QuestionQUESTION: Hi,
I own a 1998 Cirrus that currently has slightly over 95000 miles on it. The spark plugs, wires, distributor, and EGR valve have been replaced within the last 10k miles. A few weeks ago the check engine light came on, but went off a few days later. The car ran fine for about a week, until the car "stuttered" on my way to work one morning. I thought it may have been because the car was low on fuel, and dirt was making its way into the engine, but the problem continued and only got worse. The car was taken to a mechanic, where he checked the onboard computer and diagnosed the EGR valve as being the problem. It was replaced and the car made the trip home without a problem. However, the problem continued the next day going to work. Over the course of a week, I stalled a couple times on the way back from work, and this morning stalled for the first time going there (it used to only "stutter" or "hiccup" before). The car starts almost immediately after it stalls, and continues without a problem until I reach my destination. It takes a bit longer for the problem to occur in the morning, but it happens at almost the same spot in each direction. The spark plugs were checked, and they look almost new. Like I mentioned before the EGR valve was recently replaced. After doing some research online, I saw that cam sensor or the crankshaft position sensor can cause a similar problem. Do you have an thought on what the problem might be? Thank you for your time and any help you can offer.
ANSWER: Hi Aleks,
The cam or crank sensor can behave in this manner, specifically as they warm up they may begin to falter, cause a shut down, cool-off and recover, engine starts again, etc. The later occurence in the morning could be a reflection of a start up from an initial lower temperature. I would seek a code readout. Try the ignition key:"on-off-on-off-on and leave on" doing that in 5 seconds or less elapsed time. It may show the 4-digit codes in the odometer window in place of the mileage reading. The codes for the cam and crank are 0340 and 0320, respectively. You might not get codes this way, in which case an independent shop may charge around $40 to get them. Autozone parts stores will often do the readout free, but call ahead to ascertain that is the case.
Let me know what codes you get and we'll go from there. Use the "thank and rate" tab to get back as you won't have to wait for me to be "available" that way.
Roland
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Not so much a question, but more of a follow up to my problem. After visiting a junk yard and replacing the crankshaft sensor, then the auto shutoff relay, and finally the distributor, the car was running fine once again. There was quite a bit corrosion inside the one port on the distributor cap, my dad said he thought this was probably a contributor to the problem, if not the whole problem itself.
AnswerHi Aleks,
Any of those parts could cause the stall/restart behavior. When you say the "corrosion inside the one port on the distributor cap" was that the connector to the spark tower of the coil in the distributor body? or? The crank sensor is the most likely culprit. You did say when you first wrote that the distributor had been replaced already, so was this a second distributor replacement? The ASD relay is an interesting possibility, though it is not a solid state device, merely a classical actuation coil and contact points.
Thanks for the progress report. You can get back to me with any answers by means of the "thank and rate" tab where there is a space for comments.
Roland
