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Non-Contour Trouble shoot!

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ZeroHour

Mod/Salad Tosser
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Joined
Feb 7, 2005
Messages
2,275
Location
Eastern PA
So the backup ride, '87 Cavy, stalled out when I brake to a complete stop. :confused: And it doesn't just stall, its sputters to a death until I completely stop.

It did this twice today. The second time I restarted the car twice, but it stalled when I put it into drive. :shrug: I put it in neutral, rolled it back about 10 feet, started it up, and dropped the 3-speeder into first.

So the question is, is there a relation between stalling while braking and putting the car into drive? My guess is that the trans is going retarded, but it drove fine for 35 miles to school and this only happened on the way back.

Is it possible that the gears are not kicking down while I am braking? The car drove fine other wise, and still shifted through the gears while in motion.

I'm open to suggestions!


specs:
1987 Cavaliar
2.0L OHV Motor
3-Speeder THM125 trans (automatic)
97K - Basically same fleet as all of the Cavaliars, Sunbirds, Firehawks.

(EDIT)
Maintenacne:
-New Oil pan & gasket (my doing don't ask) Still drips slowly.
-New Heater core (good damn plastic tubes)
-New plugs
-Cold air intake (FTW! :laugh:)
-Has replaced alternator before I bought it
-New serpentine belt
-New Battery

I had basically put this together as a winter rider, and a commuter so I didn't need to abuse the Contour as much!
 
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My wife had a 91 cavy and it sputtered to death for a while. I did a few things and nothing seemed to help. It would only do it every once in a while though. I could floor the car while I was driving and it wouldn't go any faster at all. It was shaking like crazy and sometimes it would shut off when I came to a stop. We ended up trading it in on the contour se. It was the biggest peace of junk ever. I would never buy another cavy. Hell it would be hard to except one as a gift. It also had around 170k miles and it was the 4 cylinder.
 
You know the drill. Scan for codes and post the exact codes.

Some ideas would be fuel filter, sp wires, sp, tranny (do a fluid change first), O2 sensor, air filter, tb, ignition rotor(?).
 
Maybe I should have posted the 2 page post I layed up on jbody.org for it. :laugh:

The motor is fine. Which is why I said it started right up. It has no problem revving through the rpms, and the motor wasn't cold.

The car would start to buck and sputter like you didn't depress the clutch and tried to stop.

(EDIT)
I added a maintenance list to the top...

Also before everyone jumps on a dead tranny wagon, IT SHIFTS FINE WHILE ITS DRIVING! And it did several other complete stops without stalling. It is somehow tranny to brake related. Cause if I let off the brakes it stopped bucking, but I had to stop for the intersections!

My best thoughts so far are:

1) Leak in the brake booster? Something fudging with the vaccuum making it stall. (you know like on the Contour if you have a leak post MAF sensor, car stalls out)

2) Something funny is going on with the kick down solenoid, ei the trans is not leaving gear when I am braking, hence the bucking.
 
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ZeroHour said:
Maybe I should have posted the 2 page post I layed up on jbody.org for it. :laugh:

The motor is fine. Which is why I said it started right up. It has no problem revving through the rpms, and the motor wasn't cold.

The car would start to buck and sputter like you didn't depress the clutch and tried to stop.

(EDIT)
I added a maintenance list to the top...

Also before everyone jumps on a dead tranny wagon, IT SHIFTS FINE WHILE ITS DRIVING! And it did several other complete stops without stalling. It is somehow tranny to brake related. Cause if I let off the brakes it stopped bucking, but I had to stop for the intersections!

My best thoughts so far are:

1) Leak in the brake booster? Something fudging with the vaccuum making it stall. (you know like on the Contour if you have a leak post MAF sensor, car stalls out)

2) Something funny is going on with the kick down solenoid, ei the trans is not leaving gear when I am braking, hence the bucking.
Click to expand...

So kick it in neutral when approaching a stop and see if it still chugs real bad, if yes it's probably vacuum/brake related. If no it's probably transmission related, like you said not kicking down ;)
 
No Cel...

Best conclusion so far is the change the Torque converter clutch switch, which involves cracking open the trans case. :laugh:
 
I would say that it maybe a vacuum leak at the brake booster as you suggested but sounds more like the Torque converter clutch solenoid. It sounds as though the torque converter is staying locked up thus causing the problem. This happened on my 95 cav and there was no check engine light. I had the tccs changed and it fixed the problem. I don't think they had to open the trans though, maybe just drop the tranny pan which is no big deal.
 
99SE said:
That is what hers felt like. I also had no engine lights on while it was doing it. ????
Click to expand...

Welcome to a car design from 1980 dude... :blackeye: Yeah it just stalls, and the battery light and the oil light go on. :rolleyes:


Yeah You have to take what I've come to all the "rear" differential pan off. :laugh: Which is actually on the driverside of the motor, but its a circle shaped pan with a mild buldge. Kinda reminded me of a rear differential cover. :laugh:

Basically take that off, let it bleed out, swap the part, bolt it back together.

This is apparently a very common thing on alot of GM vehicles. Its basically a CEL to change your trans fluid in the ATX. :troutslap:
 
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