'00 Seville Engine Turns Off Often

[Brent H]

I've got a 2000 Seville SLS with about 94,000 miles on it. I've had a problem for a while now with the engine shutting off. It used to be only occasionally, but its gotten to the point now where its several times a week. I've searched around and found some people having similar problems, but nothing exactly like mine. Strangely enough it is consistent in these ways...

• Its almost always right at about 7 or 8 minutes after I start the car and it has been sitting for awhile. (If the car is warm when I start it, the problem usually doesn't occur.)
  
• It usually happens when I'm sitting and idling, or braking, or simply slowing down with my foot off the accelerator.
  
• Sometimes the Check Engine light will come on for a little while, but it goes back off again after a few starts.
  
• If I do have my foot on the gas pedal, sometimes I feel the engine miss right around that same 7 or 8 minute mark. The check engine light will sometimes come on when this happens as well.

Anybody got any ideas or at least a place to start looking? I've heard some people suggest crankshaft position sensors, but this sounds in many ways like a fuel issue to me, though I make no claim to be a mechanic. Thanks for any help!

[ejguillot]

I'll tell you what everybody else will... pull your codes and let us know what you find. Read the following:

http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums...s-warning.html

[Brent H]

Thanks man, sorry for the newbie mistake. For some reason I thought you needed some kind of reader to get the codes off newer cars (I knew how to get the off my '86 Eldo).

At any rate, here's what I got:
ABS C1246 Current
AMP U1064 History
DIM B1324 History
DIM U1016 History
IPC U1016 History
PCM P0335 History
PCM O0385 History
TTM U1016 History

[submariner409]

OK....Several of the codes refer to low voltages, maybe set by cranking the engine as the car is rolling or with the brake pedal on. P0335 and P0385 refer specifically to a CKP (Crankshaft Position Sensor A or B) fault which will positively lead to intermittent stalling. The fact that the stall occurs at a predictable time in the warmup may indicate a problem with voltage transfer from closed loop (warmup) functions to open loop (normal temp) operation. Replacing CKP's A and B is fairly straightforward and has been the subject of many posts in here. Search. BUT, there is a specific and dedicated procedure needed in order for the PCM to accurately determine the electrical characteristics of the new sensors so that accurate ignition timing is achieved. It's called a "relearn" procedure and can only be done by a dealer or someone with a Tech II tool (megabucks). If you buy the sensors online, from one of the recommended sources in these forums you save a few bucks, but to do the whole job correctly you will still have to pay a dealer to do the relearn. Also included in the Tech II diagnostic is a set of checks for PCM voltages and ground verification.

[Brent H]

Thanks for your help submarine. Anyone else want to weigh in on how necessary the relearn procedure is? There seems to be some disagreement in other threads.

[CadillacSTS2003]

def have a crank sensor issue
its a common problem with a bulletin out for it
replace'm

[Ur7x]

Originally Posted by Brent H

Thanks for your help submarine. Anyone else want to weigh in on how necessary the relearn procedure is? There seems to be some disagreement in other threads.

Yea your crank sensors are shot... 100% guaranteed... You are very lucky they lasted this long.. most fail around 60,000 miles.

I was worried about the relearn process too... what the guru told me was this was optional and ONLY needs to be done if you have driveability issues after they are swapped... When I bought my sensors at the dealership, I checked with a Cadillac tech and he told me the same thing... He told me the dealership will only "learn" the sensors if they notice problems on the drive to and from the carwash.

On the three cars I have replaced the sensors on, none of them needed the relearn. I have 40,000 miles on my "nonrelearned" sensors and the car runs great and hasn't stalled since.

Swap them yourself and if the car has a crummy idle or if it stalls then have the relearn done... Otherwise save your money.