Take my advice. Take the car to a garage. Based on the details of your explanation, you do not posses the ability to explain the problem, never mind fixing it.

I don't mean to be rude, but, sometimes, it's better to just go to the "man".

The fact that you went to the filling station TWICE??????? to get gas a second time did it for me.

If you don't mean to be rude, then why are you? I made the trip twice because, as I explained, I put five gallons in the tank previously based on the assumption that the fuel gage was giving a faulty reading. I wanted to make sure there was sufficient fuel and the gas station had only these tiny gallon gas cans for sale.

Sheesh. I am trying to save some much-needed cash. Taking it to the man, even on the Naval base, is going to cost money I can ill afford.

Thanks for the 'help'.

Cent13

Sorry. I went back and reread your first post. Just in case I missed something.

I stand by my first response. Take it to the man.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-FUEL-SENDING-UNIT-1999-2000-CHEVY-CAVALIER-MU181_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZ72Q3a1205Q7c66Q3a2Q7c65Q3a12Q7c39Q3a1Q7c240Q3a1318Q7c301Q3a1Q7c293Q3a1Q7c294Q3a50QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQhashZitem170274217679QQitemZ170274217679QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

There is a wire that is taped to the harness under the hood. It is just behind the driver's side upper spring mount. It should have a red plastic cover on the slide on spade connector. It should be the only plastic connector cover that is red. This wire runs directly to the in tank electric fuel pump. If you connect a test light to this, it will allow you to know if the pump is running. The only other way would be to check for fuel pump pressure. That tester is a lot more money than a test light.

The alternator problem is either the diode trio, or the voltage regulator. It may be easier to exchange it for a rebuilt. They have driven the price of rebuilds quite low.

If I remember the wiring on this car, the relay is only used during starting of the engine. After that the fuel pump power come from the oil pressure switch. If your fuel pump is stopping after you start, check the oil pressure switch. You should see this from watching the test light. Good luck, and welcome to the site.

Okay, I will check the wire you mentioned. 12 volt test light, right? I assume the other end will be connected to the frame.

The oil pressure switch is a good idea. It would explain why the engine idles fine for a few seconds, then dies. No signal from that switch, no gas after the initial shot from the start-up.

Cent13

Bob,

I read another post on these forums where you trotted the same text out with an addendum I did not see here regarding wiring color and so forth - and it became clear to me that 'behind the shock absorber well' meant towards the front of the vehicle.

My confusion. Am repairing the Alternator today. Read in that same forum thread that the alternator occasionally causes similar problems, and my alternator is definitely toast.

Another interesting note: these cars (for at least the year 2000) had either metal or plastic gas tanks. Apparently it matters a great deal which one you have if you need a fuel pump replacement, as the pumps are different for each style.

Thank you again for your patience.

Regards,

Cent13

Did I neglect to mention the front wheel? Sorry about that. That wire should be connected directly to the fuel pump. Good luck. Lets just go one step at a time.

You will find this very interesting; "Actron pocket scan code reader CP9125", see review at cnet.com about $110

Many vehicles have more than one fuel filter. Could yet be simple as water in the fuel but 10% ethanol in the gas should rules that out.

Thanks. Am getting ready to go to work now; should have the car home this evening. That is when I will test the oil pressure switch. If it is the trouble, and weather permits, I can drain the oil, put the car on jack stands and install a new one within the hour.

According to this Chilton's manual, there is only one fuel filter and I replaced it yesterday evening. But I will check again. Thanks for the info!

Regards,

Cent13

The oil switch is located above the oil level, so you do not have to drain the oil to change it. Good luck.

That is what I thought, based on the picture in the Chilton's. But the instructions said 'drain it'. I was going to wait until I could get a look before draining the sump, and it would appear that is no longer necessary.

Thanks!

Cent13

Okay...

I got the Cavalier towed home today and built a test light rig for the oil pressure switch.

Got the hood open and sure enough, could not find that red wire no matter how hard I looked.

So I looked under the car to get a feel for the clearance, and realized there was no way in heck I was going to reach that oil pressure switch without getting the car on a lift.

Well, now I am cussing a storm. At least the car is home, though, right? I jump the car from my minivan and get in anyway to give it one last try.

Damn thing starts right up. Runs like a watch. Well, not quite. The battery symbol is lit on the dashboard, and it goes out when I rev the engine, then reappears when the engine idles. So I know the alternator needs replacing.

What is going on here, guys? I am seriously freaking out. I have no idea what is causing it to quit, no idea why it would suddenly decide to run, and no way to prevent myself from being stranded again. Could it be the oil pressure switch is cutting in and out? Or is something else going on?

Cent13

You were poking and pulling the wiring and the connection was made now when will it happen again?

Is an old type alarm with mercury switch?

If car is in otherwise usable condition and you want it for transportation consider replacing the 19 year old wiring harness one segment at a time.

I have a 2000 impala LS 3.8L V6. It had about 138,000 miles. I parked the car and when i got ready to leave it wouldn't start. I thought it was the alternator. Had it checked at the parts store and the regulator wasn't sending out the right voltage. So i changed the alternator. Ran good then spuddered out and died. tried to figure it out without much luck. tried again first thing the next morning, started right up, idled good then all of a sudden it spuddered out and died again. it would run great when it was cold but as the engine warmed up the idle got more rough and it would kill it when approaching operating temperature.

I took it to the shop after 3 days of testing sensors on my own. It took them a week. The mass air flow sensor checked fine when it first started up but as the engine heated up the sensor was sending the signal to dump too much gas into the engine which was causing it to die. The part was $134.00 but taking it to the shop costed me $600 total.

I had a battery light come on once and it was because my belt was old and had to much slack in it. I replaced it and it got rid of the light.

The first problem drove me nuts i hope my explaination will save someone some time and money. Chevy Impalas have had a stalling problem apparently. This is what i discovered when i was trying to figure it out on my own. My solution was the mass air flow sensor. good luck.

Throttle position sensor can mimic same

Battery low? Did you measure the voltage? Too low to supply some electronics somewhere? Fuel pump running slow? (Badly designed electronics?)

You are welcome,

I had the same issue with three different vehicles in the last three years and the culprit was spark plugshow but changed the set and presto

bobc is very knowledgeable and not known to give a bum steer.

Thank you for the nice comment.

The bum steer is available for sale. (I can't afford to give it away.)

...also many vehicles have more than one fuel pump too.....!

Yes and this one does have one integral in the pump too.

Hi there,

I would get the charge rate right first before going any further....relays, pumps, gauges etc will then have their correct operating voltage and you may well have cured some of the problems. At least leave the jump leads of a known GOOD donor vehicle connected to your vehicle while you are testing everything else.

cryogen

Fuel Pump..... test for pressure, rent one at autozone, another way to confirm it is put a bit of gas in the intake though that can be hard to find a place witout taking the aircleanr off then putting it back on, if it runs a few seconds then dies each time you know it is the fuel pump,,,, any bets on this one??? im for the fuel pump dieing

It is very much possible, that the ventillation hole is blocked on your gas tank.

What will happen is, your tank will shrink, and shrink. Imagine a 1.5 litres Coca Cola bottle. Drink the contents out of it, then suck out the air. The bottle will shrink. That is what probably is happening, to your tank now.

More patience with a systematic approach is needed.

Before removing and replacing anything:

Prove the fuel is correct and pumping to the engine ok.

Prove the car can breath, ie. nothing blocking the exhaust.

Prove the spark is working ok by checking the plugs, timing, etc.
(even a simple break down in the plug leads can confuse one.)

Only when you have proved whatever, do you need to think,
may be it is...

For example: have you checked the earthing continuity strap
from the engine? A lose one can cause intermittent engine stops;
a sticking needle valve, (if applic.) a tracking carb. etc. etc. after
proving systematically the usual suspects, then look for the unusual.

Simply ripping things out and replacing them is only inviting more
trouble, because you are moving / changing things which "ain't broke!"

Hope this helps.

jt.

I love work; could watch it all day.

GA. Too many guesses. TEST FIRST.

Perhaps you should check the PVC valve to make sure the engine block is breathing correctly.

I also agree that you should check the pressure form the fuel pump.

Also disconnect the fuel line at a place after the fuel pump and pump some into a clear glass jar. Let it settle and verify that there is no water settling out on the bottom.

Good luck

As you can gather there are a lot of possible causes. Even more nowadays that engines use all kinds of sensors to monitor and adjust engine running conditions. In order to save money you could buy or hire the neccesary test equipment to do your own diagnostics but i suspect it would end up cheaper to go to the 'man' as suggested earlier. However, having said that a relatively cheap and useful diagnostic tool is a stethascope, one that comes with a tube attachment. Stick the ear pieces in your ears and place the tube end near the manifold junction with the block. As the engine warms up it may open and suck air. This will cause a stall.

In general you need to treat a car like a person. If a person appears dead do the A.B.C. ( check Airway, Breathing, Circulation ).

If a car appears dead check the Airway, Fuel supply, Ignition.

The airway can be blocked at the output ( muffler ) or in modern cars in the intake as in previous posts. Or it can be 'leaking' on the suck side, thereby throwing out the air/fuel ratio.

Fuel supply can be bypassed in carburettured cars by simply dribbling fuel into the carby as the engine is turned over. I don't know if this can be done with injected cars. What sort is the Cavalier?

Ignition can be checked by taking a lead off the engine and giving the end to an unsuspecting friend or wife to hold onto. You will soon know if it is firing. OR you can hold the lead close to an earth ( engine block ) and look for a spark.

Perhaps the easiest and cheapest option is to leave the car where it would be stolen. Then follow the thieves and see how they fix the problem.

Check for a broken battery post or connection

Seems an electrical trouble is mentioned.

Start by examining the battery itself, the terminals is one broken? Are the cables corroded; check for corrosion inside the insulation about four inches away from the terminal. Look at the mount or plate the battery is attached to, is evidence of corrosion? Could the battery be grounding out in it's mounting fixture?

note: a new engine wire harness cost less than a lube, oil and filter

I had similar problems with a 1986 Caddy. After much checking I ultimately had the gas tank lowered and replaced the fuel pump. That solved all problems! The fuel pump still pumped fuel, just not enough at the high pressure needed for the throttle body injectors to function properly.

TMF

Hi,

Think about an air leak on the suction side of the pump. This would definitely accord with the level of fuel in the tank (unless Chevys use a submerged pump!!). The presence of a small amount of air travelling from the pump to the injectors would account for the brief running time followed by the stall. Therefore check for perished suction side hoses or damaged fuel connections.

The in tank fuel pump is located midway between top and bottom. The suction is on the bottom of the pump. Therefore as the fuel level gets below some point, the pump could suck air, if the connection from the pump suction to the strainer was cracked, or loose. The way to test for this is a fuel pressure gauge. As the pump sucks air, the pressure will drop off. During sustained tight turns ( such as a freeway cloverleaf ) the fuel would run away from the pick up and uncover the damaged area of the suction parts. This is not a common fault in these systems.

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Try one of these. No offense.

sounds to me like the hot side of the battery cable is not tight at the starter or the battery, or has corrosion under the cable coating. using a knife or razor skin the plastic/rubber coating off the red battery cable about 2" down and look for green corrosion. if the cable is corroded replace it. on the black side of the battery terminal MAKE SURE IT IS TIGHT if it is not tight it will cause the battery to drain.

As for starting the car then it dies after replacing the fuel filter and gas, grab the distributer and see if it moves in the housing. If it rotates back and fourth the distributer needs to be tightened. if the distributer is tight check all of the rubber hoses for leaks..Remove each hose especially the vaccum hoses (except the radatior hoses) and pinch and role each one in your hands looking for cracks and leaks.

You should find a leak where one of the rubber hoses is touching the engine.. replace it and that should solve your problem.