'96 GS dies for no reason? Please help

[rghrdr18]

My gf's 1996 GS dies for ne reason. When you get in to start the car, it starts up fine, and then just dies. The rpms jump to 1500 or so and then just drop back to zero. Also, when you are driving around, the car will die sitting at a light sometimes or going around a curve if the rpm's are too low.

I have tried the dealerships, mechanics, etc, and they cannot seem to help, because they think the car runs fine (since it only dies sometimes) So they are no help.

My question(s) are what could the problem be? Bad exhaust? carbon build up? clogged fuel filter?

Please help...

 

[rghrdr18]

Could this be the throttle body, has anyone had this problem before? I am trying to get it fixed so it does not die will she is driving down the road. Any advice would help.

Also there has been a slight smell of fuel, esepcially when the tank is close to empty.

 

[beating4g63s]

dude the sound of that sounds like one of your sensors is out I can't remember right now which one I had the same problem with my car whens the last time you had a tune up cause if you smell fuel might be your fuel filter or fuel pump is cloged or just either your o2 sensor is out or your cat is going out also. best thing to do is take it to someone hook up a diagnostic tool to it that should tell you. also you might wanna invest in something like a datalogger to see if anythings ever going wrong that way you don't have to take it to the shop and there only like 250$ if you want pm me tomorrow and I'll go see what sensor it was that I had to replace for that same problem.

 

[rghrdr18]

We have had mechanics go through the GS with a diagnostic tool with no luck. Plus wouldn't the check engine light come on if it were a sensor?

Also, what about the faint smell of fuel in the cabin of the car? Could that be the cause of the car dying while driving down the street? Maybe a clogged fuel filter?

Please help...

 

[DBR01]

possibly a fuel filter. Why not try, they're only like $10. What's your oil pressure look like?

 

[rghrdr18]

The oil pressure seems to be good. Where is the fuel filter on a GS?

 

[WHite97RS]

ok...i had this prob with my car, the fuel pump relay went bad, i woudl crank it up and then it woudl start then die, eventually it just wouldnt start, it cut off on my a couple of times. So it coudl be the relay, check and see if you hear the fuel pump running/prime when you turn the key. but the relay is on the firewall up top driver side, closest one to the clutch fluid reservoir (MT) or windsheild fluid (AT). had to go through 2 of em before mitsu gave me a good one. 20 bucks a pop. hope this solved yoru problem. either way leave me some good rep points

 

[rghrdr18]

That sounds exactly like what is going on, it will start and then just die.

Could you send me some pics of where that relay might be. Also, could that be the cause of the fuel smell in the car as well?

 

[WHite97RS]

heres the pics....as for the fuel smell i dont have a clue....

 

[rghrdr18]

Well, I have replaced the fuel pump relay, and it still does it.

Next step is going to be replacing the fuel filter. The car is actually a 1995 and so I have heard that the fuel filter is located behind the windshield washer fluid bottle on the firewall. But I also heard that it could be behind a panel on the passenger side by the fuel pump in the rear of the car? Is it true that 1995 it was on the firewall and 1996 they moved it?

The only time it dies is when it is idling...and sometimes it will be when you first start the car up, but it has never died when we were driving on the road. However, it does jerk and stumble some times while driving, but it has never died yet, thank God. So, I am thinking that this has got to be related to the fuel system, so the next question I have is what are the replaceable parts in the fuel system other than the hard lines? I can only think of the following:

1. fuel pump relay
2. fuel filter
3. fuel pump
4. fuel injectors
5. FPR

Since I have already replaced the fuel pump relay, and the next step is the filter; another question is how many of you have had your stock FPR go bad? The GS has roughly 130k on it right now. What about the injectors?

I will be replacing the filter this weekend, so hopefully that solves the issue, but the more I search through the forums here, the more I see that our beloved DSM's love to have "Mysterious" problems that seem almost impossible to find, let alone fix.

Any input would be great...