News:

Due to a technical issue, some recently uploaded pictures have been lost. We are investigating why this happened but the issue has been resolved so that future uploads should be safe.  You can also Modify your post (MORE...) and re-upload the pictures in your post.

Main Menu

1993 fleetwood brougham stalling at idle

Started by Wyonia Miller, March 14, 2007, 01:05:36 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Wyonia Miller

I cant get this car fixed,hopefully someone has had this problem.My caddy surges,misss shakes and dies sometimes idling.Sometimes five times within three blocks.It takes off sometimes after it does this way to fast.I can give it gas and it doesnt affect it.I have replaced gas filter,plugs, wires,disbitor,rotor button,oxgyn sensor,idle air control valve.I have took it to a cadillac dealer and they cant find it.Does anyone know what this might be? It runs perfect until you stop.I disconnect the idle air control and it didnt die but it done 40 mph without touching the gas.  Thanks

David #19063

Hello Wyonia,

Sorry to hear about your troubles.

Two things come to my mind.

First, I have had issues like this with my old carburated cars when the choke pull off was defective and when you came to a stop, the choke butterflies would close too much and basically choke off the air to the engine stalling it out.  I do not know if fuel injection cars have a similar thing?

Second (unlikely, but you never know), you say that it only does this when you come to a stop?  Is it worse when you only go up to 20 mph and then stop or when you get up to 40-6- mph and stop.  I have had some friends that had their torque convertor not unlock when coming to a stop making the car seem like a manual trans coming to a stop without pushing the clutch in.

Has the Cadillac dealer test drove it and duplicated your problems?

Is it worse when the car is cold and just started or when it is warm?  Or just as bad either way?

Does the car run at 70 mph fine?  Or not?

Details will help us.

When did the issue first start?

Was ANY work AT ALL done on the car prior to the issue starting?

Did you only use plug wires bought at the Cadillac Dealer?  Or did you use aftermarket wires from an auto store.  

What exact plugs did you use?  The factory ones?

You said you replaced the distributor?

Did you buy all the other distributor parts at the Cadillac Dealer?

What did the Cadillac Dealers engine diagnostics show?

Please give us these details and anything else you can think of as well and maybe some of us can help you.

David

Wyonia Miller

Quote from: David #19063Hello Wyonia,

Sorry to hear about your troubles.

Two things come to my mind.

First, I have had issues like this with my old carburated cars when the choke pull off was defective and when you came to a stop, the choke butterflies would close too much and basically choke off the air to the engine stalling it out.  I do not know if fuel injection cars have a similar thing?

Second (unlikely, but you never know), you say that it only does this when you come to a stop?  Is it worse when you only go up to 20 mph and then stop or when you get up to 40-6- mph and stop.  I have had some friends that had their torque convertor not unlock when coming to a stop making the car seem like a manual trans coming to a stop without pushing the clutch in.    Hello David,thanks for answering ,I finally found your reply.My car started sputtering at high speed,I took it to my local mechanic and he said it needed a tune up,so I bought platium plugs ,wires ,distribator cap, rotor button.He put all that on it,then it started dying when it was hot at idle,it wasnt doing that until the mechanic so called fixed it.I usually drive it about 60 mph for 30 thirty miles then when I get to a red light it will shake,miss,surge and die. it doesnt do it every time sometimes its worse than others.If it doesnt die it will take off to fast and I have to hold the brake to keep it from rear ending someone.Ive replaced the gas filter,oyxen sensor,idle air control valve which was really carbined up.The cadillac dealer couldnt get it to die,It supposedly check out good on all monitered test.It acts like a dirty carberator or a clogged gas filter.I bought all my parts at napa as I know the others arent to good.Ive had caddys for twenty years I usually work on them my self as the old ones was easy to deal with.This one isnt to complicated with eletronics but I cant hit the right part.It runs perfect when its acting right.I dies if Im going slow or fast when I stop.It runs perfect at seventy or beyond.It just started doing this one morning when I got in it.I can shut it off and restart it after its pulled its little episode and it pulls out of it for awhile.Would a torque converter jerk bad like somebody driving a stick that didnt have the hang of it? It doesnt vibrate, its more of a bad miss,choked for air or gas kind of thing.  Thanks wyonia

David #19063

Wyonia,

I have no idea for sure.  Hopefully some of the true mechanics on this Forum will jump in and make suggestions.

Did your mechanic use wires bought from Cadillac or aftermarket?  I heard (and only have Cadillac wires used on my cars) that non-Cadillac wires can cause problems.

What you describe reminds me of when my brother has to replace his electronic ignition distributor in his car.  It would run fine on the highway but not at idle or off idle.  It would surge & sputter.  But I do not even know if you car uses a distributor?

I have also heard that weak coils can start to over heat and cause similar problems.  I believe these cars use some type of coil packs?  

Does the ECM computer check out ok?

However, just using logic, if your car did not do this prior to the tune up, then something done during the tune up may be the cause.  

David

TJ H 20664

A 93 should a 350/5.7 Chev with the 2bbl Throttle Body Injection system.  Prety much identical to what was in the trucks after 87.  Its a small cap HEI with a single coil that sits next to it.  

Other than when its doing this stalling thing does it idle smooth or does it always surge?  If it surges make sure base settings are set properly. I bought a truck that the previous owner was told by several shops that it had a bad motor, there was a ton of new sensors on the thing and they guy had several receipts from a few differnt shops trying to solve the problems before he gave up. Took me 1 hour to get running right with no unusual tools. There is a procedure for setting the idle control and base throttle stops.  I dont remember the details but it involved something with a scan tool or a jumper in the diagnostic port.  I also remember that you never want to turn it on with the idle control thing out of the throttle body or you will spen a lot of time looking for the parts that fly off.  If the idle motor is not calibrated right and or someone has messed with the base idle setting the computer will be confused and always trying to fix it. If there is a vacuum leak and someone has tried to compensate for it that will mess things up.  Same goes for the timing/distributor there is a procedure for getting it to its base setting and if you dont follow it the computer gets confused.   Once you set or verify that all those base settings are correct you can then start looking for vacuum leaks and such.  A stuck EGR could also cause a stumble but I would check everything else first.

TJ H
20664
StPaul/Mpls MN USA

Wyonia Miller

Thanks David, for your message.No my car wasnt doing this before I took it in for a tune up.I think the mechanic knocked a vaccum line off or crossed one,crossed a wire or something.I didnt replace the distbitor just the cap.I would have thought the dealership could have found the problem but since my caddy is old they dont care about it to much.  Thanks for your help.

Wyonia Miller

Hello, Thanks for your reply.My mechanic put in a new distribitor cap and rotor button,I doubt if he set anything right as I dont think he has the equipement to check it.It does have a 350 chevy motor. It idles real smooth until it starts this surging, missing ,dying thing.It runs perfect with plenty of power and no miss fire until you stop at a light.It will take off burning rubber after it pulls its little coughing spell.  Thanks for your help.