Help me!

ZeroGravity58

Well-known member
Mar 23, 2008
1,375
46
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Maryland
Ok guys I'm out of ideas so I'd figure I post it here for some help. I have a 01 s10 2.2l flex fuel 5 speed that is my beater truck. Has exactly 200k on it. Over the last couple weeks it has developed this problem. When you or driving along at random times it will feel like it's down on power. The it will develop a small miss that gradually gets worse until it finally bogs down and dies. If you try and restart it without turning the key off it will not restart. If you turn the key off it will always restart right away. if I'm moving and leave it in gear and turn the key off for a split second then back on it will fire right back up and I can drive it like nothing was wrong until it does it again. It has no codes. I've replaced the ICM, coils, IAT sensor, MAP sensor, TPS sensor, knock sensor, crank and cam position sensors, plugs, wires and I can not get into stop. It's does it at random times. My commute is 30 miles one way to work, sometime it may not do it at all, other times it will do it 10x. It always restarts right away and has never left me stranded. I hate to get ride of it because it's rust free and a perfect beater but I'm about to set it on fire and collect the insurance money...
 

six5creed

Member
Jan 6, 2016
1,046
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N.C.
Sounds like a cam sensor, wonder if you could have gotten a bad one when you replaced it? I had a Lumina doing the same thing. I finally sold it, lol.
 

six5creed

Member
Jan 6, 2016
1,046
58
48
N.C.
I just read on another forum where people were having trouble with the oil pressure sensor and said it controls the fuel pump cut off switch. Don’t know anything about it but thought I’d pass it along.
 

Chevy1925

don't know sh!t about IFS
Staff member
Oct 21, 2009
21,065
4,734
113
Phoenix Az
My money is on plugged fuel filter or pump is on its way out.

Fords were notorious for the pumps to get hot (running tank low) and they slowly loose fuel pressure/power under long drives. Causes the car to die, shut it off, restart off you go for a while till it does it again. They have to get real bad before it does it all the time. Wife’s fucus did that to her and I when we were dating. That was a bitch to diagnose.

Usually Chevy pumps just flag get stuck once shut off and need a little hammer action to get going again but I’ve seen them do the same as the ford pumps too
 

ZeroGravity58

Well-known member
Mar 23, 2008
1,375
46
48
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Maryland
I will look into the pump, I just changed the fuel filter about 10k ago. The flex fuel filters are weird because the fuel pressure regulator is in the filter. The pump return comes off the filter, only one fuel line goes to the motor. That's why I kinda ruled out the pump. From my experience they usually work or they don't. I'll have to get a fuel pressure guage. I think it should put out atleast 55psi but I'll have to double check. I checked the oil pressure sender to, but it doesn't just die like the pump shut off. It gradually dies over the course of 5 min or so
 

zakkb787

<that’s not me...
Sep 29, 2014
2,340
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48
Granite Falls NC
My money is on plugged fuel filter or pump is on its way out.

Fords were notorious for the pumps to get hot (running tank low) and they slowly loose fuel pressure/power under long drives. Causes the car to die, shut it off, restart off you go for a while till it does it again. They have to get real bad before it does it all the time. Wife’s fucus did that to her and I when we were dating. That was a bitch to diagnose.

Usually Chevy pumps just flag get stuck once shut off and need a little hammer action to get going again but I’ve seen them do the same as the ford pumps too

I second this. Chevy fuel pumps do extremely weird stuff when they’re on their way out.
 

ZeroGravity58

Well-known member
Mar 23, 2008
1,375
46
48
38
Maryland
The spec I found on the flex fuel says 55-61 psi key on and it should decrease 3-10 psi at idle. Can anyone confirm this?
 

TheBac

Why do I keep doing this?
Staff member
Apr 19, 2008
15,269
1,562
113
Mid Michigan
x3 -- The first thing I'd look at is the fuel pump.



Moved to Things with Spark Plugs.
 

ZeroGravity58

Well-known member
Mar 23, 2008
1,375
46
48
38
Maryland
Sorry I put it in the wrong section :eek: I'm gonna hook the guage up Thursday and drive it to work Friday. Truck has a 2" cowl hood so I should be able to rig something up fairly easy so I can see it while driving down the road. I'll report back!
 

ZeroGravity58

Well-known member
Mar 23, 2008
1,375
46
48
38
Maryland
Put my guage on today. Key on a pump primed it builds 52 psi. When it is running at idle it's around 56 psi. I rigged the guage up so I can drive it to work tomorrow and see it. How long should it take to leak back down? After 45 min it leaked down to 25 psi
 
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SSchmi5519

LLY Cult Leader
Oct 19, 2008
3,387
1
36
Arizona
I've replaced the ICM, coils, IAT sensor, MAP sensor, TPS sensor, knock sensor, crank and cam position sensors, plugs, wires

It's crossed my mind lol, but my wife would kill me :D

Shoot for the price of all the stuff you replaced you could have swapped it LOL!

Hook your EFI Live up to it and run a Default_Imperial.PID datalog while you're driving it to work. The change before and after the restart you have to do should show you what its doing wrong.
 

ZeroGravity58

Well-known member
Mar 23, 2008
1,375
46
48
38
Maryland
Shoot for the price of all the stuff you replaced you could have swapped it LOL!

Hook your EFI Live up to it and run a Default_Imperial.PID datalog while you're driving it to work. The change before and after the restart you have to do should show you what its doing wrong.

I've tried, problem with this truck is the p08 ecm. They are crap and half the PIDs don't work. The 2.2 doesn't have a MAF or a EGR.