My 2001 Impala LS w/ aprox 122K miles recently began to stop when I'm driving it. No sputter or other warning - almost like switching the key off. It starts right back up after coming to a stop and putting it into Park. It has done it several times in the last week, however, not at the mechanic's where it spent today. I thought maybe bad gas and tried a gas additive, but that wasn't the solution. I can't go on like this.

Anyone got a clue? In my opinion it a fuel delivery problem (filter - pump?) and no, I don't know then the filter was last replaced.

Thanks in advance for your assistance folks

I Know nothing about Auto Transmissions But Its almost certain an electrics fault Think how were you driving when it Happened were you cruising Or accelerating? If you were accelerating the Transmission will change down Via the Kickdown switch on the Gas pedal link Which may be Visible or coated in Muck? Suggest the Terminals here need a clean, and the area cleaned around it Has to be Removed to gain access Worth letting an Auto electrician test It
As they Last almost the life of the car Have a feeling a New switch is Going to be a prohibitive Price From the Dealer.
Worth getting One from a car wreckers for a few dollars if your switch has a fault (May have to remove it yourself?) Take your old one with you so you can match it


PS New 3rd party switches for Mercedes cars are 20 to 30 dollars on Google ..So thats not too bad Its the Installation thats a Big Headache

Here are images of Kickdown switches Looks like a simple relay box ( This is a general assortment) adjust the Keyword to find out what yours looks like
Silly thing to Check Is it Fastened Tight and has a "bare metal" back side? ...Which means its grounded to the Car body, clean the faces up and Secure tightly Cost of "fix" if that is the issue, absolute Zip

Possibly related to your problem -

http://www.carcomplaints.com/Chevrolet/Impala/2001/elec..._fuel_delivery.shtml

I Googled 2001 "Impala LS" + problem and read about 10 pages of replies. About half talked about brake rotors (Boy are those people mad.) This seemed to be the only one that was even close to your situation.

Update: 5-31-08
OK, still no fix. Our local independent garage had the care for three days and of course it failed to fail for them. Several items were ruled out because the problems happens if the car is in motion or just idling in Park, hot or cold, etc. Nothing common to the problem and no error codes. It failed three times this morning after the tech changed out the Ignition Control Module yesterday. I'm off to hit the web for car assistance sites. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Please let us know what you find (and don't find). Problems like this are often specific to one make of car, and your solution posted here may save another from going through what you are going through.

Good luck.

sounds like something gets hot then it quits working. could be a few things, electric fuel pump going out, dirty fuel filter, electrical conections, bad coils, bad conection on the coils or to same. needs a dianostic. maybe you can get the deeler to run a dianostic for you then they can tell you the troble codes if any. some places will do that for free as long as you agree to do bussiness with them. of coarse you dont have too. my sister in laww had the same kinda thing going on and it had something to do with the coil wires on her engine. she would drive around and then it would stop. she calls me up and i scoot over to where she is opened the hood wiggled a few wires and it started. i dont know if your car has multible coils or just one some of the gms have one for each cylinder and the wire harness gets a bad conection on them. most newer car have bad eletrical conections.(made from cheaper metals) so when they get warm they expand and loose conection. hope some of this helps

ps electrical things are hard to locate an auto book for your car really helps

My first thought was fuel filter, too. BlueEagle, I have a strange question. When it stops, are you going on level ground, or are you going up or down a slope? Is there any consistency in the level of gas in your tank when it stops? Possibly, your fuel pump or filter gets clogged by sediment when you are on a slope or the tank gets low on fuel.

The other possibility DG is the Fuel tank vent is partially blocked? and the Engine fades Stalls starts after a few minutes/miles .So many Things to consider
BE must tell us How far he drives before it happens and what type of Engine stop Is it sound like is struggling then stops or is it click coasts to a halt (after what sort of Acceleration)

I Guesstimate he may be able to drive a few miles before it stops....Run the trip twice to confirm (Means there is no air in the gas tank)
Also Open the Gas cap carefully after a "stop" You hear a big Metallic POP? and Air rushing in?, B) Engine starts 1st go? means the Vent pipe is choked and there is sometime a small hole in the cap themselves to let in air

The tech ruled this out because when restarting, the car fires immediately. If it ran out of gas it would have to re-prime and there would be a noticable hesitation even it if were just slight. The peoblem happens on essentially level ground or of a very minor slope.

The distance doesn't seem to be a factor nor does the hot or cold factor. It also stops when idling or when accelerating or just smooth driving. When it stops there is no chugging or jerking, just as if the switch were turned off. The battery light comes on just as it would if the switch were turned off and if not for the fact that you lose power since the engine is no longer running there is no physical warning or indication that it has or is stopping. Haven't tried the gas cap thing, but it has been off and on a couple times since it first happened and it is secure.

You know something and I know they are not fitted to cars with engine management systems
on a cars with a dynamo and some older cars with alternators all the "electical distibution" performed By Voltage Regulator Control Box Better known as get this, a "Cut Out Box" Picture Here of an alternator version
The function of this box is simple It senses if the Battery needs charging and opens/closes internal relays as required (Is an Auto electicians job to adjust)
Only 2 things go wrong and that is A)The Battery overcharges(Open circuit) or B) It Cuts the Power.End up with a Flat battery! Stalls after a few miles (Clue ignition light remains on)

A possible quick fix (avoiding all these suggestions) and it is a possible DIY job
Is to find a Engine Management box for your car from a Car wrecker (Have to get an exact match Number wise) Why here?
These Boxes from a dealer will if you dare price them will be about the Cost of buying a Computer...Deadly serious!
But from a Breaker If you take it off yourself Perhaps $15-$20 or so (Hope you don't mind getting dirty?)

Who said brakes? as I noticed this vehicle has ABS (On the web search) which links to the Engine Management System ...may be a faulty sensor on the brake caliper? and given a few mile drive that also may tell the engine to switch off? Perhaps 1 is out of order and the other/s are telling the engine box that the car has a "locked wheel/s" and the box responds by shutting the Power down. Have you had a Juddery brake pedal just before it stops?

Might be worth posting your issue to this forum and see what the experts here say compare it to this forums comments

www.2carpros.com/makes/chevy/impala.htm

I'll print your last posting out and take it to the garage with me tomorrow. I assure you, it'll mean much more to the tech than me. I used to be a lot more self sufficient with my cars, but they have evolved and sadly I haven't.

I believe I've posted to the site you referenced - and every other one I could find. This may be the one that is going to try and get back to me on Monday.

Once the beast has been slain I'll post the results back here.

Keep those ideas coming! Thanks!

Your comment on how much keeps the Plot going Brought back something a Late Friend said and Its the Truth He said Despite all the extra Wiring pipes Boxes We still have a basic engine in there somewhere and I'd rather fix it the old way rather than get someone to plug in his Console and Pay for the Privilege Just to be told ...can't fix that ...Too expensive! And often They cannot be bothered to look and listen
Their "Expertise" often runs to the location of the Diagnostic socket on the Vehicle, and reading the Screen on the console

He died Just as these High tech Consoles started to appear (10 years ago) I used to help him out He'd Have loved a challenge like your motor and would have spotted the Fault and fixed it for the Price of a packet of cigarettes.

Sounds like a great guy - too bad he's passed on.

Replacing the MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR seems to have corrected the problem. Keep your fingers crossed with me.

Thanks for the Update

quote:

Originally posted by blueeagle65:
Replacing the MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR seems to have corrected the problem. Keep your fingers crossed with me.

If you don't mind me asking...how much did your new sensor cost???

The reason I am asking is my step-daughter recently got an Impala, the same year with 92,000 miles on it. So far it's been a pretty good car but should this problem occur...just curious...

Just ran a Check on the Price and they are about $160!

And Lo and behold we found this Post on the First page of the search which we should have spotted earlier
www.2carpros.com/forum/2005-chevy-impala--mass-air-flow-sensor-vt138117.html

The Item looks something like this and fits between the air filter intake hose and Filter pan Looks like a metal collar with a cable

Thanks bedstor

Actually I would consider $160 cheap.

A few years ago, I had an '87 Volvo. Had to replace the mass air meter on it. I remember the part by itself was in the neighborhood of $500. So by comparison $160 don't sound so bad.