Engine Stalling while driving

[gk35]

1994 Bonneville, 220K miles

Made my usual left hand turn onto the road on the way to work this AM and the engine stalled. Coasted to the curb and tried to restart. Starter turns engine but engine didn't fire at first. Check Engine light came on. I pulled the negative cable off the battery to hopefully clear the code and the engine started briefly, then stalled again. This time no Check Engine light. Removed the negative battery cable again, this time for a few minutes. Put it back, and the engine started. It got me home, about a quarter mile down the road.

So, maybe cranksaft or camshaft sensor issue?

[96 SSEi]

I would first pull the code - you can unplug the MAF sensor and see if it improves

[J Wikoff]

A code being active won't stop the car from running. So whenever possible, preserve the code. It's the bad part that stops the car, and clearing the code won't fix a bad part. If a reset gets you home, so be it.

[gk35]

OK, I replaced both the crankshaft and camshaft sensors. Engine will still not fire up. And I cannot pull any codes since this '94 seems to be the intermediate between OBDI and OBDII. It has an OBDII connector, but none of the auto stores can pull codes. I even took it to an official North Carolina Inspection station and they couldn't pull any codes.

So I guess my next steps are maybe 1) use starter fluid to see if I can get the engine to fire for a few seconds, 2) check the injector wires with a noid light, 3) check fuel pressure.

Any other steps I could take before throwing more parts at it?

[96 SSEi]

yes, dont throw anything at it except a paperclip............

https://www.gmforum.com/obd-i-troublesh ... st-306836/

and...... https://www.freeautomechanic.com/diagno ... odes5.html

see if you can pull the codes and post back, ok?

[gk35]

yes, dont throw anything at it except a paperclip............

https://www.gmforum.com/obd-i-troublesh ... st-306836/

This trick won't work because my '94 has an OBDII connector, not the 12 pin ALDL OBD connector.

[96 SSEi]

ok, well, I guess this diagnostic is in order

https://troubleshootmyvehicle.com/gm/3. ... ondition-1

follow the steps and you can find the issue without swapping things.

[gk35]

ok, well, I guess this diagnostic is in order

https://troubleshootmyvehicle.com/gm/3. ... ondition-1

follow the steps and you can find the issue without swapping things.

Well, that website was most helpful! It helped me quickly eliminate any issues with the fuel pump. I purchased a $6 in-line spark tester and found no spark at any of the cylinders. I probed the hot wire leading into the ICM and found no voltage. So I cleaned the contacts of all relevant fuses, checked that all relays were working, and cleaned the ICM ground wire post and battery terminals. After that, the engine fired up as if nothing was ever wrong.

Thanks for leading me to this website!

[96 SSEi]

thats great!!