[mellybean]

my mom's saturn (it's like 9 years old...seriously, it's a death trap. ) has recently been stalling (for lack of a better word). when i drive it, at times it stalls or breaks...but only for a few seconds. this doesn't happen every minute (but it does happen every time i drive it), but happens enough to make me worried it'll stop in the middle of the road. we recently took it in for a tune-up, and of course the dealer found nothing wrong. it was also looked at by pep boys and they, too, found nothing wrong. any ideas? thanks in advance!


also, on an unrelated topic, i recently heard/read about disreputable practices at ez lube/jiffy lube. are there any recommended places to take your car (other than a dealer...who i am not entirely fond of either) for an oil change/tune up? i just don't know if i should be paying for these other services they recommend...since i have no car mechanic experience...and i always end up poorer at the end ...anyway, thanks!

[boost]

my mom's saturn (it's like 9 years old...seriously, it's a death trap. ) has recently been stalling (for lack of a better word). when i drive it, at times it stalls or breaks...but only for a few seconds. this doesn't happen every minute (but it does happen every time i drive it), but happens enough to make me worried it'll stop in the middle of the road. we recently took it in for a tune-up, and of course the dealer found nothing wrong. it was also looked at by pep boys and they, too, found nothing wrong. any ideas? thanks in advance!

too hard to diagnose online

also, on an unrelated topic, i recently heard/read about disreputable practices at ez lube/jiffy lube. are there any recommended places to take your car (other than a dealer...who i am not entirely fond of either) for an oil change/tune up? i just don't know if i should be paying for these other services they recommend...since i have no car mechanic experience...and i always end up poorer at the end ...anyway, thanks!

you really dont need to pay 30 dollars for a oil change. just buy oil and get a good oil filter and do the oil change yourself. if you prefer not to do it, you can bring it to small family own mechanic shops or big tire chains (big o tires, firestone, etc...)

[kelvin6]

As for stalling, can you give us more information on what is happening before it stalls? Does it happen when you are coming to stop or when you are stopped? Does it happen randomly while cruising down the road? Can you provide us with what they 'tuned-up'? Is the car automatic or stick?

Such information is important for us to even try to make a diagnosis. So far I can think of several things, such as a faulty fuel pump relay, dirty idle air control valve/motor (or clogged), etc... the list goes on, but I can narrow with more information about the car and the actions before it stalls.

Honestly, if you want to save your money, you should make a attempt to learn some basic automotive DIY. I'm sure there are Saturn forums that can show you how to do most things with your car, and thats how I learned most of my skills, through DIY write-ups and then applying it on my car. I started out as a noob who didn't know jack, and now I can do more than just oil changes, I do lots of engine, electrical, and body work... and i've saved myself from so much labor costs from taking my car to the mechanic and collected a large tool collection while i was at it too.

The ultimate way to save money is sell the car and walk ...

[mellybean]

^^ thanks for your advice. i've told my mom to sell so many times...but she's really hanging on to her baby. plus, i don't know if anyone would actually buy it. i've been meaning to take shop class...but there's none near where i live...maybe i'll look it up online like you suggest.

***
the car's an automatic...and it stalls when i'm driving (randomly, to me at least), but not at a stop. we recently replaced the radiator and fluid and had the brakes flushed...and had an oil change. with all the money we've spent the past few years on this car...i think we could have bought a new saturn.

well, any advice would be great...i know it's difficult to diagnose online. thanks in advance!

[kelvin6]

Random stalling could be a few things, such as fuel pump or fuel pump relay acting intermittantly, if one of those fail or shut off intermittantly it can cause the car to stall. Another possibility is the distributor system, a ignition system of the car, some car's have a distributor 'electronics' built into it which could fail unexpectly, and since its intermittant it can be because of heat issues or what we call heatsoak. If this was the case, the car would stall, wait for a few minutes and be able to start back up. If the car has a distributorless system, its possible that the coil packs might be acting up, or the wiring to them is damaged, etc...

So, i've narrowed down the problem to either fuel or ignition related. Where do we go from here? Well its gonna be hard to say, because unlike having the car in front of me for a visual inspection and a test drive, its gonna tough. What I do highly recommend is finding a Saturn car forum (preferably one that has lots of activity) and describing the problem to them, because odds are, you're car isn't the only one with that problem... and i'm sure someone knows whats exactly wrong and knows whats the rememdy.

[mellybean]

thanks for all your input. i really appreciate it! i'll try that saturn forum. take care!