Sporadic hiccups, stall, erratic engine, then fine again

[ChefJRD]

First Illinois loses. Then on my way home from watching the game my car dies on me for the first time......

This is my only car, so I really need to diagnose and fix this ASAP. Thanks in advance fo any and all input, it'll be a big help.

The past few days there have been some sporadic engine surges/hiccups while in the lower range of 2nd and 3rd gears under average acceleration. Also, the Engine Oil Low warning has been coming on lately (put some more in this morning - it seems like I'm losing oil slowly, I plan to change it soon and keep a closer eye on it). They seem to be separate issues, but they both just popped up recently.

The big problem was on the ride home today. I was braking to a stop when the engine died. It restarted right away, but then died immediately thereafter. I restarted again and had to keep the rpms up to prevent another stall, though even doing this was difficult, as the engine wasn't responding properly to the gas pedal positions - the rpms would increase about a second or so after I depressed the pedal. After about 20 seconds of this (~10 secs stationary, ~10 secs in gear), everything was back to normal for the last half mile to my house.

Any thoughts? It seems to me like something's going on with the computer since the hiccups happened in both 2nd and 3rd gears and that the engine went back to normal so quickly, but I'm a rather novice car guy. Perhaps a sensor is off?

[632 Regal]

check all ignition componants first, also check your power connections and gounds specifically the fusable link near the battery.

[jpkasper]

First Illinois loses. Then on my way home from watching the game my car dies on me for the first time......

This is my only car, so I really need to diagnose and fix this ASAP. Thanks in advance fo any and all input, it'll be a big help.

The past few days there have been some sporadic engine surges/hiccups while in the lower range of 2nd and 3rd gears under average acceleration. Also, the Engine Oil Low warning has been coming on lately (put some more in this morning - it seems like I'm losing oil slowly, I plan to change it soon and keep a closer eye on it). They seem to be separate issues, but they both just popped up recently.

The big problem was on the ride home today. I was braking to a stop when the engine died. It restarted right away, but then died immediately thereafter. I restarted again and had to keep the rpms up to prevent another stall, though even doing this was difficult, as the engine wasn't responding properly to the gas pedal positions - the rpms would increase about a second or so after I depressed the pedal. After about 20 seconds of this (~10 secs stationary, ~10 secs in gear), everything was back to normal for the last half mile to my house.

Any thoughts? It seems to me like something's going on with the computer since the hiccups happened in both 2nd and 3rd gears and that the engine went back to normal so quickly, but I'm a rather novice car guy. Perhaps a sensor is off?

My vote is the fuel pump. I experienced this problem personally. In my case, the car ran fine for 10 minutes or so, then exhibited the same symptoms as yours. Fuel pump failure can be linked to a thermal problem. A faulty fuel pump can fail when the operating temperature of the pump reaches a certain point.

Hope this helps.

Paul

[JoshsE34-M50]

Just for first quick check...Like 632 says, check all power connections from battery, & check the link on pass. side inner fender. One of the cables coming from + side of the battery will connect to this link, which's inside a snap-together black plastic cover (at least on mine).Mine broke NOT because of any overload, just vibration, since the two bolts holding the link down had worked loose.Soory, don't have a part # for ya, but here's a link to the "link"http://www.fototime.com/485AADF976B09D3/standard.jpg

[KenB]

In my '93, the fusible link is under the back seat near the battery, same part though, although mine had no engine performance problems related to it, just electrical accessories; door locks, radio, interior lights, etc. I've heard of all kinds of problems due to the fusible link. It's the culprit for alot of things and cheap to replace, so a good place to start.

I might also suspect a fuel problem. I once had a fuel line that was cracked to the point where it wasn't leaking, but sucking air and caused the engine to run irratic, loss of power etc. If the fuel pump is OK, check all delivery lines. Just a thought.

Good luck.

[ChefJRD]

Thanks for all the advice. I checked out the fuel pump and DME relays, which were fine, then started looking for cracks or leaks around the air intake. The cap to the computer terminals/leads was loose (reset the oil timer a few weeks ago), so I tightened that up, and I also found this circular, four terminal sensor just behind the air filter that wasn't tightened down all the way. I have no idea how that came loose, but in talking to Ripdotcom I found out that it's the air flow meter!

No problems since it was tightened/snapped in, assuming that was the problem all along. The fuel pump and filter was replaced a few years ago, before I bought it, so hopefully they're still in good shape.

This forum has been a HUGE help, both through the archives and direct responses. I barely knew a thing about cars a little over a year ago, and though I'm still a rookie, I know a whole lot more than I did back then, in large part due to the helpful folks on this forum. Thank you. I haven't been able to offer much help in return yet, but I did figure out a simple workaround for inconsistent keyfobs! Posted that a little bit ago, glad to help if I can be of service.