Car dies when I shift out of park/neutral.....

**SmoothSteve3** · 04-12-2004, 11:45 PM

Hey everyone-

Ok, so I thought that my problem had gone away...it hadn't really been acting up for awhile. But low and behold, it happened again on the way to work today.

I go out and start my Lumina, and she starts fine. Idles in park for about 5 minutes, and then I go to shift it into reverse so that I can get out of the driveway. Well, as soon as shes in reverse, the RPM's drop like no other, and the car ALMOST dies...like the engine bay was completely quiet, and she somehow managed to revive herself. The same goes for when I'm shifting into drive. So basically, when i go from either park or neutral, to anything else.

Here's what I've done recently:

New spark plugs
New wires
New IAC valve
New fuel filter
New Crankshaft Sensor
New Oxygen Sensor
New MAP Sensor

I think that pretty much covers it. Any ideas?

She's a 1990 3.1 MPFI Lumina

**digitaloutsider** · 04-12-2004, 11:49 PM

Originally Posted by SmoothSteve3

She's a 1990 3.1 MPFI Lumina

Ah, there's the problem.

j/k

Mine was doing this when the Alternator was going out. Pretty much exactly as yours is.

**DaveFromColorado** · 04-12-2004, 11:50 PM

I was thinking Idle Air Control valve maybe?

--Dave

**THe_DeTAiL3R** · 04-12-2004, 11:57 PM

Hmm.. might wanna check the IAC again?

Trying to think of other things.. did you clean your TB? Check your contacts on your battery, might not be getting enough power or something (maybe its the alternator as mentioned before).

**Slade901** · 04-13-2004, 08:26 AM

It looks like an electrical connection problem as the engine moves a little from Park to Reverse, Reverse to Drive, etc. Check your battery ground connections as well as the positivel remote terminal connections near the fuel pump relay/fuse area and tighten them.

**91oldscutlass** · 04-13-2004, 10:32 AM

Guys it might be the throttle position sensor...went throught the same thing with my 89 Grand Prix 3.1

**Z34door** · 04-13-2004, 05:55 PM

i have a bad TPS and my car does the same thing.... you put it in gear and have to blip the throttle or it almost dies....

**IL_pilot** · 04-13-2004, 09:59 PM

What kind of tranny you have in there? That sounds just like a problem I had in a late model Skylark. If I rev'ed the motor up before I tried to shift, it would shudder and go ok though. Turns out it was a loose vaccuum line to the trans, wasn't letting the torque converter unlock.

Check your vaccuum lines.

**MaroonRegal** · 04-14-2004, 02:00 AM

That kinda sounds like what happens when you don't know how to drive a stickshift car...any chance it's the Torque Converter?

**PaPaPooh** · 04-14-2004, 03:42 AM

Originally Posted by MaroonRegal

That kinda sounds like what happens when you don't know how to drive a stickshift car...any chance it's the Torque Converter?

could be if the clutch is bad and stuck in lock up

shifting to a gear other than neutral will kill the car like a regular clutch

**jheiv** · 04-14-2004, 11:51 AM

Its probably not the TC Solenoid as if you hit the gas it stops it from stalling... Clean the IAC and try an Idle Relearn

**SmoothSteve3** · 04-15-2004, 08:44 AM

Thanks for the replies guys.....I've cleaned out the IAC fairly well.....but I haven't done an idle re-learn yet. I'm gonna see if i can replace the TPS this week, and see if it solves my prolem. My fear is that it might be some sort of transmission problem. I bought the car from my grandfather 3 years ago at 81K, and now its at 101K. The transmission hasn't been serviced since I've had the car......I did a filter/ fluid change about 5 months ago....but other than that, nothing has been done. Its the 4T60, and if I recall right, aren't they usually pretty reliable when mounted to a 3.1? Who knows......I've heard some talk about the park/neutral switches going bad in these trannys.....could this be the problem?

**ShockTherapy** · 04-20-2004, 08:57 PM

i'd go for the TCC.

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