HELP car died, ominous symptoms!

TheEdgeofSanity · 04-12-2010, 03:32 AM

ahhh, having the night from hell. my car died 3 times on my way back to school (250 mile trip) and now that I am back, it will not start at all. Here's the story. Tonight, going on a 15 mile trip to Taco Bell, I had 3 friends with me and we all noticed that my car was stumbling really really bad. Its been doing this off and on for about a month now. Then, driving back to school, about 50 miles into the trip on flat road doing 60 mph, the car shifted into 3rd and barely could maintain 60. Then, it went back to normal. Then, about 10 miles before I was back to school, I had the cruise set on 75 (on freeway now) and I noticed that car was slowing down to 65 and chugging really badly. So, I let off cruise, push pedal to floor, car is slowly decelerating, then engine completely dies. I pull over, turn key and engine just turns over but does not show any signs of starting. Call parents who are ready to call a tow truck, but after a half-hour of sitting, the car starts and i take off. Stumbling is really bad now, but I get nearly back to school (1 mile-ish) and it dies again just like before. After waiting 15 minutes, it starts again and I get back to my dorm and unpack then take it to the parking garage where it dies a 3rd time as I am parking. I literally pushed it into the spot and left it there.

PLEASE HELP because I am far from home and don't want to tow it all the way back!

p.s. No flashing SES light, but SES light is always lit for an evap leak that I have been trying to get solved so who knows if I have new codes. Also, car was running at normal temp and fluids are all good. No other lights.

Nate's Alero · 04-12-2010, 06:51 AM

hmm. check for stored codes behind that EVAP code...

Ryan from Ohio · 04-12-2010, 08:56 AM

Sounds like a clogged cat to me.

Get the hair ball out?

zzyzzx · 04-12-2010, 09:16 AM

How amny miles are on the car. Without knowing, I am tending to agree with Ryan.

TheEdgeofSanity · 04-12-2010, 10:43 AM

the car has 128,200 miles on it. I have experienced a clogged cat before and don't really think that is the issue because this surging problem has been intermediate for the last couple months (see previous threads) and in the periods that the car ran ok, I had good acceleration that I wouldn't expect with a clogged cat. After talking to my dad, mechanic uncle, and a friend who is in mechanic school, I am leaning towards a fried fuel pump or a malfunctioning sensor (MAF and IAT are suspected)

rida125 · 04-12-2010, 10:50 AM

could it be that you got a fuel pump going out? that would be one of my own guesses. or maybe the fuel filter is going bad now

[ion] C2 · 04-12-2010, 11:24 AM

I have HPTuners, where are you gonna be at today?

comanche · 04-12-2010, 01:00 PM

I'm with rida125... maybe a fuel pump going bad, probably because of a clogged fuel filter.

TheEdgeofSanity · 04-12-2010, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by [ion] C2

I have HPTuners, where are you gonna be at today?

i am stranded in east lansing.

jayson_waltz · 04-12-2010, 04:04 PM

sounds like a fuel starvation problem. your fuel pump is likely going out. or you just didn't fill it with gas

JK

TheEdgeofSanity · 04-13-2010, 12:09 PM

slight update: i went to the parking garage to see if i could figure out anything and the car started right up without issue and idled perfectly fine - basically the opposite of how it was running when it died. I guess this rules out bad gas? i really don't know where to go from here!

Ryan from Ohio · 04-13-2010, 01:33 PM

Fuel filter?

If its not the clogged cat then it sounds like a fuel problem...

Ive heard the pigtail connectors @ the fuel pump melt... Maybe it gets worse when its hot?

?

Next time its running like poo shut it off and check the fuel pressure.