windowman721

My daughter just bought a 2000 malibu with v6 engine she test drove it and ran good she bought it drove it about 1/4 mile ran great until it died and would not restart just turns over.
Next day she went back to it and started right upand ran great any ideas seams like somthing may be geting warm can a bad MAF sensor cauase a car to not start

kevinkpk

Yes, and so could ten other things. Is the service engine light on? MAF sensors are heated. But something like that I'd suspect a code. Starts up cold?

windowman721

Thanks for the reply. Car seems to start cold . When it first died there was no service light however after it started the next day the light came on while driving it back and they drove it around but not real long but ran fine. She was affraid it would die again. Before it died the first time she was going up hill and it began to run really bad and died.

kevinkpk

You need to have the code read. It could be a crank sensor, or fuel realted. The seller probably knew this, and cleared the code when he sold it. After 5 or so reoccranaces of the problem, the light will come on. I've never had a mag pickup (crank position sensor) go bad on a car by heating up, but have seen them on other equipment, the coil of wire around the magnet gets hot, and breaks the connection.

windowman721

Thanks we are in process of getting the code read

windowman721

update took car to autozone to have codes read. only code wAS o2 sensors.Car died as we pulled into parking lot wont restart. Called tow truck. Went back to car to meet tow, car started and ran. had it towed home anyway Got it home drove it into the barn let it run for 45 min and drove around barn and up hill for about 15 min car ran great did not die . Gave up for today.Someone said they had a similar problem and found the cat conv to be the issue replaced it and all was good. Just didnt sound right to me. anyone else ever experienced this same thing.

cleveland63b

its a guessing game until you start testing, id start with fuel pressure

windowman721

Thanks,we are working on that. we talked to previous owner he traded the car in he said it was doing this at that time . he had this problem for a while now said if he changed the fuel filter the car would run good for a couple months then start it again . change fuel filter and good again for a couple months.we did get a low fuel pressure code.now is it posible for a fuel pump be low pressure maybe not quite at factory specs but enough to flow through a new filter and run car but after a couple months of use the filter develops a little restriction and the defective pump not be able to maintain proper pressure. all other pump issues i have ever seen the pump either runs ok or not at all.

windowman721

UPdate car quite running again today finaly got fuel presure gage on it whil;e not starting found NO fuel presure pump is running you can hear it come on looks like it is an intermitant fuel pump issue will replace it .
Thanks for all help.