99 sl2 stalling issue

[sccaligirl]

Hello I have 1999 SL2 i just purchased for 1300. i purchased it with half a tank of gas. i test drove it, everything seemed fine to me until i used up most of my gas and it was about 1/8 tank left. seems like every time i make a right turn, or occasionally when i come to a stop, the car stalls and dies unless i step on the gas. after wards it was very hard to start and when it did start it died instantly. second time starting i kept my foot on the gas for a few seconds and it went away for a while. now its doing it more frequently. my husband is a mechanic and we have had about 5 or more Saturn's together but never this new. he is thinking it may be clogged fuel filter, fuel pump or maybe bad gas. i don't think its bad gas because i have been adding chevron to it and the previous owner said he has been driving it a lot frequently.

there was also a p0410 code, but i believe is irrelevant because it said secondary air pump malfunction. we took one of the metal lines off from the exhaust manifold and cleaned it out real well because it was clogged with some kind of carbon stuff and the light has not came back on.

i know it would be smart to replace the fuel filter anyway, but its 40 dollars i cant spare to waste if it is not the solution. I'm sure many understand.

any help would be appreciated.

[fdryer]

With so many Saturns, have you done the basic drill; check for the faulty coolant sensor and replace the t-stat together? Next would be a fuel pressure check. The ignition system should be gone over to clean up any corrosion and replace what's needed.

[sccaligirl]

whats t-stat? and i didnt know coolant temp sensor would cause these problems? if i drive it like im trying to be easy on the gas, like if i was running out it dosnt do it as much. idk if that helps. it usually stays below the 1/4 mark on temp gauge when driving even on freeway. except for one day when it was over 80 degress outside, it got up to the half way mark and went down after i turned the heater on...

just brought it, still waiting to do dmv stuff first then do the basic oil change tune up sorta stuff

[fdryer]

T-stat, thermostat abbreviated because of repetition spellling the word.

The original faulty plastic round nosed coolant sensor fails and tends to run the engine rich all the time. This in combination with an old t-stat runs the engine cooler than normal (1/4 scale temp indication). Replace the coolant sensor with a flat nosed brass one along with a new 195F t-stat to bring operating temps back up where it belongs (between 1/4 and 1/2).

[sccaligirl]

t-stat i get it now! sorry i am tired lol

thank you I will do that asap. I will post updates later in the week whether or not it fixed my problem. that seriously makes me feel better knowing it may not be fuel pump or something major!

goodnight!

[alordofchaos]

To add to what fdryer said:

Originally Posted by sccaligirl

seems like every time i make a right turn, or occasionally when i come to a stop, the car stalls and dies unless i step on the gas. after wards it was very hard to start and when it did start it died instantly. second time starting i kept my foot on the gas for a few seconds and it went away for a while.

When cornering, it may be dying because of the rich condition (because people will lift off the gas when cornering). Putting your foot on the gas adds air, enough to keep the engine running even though it is rich.

I see you updated your 2009 thread and mentioned poor gas mileage. That is another indicator of a bad ECTS and/or thermostat

If it is hard to start, try starting with the gas pedal all the way to the floor. (clear flood mode)

i know it would be smart to replace the fuel filter anyway, but its 40 dollars i cant spare to waste if it is not the solution

fuel filter, for the 98-02, should be good for 100k miles (per the maintenance schedule in the owner's manual) but some have run them to 150k (possibly more) without issues. If you are looking at a $40, it is likely a Purolator or Fram - if you search here, you will find that these typically end up causing problems due to incorrect fuel pressure (these years have a filter with an integrated fuel pressure regulator). Buying OEM or Wix (or NAPA-branded Wix) is recommended, but this will run $55~$80

[sccaligirl]

yeah i believe it is getting bad gas mileage, ive only driven it here and there on that one half a tank for about a week

[Signmaster]

Have you put gas in the car since it happened?

It could simply be that the gauge reads a little high and the tank is almost empty, in which case certain turns, stops, movements in general are making it hard to pick up fuel.

I would think that if the ECTS/thermostat combination was the cause it would stall with your foot off the gas under other straight line conditions as well. In either case they are items to check.

[sccaligirl]

yeah i have put 5 bucks gas in it here and there. its done it with a 1/4 tank gas in it.

[sccaligirl]

I am starting to think its the EGR valve instead

[Signmaster]

The EGR can do it, but usually it wouldn't matter which way you are turning. When the EGR on our car went it was the no throttle situations that were the most pronounced.

[drewjt80]

Hi Im new to this board and thought id register after seeing this question...

Did anyone figure out what this could be? My 99 SL1 has the same issue. If I have less than 1/4 tank of gas, the car will stall out when making right hand turns, or stopping quickly. Sometimes, if I blip the gas, it can prevent it from stalling, someitmes not. Usually, if this happens on a freeway cloverleaf, I can repop the clutch and itll restart.

[Farmboyethan18]

I have a 2003 v6 wagon. Lw300. I was driving it the other day and at the top of the hill it stalled out. Then i drove it a 1/4 mile and felt like it was stalling again. I pressed on the gas and it lurched and it drove fast. Any ideas about what could be wrong?

[fdryer]

Mileage, maintenance, parts replaced? It be may better to post a new thread in the L-series tech forum. You're in the S-series forum with a different engine most here find %@#!*$ to work on. If you came here by mistake, try this; http://www.saturnfans.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=193833