93 Grand Am SE stalling

Hello! Well, hope this post doesn't get too long, sorry if it does. The car is a 93 Grand Am SE 3.3L V6. It has about 137k miles on it. I got it a year ago (almost exactly) and had the transmission replaced with a used transmission with 60k miles on it, and a new torque converter since the one it came with was bad. They also did a tuneup at that time and 2 new fuel injectors and they removed the cat. converter and just welded a pipe of sorts in its place. Since then the ignition module was replaced (based on a code it was throwing, so they said) and radiator hoses due to it overheating, which was caused by a bad fan plug and fixed.

So, within the last few months it's been stalling intermittenly. It stalls when I'm driving it (on the highway, or on city streets) and while idling in drive while braking. Sometimes while driving if I see the dashboard lights come on, I'll push on the gas and keep it going. When it does stall, it will usually start back up, sometimes it has to sit, but I notice a strange smell while trying to start it, like burnt something, can't describe it.

I brought it in to a shop and they said the fuel pressure was weak and of course suggested the fuel pump, though I could hear that kicking on. I had that put in 2 weeks ago with a new fuel filter and it's done it at least 3 times since. It also, while in park only, will rev itself up and I notice the headlights getting brighter. My uncle said that could be the throttle position sensor. Here's what I know is wrong with it. It has a coolant leak, the shop says it's from the timing cover gasket. Also the oil is leaking, but I never see any oil under it nor is the dipstick low on oil, but that is from the intake manifold gasket, they say. Of course the parts are moderately inexpensive for this but the labor is very expensive.

Also, the check oil light goes off and on and sometimes the service engine soon light is on. I checked the codes with a little code reader key that Autozone gave me. It gives me 26, 27, and 39. According to a post on this site, 26 = Quad Driver(QDM)Circuit, 27 = Quad Driver Module(QMD1), and 39 = Torque Converter Clutch Circuit.

Okay, wow, sorry for the long post but I wanted to give all the info I had. Could the stalling be caused by anything related to the codes given, or might it be the intake manifold gasket leaking or the throttle position sensor as an uncle suggested? He has said that the engine revving like that can be caused by that. Oh, also the car is slightly rich in fuel, you can really smell it especially when stopped. Don't know quite what the cause of that is.

It's also been suggested to me a few times that with those codes it is giving, the computer could be bad, but that has yet to be checked out. Finally, I've read up on it since originally posting this and saw the crank position sensor (or crankshaft sensor, if that's the same thing?) could be the cause.

Okay, thanks for reading all this and for any help you can offer!

Welcome to AF !

Code 39 - Torque Converter Clutch Circuit TCC

That is your culprit on the stalling while coming to a stop.
Check this link out.
http://autorepair.about.com/cs/doityourself/l/aa011703a.htm

Another way to verify this is when coming to a stop, if it starts to stall or die, quickly put it in Neutral, if it the symptoms stop then it is the TCC.

Hope that helps.

Thanks for the response. It's not stalling right when I come to a stop, that's what it was doing when they first replaced the transmission and torque converter a year ago, so they put in a new torque converter. This is a different problem.

It is stalling while driving on the highway or on city streets, or while I'm stopped at a stop light, something like that. It doesn't kill right when I stop but it can be when I'm sitting there for a little bit.

It basically stalls at random times, driving or idling. Revs up like I said when it's in park at times which points to that throttle position sensor, or as I was told.

Ok I see what youre saying.
Its pretty simple to test the TPS, could also be the MAF.

Sometimes the wires get damaged and cause intermitant misses & stalling.
I'd check the wiring circuits realy close for both the TPS and MAF first.

Here is a link (http://www.autozone.com/az/cds/en_us/0900823d/80/0e/56/b8/0900823d800e56b8/repairInfoPages.htm#hd1-1-2)for the TPS test and it also has the MAF which is a little trickier to test.

Good Luck

I have an update on the problem I was having. My uncle checked the car out using a Bosch scanner, we cleared the engine codes and he ran the car in park with the scanner connected. It showed the levels for the TPS and MAF and everything, but he said everything seemed to look okay.

Later that night (Sat the 2nd) I went and filled up with gas, drove the car another 2 miles, all while the Check Oil light was on. That's come on off and on quite a lot actually and for awhile. Well, at a stop light, when I was about to push on the gas to go when the light turned green, the car died. It started right up after I was pushed and put it in park to start it, and I waited to hear the fuel pump engage before I tried to start it. It wouldn't start while it was in neutral before I had it pushed.

As far as I know, the check oil light will come on even if it's not an oil problem, like by something electrical like the ignition module, which I had done a few months ago. I didn't drive the car again until today and I checked for any engine codes when I parked the car here at work, and there were none. The check oil light was on the whole time I was driving though.

Is this still pointing towards the TPS or MAF? I'm planning on bringing it into a shop tomorrow and I took off work for it, and I'm trying to figure out what to have them check, or how I can convince them to hook the car up to a scanner while driving the car. I don't know, it's frustrating to have this problem continue after paying $650 to have the fuel pump and filter done, which is what they suggested. :banghead:

The car starts all the time just fine, even in the coldest weather, so it's not totally a lost cause. Thanks for any replies or suggestions.

I don't know 100% on the cars, but GM trucks will cut power to the ignition if it looses oil pressure. I would check the oil pressure with a guage to make sure it's ok.

The oil light could indicate you need oil, or the sensor is bad or has a short.

I had the exact problem and had it to 3 different shops, finally the replaced the TCC and it has been driving great since.

Yes the TCC is a major problem with these models and can be done DIY .

Thanks everyone for your replies. Yes, now I'm starting to lean towards the TCC since today that code shows up, code 39. I parked the car at 1pm and went out at 3 and it wouldn't start. I had the system flash the codes and 39 is there, a new one. The codes had been all clear until just today.

I had already gotten a MAF sensor put in ($400) and then later did a tune up (about another $400). Way too much money spent on this car to still have the problem. :banghead:

Can anyone give me a ballpark figure of what I should expect to pay for this to be fixed and how long approx. labor would be?

Thanks everyone!

Thanks everyone for your replies. Yes, now I'm starting to lean towards the TCC since today that code shows up, code 39. I parked the car at 1pm and went out at 3 and it wouldn't start. I had the system flash the codes and 39 is there, a new one. The codes had been all clear until just today.

I had already gotten a MAF sensor put in ($400) and then later did a tune up (about another $400). Way too much money spent on this car to still have the problem. :banghead:

Can anyone give me a ballpark figure of what I should expect to pay for this to be fixed and how long approx. labor would be?

Thanks everyone!

If you are talking about the TCC replacement, that would run between $400-800 depending on where you live.

Its not to bad of a job, the link above/below shows what to do.
http://autorepair.about.com/cs/doityourself/l/aa011703a.htm

If you parked it and it was running normally, then tried to start it 2 hours later, I don't think it would be the TCC solenoid (not saying it can't be bad, but probably not why it failed to start). I think what happens is the solenoid sticks in the applied position and keeps the TC locked up when it should disengage, which can cause it to die in gear if you slow down to where it needs to slip. If you have it in park it should restart, but would die when put into gear.

Yep, I eventually did get it to start but it was sitting for hours, and when I was just about to have it towed I gave it a try and it started right away. I brought it in to the shop to the mechanic who has been working on it and he ran it all day, started it about 100 times (he said) and couldn't get it to not start.

So, I've given up on this car. He offered to take that car off my hands and sell me one of his for $400. It's a 94 Chevy Beretta. Has more miles on it than my Grand Am but it also has been maintained by him for the last 2 years and he's done all the work on it. He's going to take mine and have his code scanner with him in it and try to find the problem, and then fix that up and sell it. Hell, if it is a crank sensor as I'm thinking, that would be about $300 or so, plus it has a coolant leak which will be another $400 to get the water pump replaced, plus who knows what else it could do later.

I don't trust this car anymore so we will have to part ways this weekend. What's really sad is I've only had it for a year but I put a LOT of money into it, and it's just so problematic that it's not worth the effort anymore.

Thanks for all the replies everyone! :)


If you parked it and it was running normally, then tried to start it 2 hours later, I don't think it would be the TCC solenoid (not saying it can't be bad, but probably not why it failed to start). I think what happens is the solenoid sticks in the applied position and keeps the TC locked up when it should disengage, which can cause it to die in gear if you slow down to where it needs to slip. If you have it in park it should restart, but would die when put into gear.