shutting down while driving - 2001 suburban
August 27th, 2016, 6:47 PM
#1
CF Beginner
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
shutting down while driving - 2001 suburban
Looking for suggestions on problem with a 2001 suburban LT 1500 where it just shuts down while driving/running. Can be sitting still or driving down the street, just all of a sudden its like you turned the key off and the dash lites come on. no warning lites or any indication before this. first time it happened it would not start immediately and had it towed in to Chevy dealership. shop said was running fine, no error codes, nothing they could do except guess and just start replacing things.
got it back and about 2 weeks later did same thing. typically I only drive back and forth to work - about 10 miles each way so I guess it doesn't heat up enough or drive long enough on a daily basis. Mechanic suggested I let it just run in the driveway and see if it would repeat. I finally tried this and it shuts off about an hour + after running. It will restart right away but you must turn the key all the way to the off position. Guess it's resetting something? If you are driving when it happens, it will not start again while rolling as it wants the key to be turned off all the way. I thought it might have been the fuel pump relay because I heard it buzzing under the hood during my testing so I replaced that, but still shuts down. Once it starts shutting down it will run for about 2 minutes before shutting down again. can continue this 2 minute drill as long as you want but makes it difficult and dangerous to get anywhere.
I have seen other website's suggestions ranging from the fuel pump (expensive if not the problem), engine control box, crankshaft position sensor, security system, ignition module, fuel pressure regulator, oil pressure, coolant temp sensor, and ignition switch.
whatever it is, it does not send out an error code.
In South Louisiana, temps in upper 80-mid 90s.
Any ideas? PLEASE Help!!!!!!!! I cannot go anywhere safely as it is so unreliable.
got it back and about 2 weeks later did same thing. typically I only drive back and forth to work - about 10 miles each way so I guess it doesn't heat up enough or drive long enough on a daily basis. Mechanic suggested I let it just run in the driveway and see if it would repeat. I finally tried this and it shuts off about an hour + after running. It will restart right away but you must turn the key all the way to the off position. Guess it's resetting something? If you are driving when it happens, it will not start again while rolling as it wants the key to be turned off all the way. I thought it might have been the fuel pump relay because I heard it buzzing under the hood during my testing so I replaced that, but still shuts down. Once it starts shutting down it will run for about 2 minutes before shutting down again. can continue this 2 minute drill as long as you want but makes it difficult and dangerous to get anywhere.
I have seen other website's suggestions ranging from the fuel pump (expensive if not the problem), engine control box, crankshaft position sensor, security system, ignition module, fuel pressure regulator, oil pressure, coolant temp sensor, and ignition switch.
whatever it is, it does not send out an error code.
In South Louisiana, temps in upper 80-mid 90s.
Any ideas? PLEASE Help!!!!!!!! I cannot go anywhere safely as it is so unreliable.
August 27th, 2016, 7:33 PM
#2
CF Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Scottsboro,AL
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Had the problem, what I found was one of the wires under the hood had melted the insulation off and the wire was grounding out. Check all your wires really good.
November 28th, 2016, 9:42 PM
#4
CF Beginner
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
This is a follow-up to the August 2016 posts regarding my 2001 Chevy Suburban that would just shut down while driving. After much “testing” on my part - letting it shut down while running in the driveway and noting any and all possible things going on – I was then able to get a private mechanic to also reproduce the symptoms. It never showed any error lights but the mechanic did find codes that referenced to various things losing communication with the ECM. Mechanic was also able to determine it was not the fuel pump because when the vehicle would shut down the fuel pump was still running and at full pressure. Since ECM had been replaced less than 1 year before (under warranty) back to the dealer I went. Chevy dealer also replicated symptoms per my instructions and the ECM was replaced again. It has been 2 months and no signs of the problem.
