be the cat converter