04 grand am periodically wont start and sometomes stalls

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goosemanx

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my 04 grand am some times wont start just rolls,if left for awhile next try could start right up,and after every fill up it takes it awhile to start,lately its starting to stop running while driving,if left for a few mins it will start again.
im nervous to drive it anywhere
any suggestions to what is causing this
a code shows up sometimes ,cant rem the number but I think it was something like high pressure flow
 
you need to post the code, autozone does free reads. The problem with the start up after filling could be related to the evaporative emission system. How many miles since a basic tuneup, fuel filter, air filter? How many miles on the spark plugs?
 
some additional info
car was reciently in an accident ,air bags deployed
bur now replaced out of an 01 grand am (matching part numbers)
when car dies all dash lights come on and loud buzzing noise comes from stereo area in dash
engine wont even turn over until a few seconds after lights go back out
 
changed out the fuel pump today ,still no power going to the new pump
also changed fuel pump relay and fuse
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why did you change the pump?
 
I thought pump was bad because when the key was turned to on position you could not hear the pump come on
 
did you check the relay first, did you use a voltmeter to check for a broke harness?
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relay and fuse is good,when I changed the fuel pump I also changed the short section of harness from the fuel pump to the first connection with a know working one
im not quite sure on how to check the wiring harness for a break
I also am getting a voltage reading when key is turned on between 30-87 pin and 85-86 pin
 
First thing to do is hide your wallet.
Dont go and buy parts without troubleshooting and really believing that you need it.
with starting problems and running problems like you described reminded me of my 99 Pontiac. Had same kind of symptoms and finally got it fixed after doing some thorough troubleshooting of a couple different systems in the car. definitely get that code your was talking about and don't just focus on the code because it can be a few things not related to the code.

starting and running problems can be broken down into simple troubleshooting by categories.

It will either be electrical, fuel, air, or data that is not getting to where it needs to get.
breaks and cracks in electrical lines are the first place i would start looking after checking all your fuses for looseness. Pinched rubber hoses or expanded old hoses is another. When your engine gets hot the rubber hoses will expand and constrict when cold which can prevent intake and exhaust air to flow properly. If u have any kind of oil leaks what so ever then u really need to clean all your hoses and wires thoroughly as the grease and oil buildup will hide cracks and holes in your airflow and electrical systems.

Btw....mine was a multiple error problem that included 6 error codes. one of the major ones was because my power steering return hose had a leak....which spewed powersteering fluid everywhere and it caked up on the electrical coils. It wasnt until i got all the oil and grease cleaned up until i found the main problem, which was...at the base of the electrical coil pack there was a wire coming from the cam shaft position sensor and at the base i could see approximately a quarter inch of bare wire after i cleaned all the oil up. That explained why it was intermittently causing problems. i replaced the cam shaft position sensor and got rid of 3 codes just by doing that. (not that this will be your problem) So to sum it up....troubleshoot it by categories....

Electrical
airflow/smog devices
fuel delivery problem
data not being received properly (due to wires being rerouted and getting cross talk from other wires, bare-wire....cracks in wires...etc..

Break it down like this and i promise you will be running right again for allot less money.
 
goosemanx said:
some additional info
car was reciently in an accident ,air bags deployed
bur now replaced out of an 01 grand am (matching part numbers)
when car dies all dash lights come on and loud buzzing noise comes from stereo area in dash
engine wont even turn over until a few seconds after lights go back out
Click to expand...

after rereading your symptoms i remember a incident where we had to have our key lock cylinder replaced because it got worn out and the key simply wouldn't turn the ignition. Anyways when we went to pick up the car from some aamco place we took it to, it did the same thing that you describe above. (car dies and all dash lights come on and buzzing noise comes from stereo area in dash.)

because the geniuses at aamco had to disconnect the battery to repalce the ignition lock cylinder, they were also supposed to reprogram the brain for the security features in the stereo as they had to take out the stock stereo in order to get to the connection that lead to the lock cylinder. I believe its called Gm Pass lock security system that came in all gm cars back then. i will post more info after finding this place that had allot of info and solved our problem...its worth a look... to be continued.....
 
ok i found it ....

once again this may or may not be your problem..but considering that you had airbag system repaired would mean that they had to disable the ignition control module and disconnect the battery which would lead to some of the symptoms your describing. I ended up doing this technique. after 3 months of frustration and still works today. you can read about it here.

Good Luck.
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just an update
I fixed the problem with the codes , they were emissions related
the problem cleared up on its own (yes the car seems to have been healed)for about three months the car ran perfect like nothing was ever wrong with it,
however today the problems are back again just like the last curse.
while driving today all gauges just stopped working
and lights in instrument cluster came on which were brake lights , service engine soon , low fuel light (even though had full tank)and security light.
then all of a sudden everything started working as normal
this happened twice today
please help
 
just an update
I fixed the problem with the codes , they were emissions related
the problem cleared up on its own (yes the car seems to have been healed)for about three months the car ran perfect like nothing was ever wrong with it,
however today the problems are back again just like the last curse.
while driving today all gauges just stopped working
and lights in instrument cluster came on which were brake lights , service engine soon , low fuel light (even though had full tank)and security light.
then all of a sudden everything started working as normal
this happened twice today
please help
 
check?? / replace the battery cables?? be sure they are clean & terminals very clean too then= id actually go to the starter & remove & have tested!! Likely a solenoid problem or starter ??
 
could also be a cluster going bad
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Could you be having the legendary security light problem? Which can be fixed by disabling the security system. Check if the security light is flashing when it happens.
 
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