Cavalier Issue

[shmoore]

I am new to the CNG world and just purchased a 2001 bi-fuel Cavalier. I drove it from Denver without any problems, both on gas and CNG.
This morning while driving into work it stalled three times while running on CNG. Luckily I was able to restart. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Also sometimes in the morning it takes about 7-10 cranks to start.
Any CNG mechanic recommendations??
Thanks All!

[John Mitton]

Re: Cavalier Issue

I'm going to move this to the GM forum for the experts to chime in there.
From your profile it seems you are in Utah. Gus Paulos Chev. has an excellent CNG mechanic who can probably help you out too.

[kirkbenge]

Re: Cavalier Issue

shmoore,

First, someone would be more likely to recommend a mechanic if they knew where you were, or at least which state you lived in.

Second, you can expect much longer crank times for CNG on GM/CHEV bi-fuel vehicles. You may need to crank for up to six seconds before you are able to start in CNG mode, but this is normal and does not indicate a problem.

Finally, and most importantly, what other symptoms did you notice when the car stalled? Did the engine light turn on? Do you have any error codes? Did it sputter and feel like it might die before it stalled, or did it just stall without warning? Full tank of CNG?

More details, no matter if they seem insignificant, will be helpful to anyone trying to help you solve this puzzle. Someone out there has probably experienced something similar at some point. ( I had a similar problem once with my '01 cavalier, but my car would backfire occasionally on acceleration before it started stalling.... So my experience may be unrelated, and not helpful... maybe)

KIRK

[shmoore]

Re: Cavalier Issue

Kirk...thanks for the info. Sorry, I am in Salt Lake City.
When the car stalls, I'll be going along and it's like running out of gas. There is no backfiring or spitting and sputtering, just loss of power. No engine light, just the idot lights when it stalls. It restarts just fine and away I go.
Hope this helps.

[tpaskett]

Re: Cavalier Issue

I have had the exact same problem twice with my 02 cavalier. No power, re-start it and it gets you further, then no power. Few hours later no problem at all. My dad is a chevy mechanic and we pulled some codes off of it. It looks like may be a low pressure valve getting stuck. We ordered the $75 part and are going to put it in this week. Since it has only happened twice, it may be a while before I know if it actually fixes it. It may be the O2 sensor, if this does not work we will replace that, it was about $80.

[kirkbenge]

Re: Cavalier Issue

Since you are in Salt Lake City, If I were you I would give SnoMotion a try. Several of my family members have dealt with them, and they always felt like they got treated right, not to mention that they really are CNG experts, and have been doing it for a very long time. Unfortunately I know they have been really swamped in recent months, but if you call and make an appointment they'll be able to figure out what's wrong, and they won't rip you off.
The low pressure regulator sounds plausible though...

tpaskett, Where did you buy yours?

I think you can get them here http://www.teecoproducts.com/Catalog/P3.htm
(click on the details for RK-PEV-2 )



KIRK

[implanenuts]

Re: Cavalier Issue

Hi, My brother has a 2001 that we bought in Oklahoma and drove back. It made it all the way to Moab then it just quit. It restarted and made it the rest of the way back to SLC, then it started quiting on a regular basis, one day it quit six times between Provo and and Springville. My brother found that if he wiggled the harness that hooks to the Mass Gas Sensor it would quit. He took the circuit board out and re soldered the connection to the harness. So far it has been two weeks and no more quiting.

[shmoore]

Re: Cavalier Issue

Thank you all for the information. I have made an appointment with SnoMotion so we'll see how it goes.

[04CNG]

Re: Cavalier Issue

I am having same issue with stalling on cng but re-starting again on cng.
two different times :
was hiway driving then exit off hiway it stalled and died but started right back on cng.( 1/4 full)
2weeks later was hiway driving then exit off hiway it stalled but this time pushed on accelerator and it took off again.(3/4 full)
noticed that this thread is old but did not see fix.
anyone one with this same issue?
called Chevrolet today and they said for $90 they could look at it.
short on funds.
may have to drive until................

please post reply if you have had this issue

Thanks

[kirkbenge]

Re: Cavalier Issue

Well, I finally experienced the same thing on my '01 Cavalier. I was driving along on a dirt road at about 35 mph, suddenly dead. Then again the next day, at about the same speed.
I was talking with a friend of mine about it, and he said that when he had had some car trouble once, the mechanic said it could be his Mass Gas Sensor, but quickly ruled that out since he hadn't experienced any "sudden stalls". Evidently, according to his mechanic, as the actual sensor in the MGS wears out, it will cause your engine to suddenly stall. Typically, these symptoms get more and more frequent over time, as the sensor gets worse. His mechanic claimed that this was sometimes simply due to the buildup of some sort of residue on the sensor, and that he had heard that Lancer Automotive in Salt Lake City has had reasonable success at 'cleaning' the sensor.
If I experience any more unexplained stalls, I think I will try Lancer first to see if a Mass Gas Sensor cleaning could be the solution.

KIRK