'90 Cavalier Stalling

[magnat]

I am having problems with my '90 Chevy Cavalier sedan, automatic transmission, 135,000 miles. While driving it will suddenly die, sometimes it will die at a stop light. After about one minute it will restart and drive fine until I reach my destination. It has died while going several different speeds, while sitting at a stop light, and when pulling out from a stop light.

In the morning I drive 5 miles to a stop sign, then 15 miles to the next stop, a light. It's all highway, 55-60 mph. If the car dies, it will be within a mile of or at the stop light. After restarting in a minute, it will run fine until I get to work, another 10 miles of driving through town with stop lights every couple of miles. Between lights the car is going about 55 mph The car does not always die going to work. It dies in warm weather as well as cold weather.

The drive home is just opposite and the car dies almost every evening along the same one mile stretch, which is about 10 miles after I leave work and am driving through all those stop lights. In the evening it dies either while driving or a light. In a minute or so it restarts and runs fine all the way home.

In the evening if I stop at a store that is about a mile before the stretch where the car always dies the car will not die on the way home (so far anyway).

When the car dies it usually does so suddenly with only a slight warning when it suddenly seems sluggish or hesitant for a couple of seconds before stalling. If I take my foot off the gas pedal immediately it might sputter and run rough for a few feet before dying.

Last week I had the car at a repair shop where they checked it over. I was told they could not find anything wrong and it did not die there. But the guy also said he did not have time to take it for a long drive, and it's always a good 15 miles before I have any problems. He said the fuel pump was working fine, but did not mention what else they had checked.

I towed this car back to my home in March 2004 after my father passed away. He had owned it for about one year and never drove it more than 5 miles at once during that time. The first four months I drove it the car ran fine, then suddenly started to die very infrequently, maybe once every two weeks. I put a bottle of carb cleaner in the gas tank and it made a big difference in the idle sound, much smoother. It also stopped dying for about another three months after adding the carb cleaner. When it started to die again a few weeks ago I put another bottle of the cleaner in the gas tank but this time it did not seem to have any effect. The fuel filter was also changed with no improvement.

Any thoughts or suggestions on what might be causing this problem?

[GMCSonoma]

It sounds to me to be the transmission TCC solenoid, which is located behind the transmission side cover. THe TCC engages about 35 to 40 MPH when cruising, almost like an add'l gear, however the solenoid may fail when hot, and much like when you drive a manual transmissioned car, and forget to step on the clutch when braking to a stop, the same is occurring when the TCC is engaged and the torque convertor is locked into "direct drive" for lack of a better explanation, anyways, it can be unplugged, and that may or may not turn on the SES light and your fuel economy may suffer too. My dealer charges $235 for the diagnosis and repair of the TCC in your car.

[magnat]

Thanks for the response. If it is the TCC solenoid how is that diagnosed? I was thinking the next step would be to take it to a Chevy dealer and have them run diagnostics.

[GMCSonoma]

Originally Posted by magnat

Thanks for the response. If it is the TCC solenoid how is that diagnosed? I was thinking the next step would be to take it to a Chevy dealer and have them run diagnostics.

Usually we would disconnect it when warm to see if it did stall as well, if not, simple, otherwise we'd look towards the ignition system somewhere.

[magnat]

Last week I had the solenoid replaced on this Cavalier. It was about the same cost to replace it as having it disconnected, driving to test it, then having to pay for it to either be reconnected or replaced.

The first morning I drove it with the new solenoid it did not die at all. That evening on the way home it died once. The next day it died after driving eight miles on the highway. I stopped at the first light and it was fine, a block later at the second light it died. Took about 3 minutes to restart.

Two mornings ago I started to pull out of my driveway and it died. The car had been warming up a few minutes before I started out. It restarted in just a few seconds, then died again in the two normal places after driving a long distance. That evening on the way home it died three times within a one mile stretch, either sitting at a red light or slowing down approaching a red light.

Sometimes when the car is starting to stall I can hear it misfire in the engine. It is a sound like a little dull thump when the plugs fires but there is nothing there to ignite. After the car dies there is usually a strong smell of carbon inside it.

Sometimes when I am starting to pull out from a red light and it feels like the car is getting ready to stall I can prevent it by very firmly accelerating. And sometimes that will cause several misfires of the plugs, then it dies. At those times it takes several minutes to restart, possibly because it gets flooded.

Any thoughts or suggestions on what else to check? Could there be something causing the solenoid to stop working correctly?

Thanks,

Pat

[GMCSonoma]

Well, so much for my diagnosis! I would look next at the ignition system, possibly a crank sensor or ignition module.

[magnat]

After you mentioned the TCC solenoid I did a lot of reading on what it is and does. I found a ton of stories, all identical to mine, of cars stalling in exactly the same scenario. Many were Cavaliers, lots were Chevrolets. Evidently problems with the TCC solenoid are common with Cavaliers, especially those manufactured after 1988. It seemed like a really good gamble, and I do not regret replacing the solenoid.

Before the solenoid was changed I tried doing a test I found. After driving a good 20 miles so that everything was well warmed up, I was cruising along about 50 mph and lightly tapped the brake. I was supposed to feel the TCC slightly disengage, then re-engage. Instead the car bucked hard 5-6 times and I thought it would die but it did keep going OK. At that time it seemed like I was on the right track with the solenoid.

I have been dealing with this problem for four months now, and I think it's time to find a new ride before I end up running into someone when the car dies and the brakes don't work.

Pat