1995 G20 won't stay started..but randomly

[slgardner]

About a month ago, I'm trying to leave for work in the morning and I get backed out of the garage, put my car in 1st and it stops. It won't start at all...there's just nothing. I get home from work, turn the key to listen carefully while not in a hurry to try to explain it to my dad and the car starts fine. For the next week or so, there are no problems. Then it does it again but will randomly start, it just won't stay started. So, I took it to the mechanic.

He hooked it to whatever and kept it for 2 days and said everything tests fine and he can't get it to cut off on him. The distributor MIGHT need to be replaced shortly and he'll replace it if I want him too, but it's probably not going to fix it. Took it to another mechanic, still don't know what's wrong. My dad changed the plugs, the distributor cap and the rotor button and did some octane boost treatment thing. No problems for another week or so.

It does it again. This time, I'm driving and it randomly cuts off but starts back up immediately. I make it to work, no problems. I make it home, no problems. It happens 3 or 4 days later but at an intersection and will not start back up. Luckily, my brother was sitting in the same intersection and gets it pushed into a parking lot. After about 30 minutes, it starts. He and a friend say it sounds like the fuel pump (that's about 4 years old) isn't engaging. They drive it a few miles and it cuts off and won't start. Later that day we get it to my brother's house.

There has been a few gas stations in the area with bad fuel, so my dad replaced the fuel pump, the fuel filter and the relay. It's been fine for a week. Until today. I go to leave work and it won't start. It won't start. It starts for about 30 seconds and shuts off. It won't start. My dad comes down to get me, it starts for him and drove home.

I don't know what to do. Mechanics say they can't tell anything until it does it for them, but it's so random. Radio, no radio. Air, no air. Cruise control, no cruise control. Stopped or started. It doesn't matter what gear it's in or how fast I'm going. Or if I'm even going. It's completely random. And when she runs she runs well. Before the fuel pump et al was changed, there was a tiny bit of a miss moving from 4th to 5th on occasion, but that's even fixed now. She either runs perfect or she won't stay started. Any ideas what could be going wrong?

[jim_sheldrick]

I own a G-20 here in Toronto and I've exoerienced the same random mystery. Then someone on this forum suggested I tap with a metal hammer underneath the motor by the oil pan and near to the starter motor. The starter motor is located on the passenger side of the engine. In other words, when you get under the car, it's in the middle of the engine/gearbox, above the exhaust, to left from the oil pan. it's easier to see if from the right side (passenger side). Try tapping gently there and then try to start your car. I think if it starts right away, then you'll need to have a new starter motor installed or it maybe just the solenoid switch which is attached to the starter motor. I hope this helps. JIM

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First answer by ID2321081953. Last edit by Yulaev. Contributor trust: 0 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 49 [recommend question]

[conenubi701]

Check your starter. Could be your MAF sensor.

[slgardner]

Thanks guys! But it is not the starter...the enginge turners over, the flywheel is engaging...it just won't STAY started. For the 4th time, a mechanic said it might be the destributor and we changed it. Still no luck =[

Guess it's just time to pick up a car payment...

[nametakennow]

MAF, vac leak, dirty IACV, dirty EGR could all cause this sort of thing. Any hesitation while driving?