I have a 04 cavalier 2.2 ecotec manual 5 speed
I was driving my car back from my friend’s house yesterday. When suddenly my car stalled out on me. I restarted the car at it was idling at 850 like normal, and then it dropped to 650 and stalled out. I tried 3 more times, this time they stayed around 650. After the last try it wouldn’t start anymore. I waited about 10 minutes and it started and stalled. This morning I tried again. It started and stalled. I turned on the ignition to hear if my fuel pump was turning on it did, but made a sound if it was struggling.
I had my battery checked at AutoZone and they told me that the battery would not hold a charge. So I bought a new one and installed it. The car did not want to start. All fuses are good. I don’t have a pressure gauge to check fuel pressure. The next things I’m going to check are alternator, fuel filter (replace) and fuel pump. Can anyone lead me in the write direction with this?
The altenator or battery shouldnt have anything to do with lower idle rpms should it? My guess is the battery was drained by trying to start it to many times...When it does start does it run rough?? Also when it doesnt want to start does it turn over like normal??
Check the dealership for a reflash on your pcm. I believe you have a similar problem i had with low idle and random stalling. Only difference was i could always start it right away
when the problem is solved please let us know how it went. How much it costs and the details would be great!
i does run rough when it does start. i took the battery to auto zone and said that it could not hold a charge. i had my friend help me by trying to start the car and listening by the fuel tank to see if i can hear the pump. it made a struggling sound and after that it didn't turn on . I remembered about hitting the fuel tank to see if i would start and it did as long as you keep hitting it. I'm thinking it the fuel pump. but not sure yet. I'm going to buy a fuel pressure tester when i get paid to see what the pressure is. the hitting the fuel tank is something one of the older mechanics have told me to do to see if it's the fuel pump.
Probably the fuel pump. I had about the same problem happen to me 4 months ago.
The dealership here kept giving me the run around. So, I took it to a trusted mechanics garage.
They replaced the fuel pump, after a hefty bill. Those fuel pumps are not cheap by any means.
But, I haven't had any problems since.
Might as well replace the fuel filter too.
if it runs rough or missing it may be the ingition control moduel, here is a link to what happend to mehttp://www.ecotecpower.com/forums/read.php?f=6&i=1128&t=1128 this lil thing is a piece of crap, ive had to change it out like 2, and my car did the same as urs it stalled out and wouldnt turn back on, check urs out, i honestly think it may be this
is it running rich due to a bad fuel rgulator, how is the exhaust, blackish and smell of raw gas, and the plugs, wet may be, not sure what you mean by struggling, if it's a bad regulator the pump will have a louder sound as the pressure builds up due to a bad regulator or inoperative fuel regulator, the regulatore hepls keep the fuel pressure at say 40-60 psi, by redirecting excess fuel back to the tank, and when it goes bad, the fuel pressure climbs up 100+ psi, more pressure at the injectors means too much fuel into the engine
it doesn't have any problems with ignition or running rich. it just doesn't have fuel pressure. does anyone know how to remove the heat shield on the fuel tank? i started to remove my fuel tank, but could not figure out how to remove the heat shield and the repair manual i have doesn't tell me how. so if anyone knows and can tell me how that would help a lot and thanks everyone for your help.
You may have to lower the exhaust to get the heat shield off..but you should b-able to just undo all the bolts and then maneuver it around till it comes out...b-sure to reinstall it...i do know the F/P's up to the 04 ones the impeller falls off...so you hear the pump come on...but no fuel to the rail....i would say its your pump...
167,000 on an Ecotec since 02
