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Motor surging and stalled out

3K views 16 replies 6 participants last post by  1BadCadSTS 
#1 ·
Hi everyone, I am new here. I recently bought a 2006 sts4 with the v8. Two daysago i took the air ffilter out of the air box to see what it looked like. It was really cloggedup so i put it back in with the iintention of replacing it shortly. I started the car the next morning and the engine light was on. I did not notice it driving any different. I took the car to had the codes check. There was like 8 of them. I don't remember them all but I know bank 1 and 2 were lean, the man sensorwas rreading g low air and a bunch of other codes. The guy said they were all relatedto tthe air cleaner being bad. I replaced the air clean and everything has gone down hill. Since then, the car has been running bad. When under a medium load, the motor would cut in and out and surge. The car has eve been stalling out on me out of no where. Please help me guys. Car has only 50k miles on it.
 
#3 ·
Hello Cummins4LF,

I apologize that you are experiencing an issue with your STS surging and stalling. If you are interested in working with a dealership, I would like to assist you in working with them. Since you are new to the forum and cannot private message us, you can send your information to socialmedia@gm.com. I would need your name, contact info, VIN, mileage, and dealership you would like to work with. When you send your email, please include “ATTN GREG” in the subject line so that it gets delivered straight to me. Thank you very much for taking the time to read my post. I hope to hear from you soon.

Gregory W.
Cadillac Customer Care
 
#4 ·
The air box can be a bit tricky and you've obviously discovered the objective is to disturb things as little as possible. At least one issue was probably that one or more of the retainiing tabs on the bottom of the airbox slipped out of place. Did you spread the halves more than an inch or two? There are several other components you might have upset.

Did you get the codes read by a Cadillac dealer? Most inexpensive code readers will not provide full information on your STS. You will find value in being on good terms with the best dealer in your area. I'm lucky enough to have two good ones but also have a local guy that does some things that I just don't want to. Some things just about require a dealer so don't fool yourself; they are sometimes necessary.
 
#6 ·
Thank you all for the input. I will check the air box when I get home from work. Now that I think about it, I think there was a gap along the seam of the air box toward the bottom. I had to pry the two halves apart a good 2 or 3 inches to get the old filter out and the new on in. Will the air box cause that many issues in the motor like stalling and surging? Has anyone here put on the volant CAI? Just curious to see if it comes with everything that is need to install and if it causes the check engine light. Thanks again for everyone responses. I will shoot you an email Greg as soon as I can.
 
#8 ·
Did you use an OEM air filter? Although many members swear by 'upgrades', it is very easy to over-treat a K&N and some members have reported issues with some aftermarket filters.

Opinions vary widely on the Volant. I'm in the camp that would be doing it for the sound at WOT. I believe claims of gains in performance are exagerated. But it's your car... Have fun!
 
#9 ·
Hey guys, back with some more questions. When I finally got a chance to work on my car, I found that I had not installed the air filter properly and the hose running from the middle of the air intake tube to the top of the right valve cover was not hooked up. I fixed all of that. It seemed to possibly run smoother but the light is still on. Today, I decided to go out for a ride. Everything is smooth until you really get into the throttle. When you roll into the throttle and get to about half throttle, it starts surging bad. Its like someone slamming on the brakes and letting go over and over until you let off of the throttle. This only seems to happen in first and second gear. Anyone have any ideas? I need help ASAP. I can't drive my car like that.
 
#11 ·
Well, I spent about 2 hours driving the car today. The surging has seemed to stopped, or at least dumbed itself down a little. The problem I am still having is the stalling. It stalled 3 times on me while I was driving. It will just shut off with no warning. I was just cruising along an it stopped running. I will look it over again tomorrow when I have some light to see what I am doing. Thanks for everyone's help so far. I really appreciate it.
 
#14 ·
Okay, back with another update. I had my gf take the car and get it inspected. She said when she took the car to get it inspected, the check engine light was off. The guy at the inspection shop checked the computer anyway and there was one code. My gf didnt really know what he was talking about. She isnt exactly car smart. Anyway, he reset the codes and all was well for about two drives. On the third "run cycle" the light came back on. I havent had enough time to get the code checked again, but i guess its back to bucking. I have double and tripled checked everything that i may have touched or accidently touched. The only thing i found was on the air box. I was getting ready to take the MAF sensor out to see if maybe the contacts were dirty. When i went to loose the first bolt, it wasnt even tight. I looked at the gasket, there were pieces missing and some of the gasket looked melted. Do you guys think it could have been getting air from around the MAF sensor?
 
#15 ·
If the car was fine until you messed with the air box and now its throwing lean codes I find it very hard not to be related. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck then obviously its a duck...

Where are you located. Maybe one of our other members is close by to connect it right for you.
 
#16 ·
I am located in Athens Pennsylvania. My car seems to have a mind of its own. I cleaned up the old gasket and put the sensor back in. Then i used plasti dip to create a temporary new seal. when i started the car, the light was off, but not 5 minutes down the road, the car stalled out and when i started it, the light was back on. Back to stalling and bucking. I have double and triple an quadruple checked everything. I just dont understand or know what to do from here. I know if i take it to a dealer, they will tell me the same thing yall are telling me. If someone if close by to me or relatively close, i can drive to meet someone. Thanks for everyones input.
 
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