Comming home tonight in the Catera, driving on the main freeway stretch (atlantic blvd... very long stretch of road), getting up on a wal-mart and other resturants when the car just shuts off like it does sometimes does at a stop light... yet this time were driving. Luckily because its a Cadillac and its so heavy it rolled off into a slight incline entrance to that area, and was able to pull into a newly built resturant back parkinglot. Then it wouldnt restart... wait 5 minutes, tried and no go... 10 minutes; started but then in reverse it shut off again. Then we waited another 10 minutes and it finally started up; doing whatever i can to keep the RPM's high i keep light throttle with the brakes on *stupid i know* and used the manual gear selections on the gear selector to make my way home in second or third gear putting it in neutral at stop lights and keeping it rev'd.
Our guess still is the IAC (Idle Air Control) which is a valve that commonly gets dirty or the motor malfunctions. Its been malfunctioning, and has done it where you have to wait a while for it to decide to start again, just never when your driving or on the road! Its still sad and confusing how this time it did it while i was driving. It was also cold and raining outside.
Anyways, made it home and no need for it to be pushed or towed!
__________________ Feels kinda blistery in here, anyone else feel that? Oh waits its me.
well, for what it's worth, my 1989 Oldsmobile 88 winter car (3800 V6) a little more then a month ago was not ideling well at all, and would stall on the road when I had my foot off the gas or at a stop light etc.... just for the hell of it, I removed the hose that goes from the air box to the TB, and there was a screen over the TB I could not remove, so I had the enigne running and got the stick I use as a prop rod (hood strusts are shot) and put it on the pedal and then agaisnt the front of the seat to keep the RPM's up, I sprayed my throttle body cleaner into the TB....alot, I would do alot, when it was dting down< i would let up, and spray more..... since then it has ran better, little better fuel millage, but most of all, no stalling at all.....
another thing with my Olds that may be similar with your car.... on cold days (besides the gas pedal sticking down) after 2 or 3 starts in a row (like when the gas sticks, I shut the engine off, go under the hood and move the throttle linkage by hand) it will not start.... also sometimes my reverse lights do not go on.... it is the park/neutral switch (it even set a computer error code) it makes it so that the car can only start in park or neutral... well, when it goes bad, someitmes it thinks it is in gear even when it is not.... maybe that is why your car is stalling? How are your plugs/wires also?
and lastly.... have you scanned for error codes?
__________________ ~ Rick
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~1994 Isuzu Amigo - Daily driver/work truck, back to life
~1996 Lincoln Town Car Signature - Highway cruiser/personal limo, semi-retired
Was going to scan for error codes, just had it in a while ago for MAF replacement(check engine light then)... they said in the process to figure out what it was (before replacing it) that they cleaned all of the manifold components and thats what probably got excess dirt into the IAC. From what ive seen, it does not cause any codes to come up on the computer, but i could get lucky and find some.. just need to scan it sometime. Im pretty sure the ignition system is fine, it has the module at plug deal so theres not really any replacing there except for the wire.. and it runs tooo good to have that be any of a problem. THe car starts up fine and runs perfect all the time except for when it stalls. . No problems what-so-ever, reguardless of the stalling. And when it stalls btw, it feels like you just turned the ignition off... its so sudden and quick, theres no way of telling that it could happen or not.
If i can find the IAC i will when i get the time, its not in that location as on your 98/(97?)... my guess is its on the back right of the intake plenum ontop, theres a familliar hose there that runs near the IAC on the older engine... worth a try, as i did run my hand back there and find something with a wire running to it.
Do you have a digital camera? Get a pic from above the upper intake and post it or email it to me ( speedingpenguin@comcast.net )
I'll upload a good pic of the IAC valve, i immagine it is in the same place on all the years..........and even if its not, it wont be that different....
Ahaha... it wasnt the IAC Valve... twas the Camshaft Position Sensor; it outright stalled today and wouldnt restart... got it towed to a cadillac dealer and found out there was some warranty left from the original dealer. Free tow, free service, and free rental (Cadillac DeVille in cashmere color); also purchased an extended warranty so if anything else happens again.
Just researched this problem on GM cars alike and it was the same symptoms, car would run great but it would stall intermittently- usually restart but sometimes not restart at all, which was the same problem I had.
Apparently some people even have to wait up to 30 minutes for it to start!
thats cool......sorta.....lol
Still wouldnt be a bad idea to clean out your IAC ;-)
Glad you found and got the problem fixed....lucky you that your cadillac dealership is good. hahaha
It REALLY stalled this time... 
Re: It REALLY stalled this time... 
. No problems what-so-ever, reguardless of the stalling. And when it stalls btw, it feels like you just turned the ignition off... its so sudden and quick, theres no way of telling that it could happen or not.
Re: It REALLY stalled this time... 
