Crank sensor, crank sensor, crank sensor.
97 cirrus 2.5 stalling
so I pick up this cirrus drove fine first day . Next day in the morning I turned it on . About a minute went by and it shut it self off . Thought maybe it sat awhile before I bought it . So drove it to work and with in 25 minutes came to a light and it shut off at the light .started right up . Still doing the same thing . Replaced the alternator because it failed voltage regulator. Swapped the auto shut off relay . Cleaned the throttle body and cleaned the iac . No change . No codes no lights on dash . Any ideas ?
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There are two sensors and two circuits that can (and often do) kill this car like that without leaving any codes. The CKP (Crank Position Sensor), the CMP (Cam Position Sensor), the ASD (Auto-Shutdown) circuit, and the ground circuit.
CKP and CMP are tested by process of elimination and replaced as required. Losing either one of these will activate the ASD relay and cut fuel and spark to the engine. This circuit is responsible for most "Crank, No Start" and "stalling" issues. The CKP is the most common individual component to fail, but the CMP, ASD relay, and wiring can also cause issues. The flexplate and timing belt can also cause issues with this circuit; you should at least inspect the timing belt to see how tight it is and note any wear. (Though if it jumps a tooth you'll have bigger issues than stalling.)
The final circuit that can cause these issues is the ground circuit, and on these cars, there is an odd issue that can occur and is very easy to fix. The negative battery post on the strut tower has TWO nuts on it. The top nut secures the ground cable from the battery to the post by pressing it against the lower nut. The lower nut secures the post and the main wiring harness ground straps to the strut tower. The upper nut can be tight against the lower nut while the lower nut is loose; this could allow the wiring harness (and PCM) to lose connection and can/will cause a weak ground for the whole car. To remove this issue from consideration, remove BOTH nuts and all harnesses, clean the post and terminals, and reinstall tightly.
I have the full FSM and Diagnostic Procedures Manual for a 2000 Sebring Convertible (which is basically the same car) and I also have way too much experience working on these things; let me know what I can do to help.
CKP and CMP are tested by process of elimination and replaced as required. Losing either one of these will activate the ASD relay and cut fuel and spark to the engine. This circuit is responsible for most "Crank, No Start" and "stalling" issues. The CKP is the most common individual component to fail, but the CMP, ASD relay, and wiring can also cause issues. The flexplate and timing belt can also cause issues with this circuit; you should at least inspect the timing belt to see how tight it is and note any wear. (Though if it jumps a tooth you'll have bigger issues than stalling.)
The final circuit that can cause these issues is the ground circuit, and on these cars, there is an odd issue that can occur and is very easy to fix. The negative battery post on the strut tower has TWO nuts on it. The top nut secures the ground cable from the battery to the post by pressing it against the lower nut. The lower nut secures the post and the main wiring harness ground straps to the strut tower. The upper nut can be tight against the lower nut while the lower nut is loose; this could allow the wiring harness (and PCM) to lose connection and can/will cause a weak ground for the whole car. To remove this issue from consideration, remove BOTH nuts and all harnesses, clean the post and terminals, and reinstall tightly.
I have the full FSM and Diagnostic Procedures Manual for a 2000 Sebring Convertible (which is basically the same car) and I also have way too much experience working on these things; let me know what I can do to help.
Regarding the "warm-up issue", this car has a fail-safe t-stat design. When it fails, it allows full circulation. This greatly extends the time it takes to "warm-up."
BUT, that's usually not the issue. The coolant temperature sensor is prone to failure and will indicate a cold engine when in fact the engine is fine. Additionally, a low-coolant condition can cause a false "cold" reading.
The cooling system on these cars is hard to "burp". Checking the overflow tank isn't enough. When cool, remove the radiator cap and check the coolant level. If you can't see it in the neck, it's low. Top it off, warm it up, then check it again after it's cooled.
Assuming the coolant level is good, you can check to see if the sensor is failed easily by driving the car for a while and touching both radiator hoses. If one is noticeably warmer than the other, your thermostat is fine and your sensor is bad. If both are cool, the thermostat is bad and sensor is likely okay.
BOTH of these issues can cause drivability issues, BTW (but they shouldn't cause stalling). The engine will run rich when it is cold in an attempt to warm the engine. Eventually, it will trigger the CEL...
BUT, that's usually not the issue. The coolant temperature sensor is prone to failure and will indicate a cold engine when in fact the engine is fine. Additionally, a low-coolant condition can cause a false "cold" reading.
The cooling system on these cars is hard to "burp". Checking the overflow tank isn't enough. When cool, remove the radiator cap and check the coolant level. If you can't see it in the neck, it's low. Top it off, warm it up, then check it again after it's cooled.
Assuming the coolant level is good, you can check to see if the sensor is failed easily by driving the car for a while and touching both radiator hoses. If one is noticeably warmer than the other, your thermostat is fine and your sensor is bad. If both are cool, the thermostat is bad and sensor is likely okay.
BOTH of these issues can cause drivability issues, BTW (but they shouldn't cause stalling). The engine will run rich when it is cold in an attempt to warm the engine. Eventually, it will trigger the CEL...
A loose negative battery cable on the inner fender...Drove the cirrus to work today . Went over some speed bumps and all the lights turned on in the dash then went away . Would would cause that .
Remove the UPPER nut from the negative post on the fender, then remove the upper cable.
THEN, examine the lower cable and nut for corrosion, clean if needed, and then tighten the lower nut.
You can then reinstall the upper cable and nut.
After checking the negative cable, inspect the positive cable at the PDM/fuse box.
If the issue still occurs, remove the left front wheel and inner finder and check the connections at the battery itself.
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