LT1 Dies While Driving
 

I searched a few times, but seems no one has had the exact issue I've had with this. Just recently my car has gotten to where it would crank fine when cold, drive fine for maybe 10 minutes, then it would start to cut out and die. In the past it would fire right back up and drive just fine, but last night it did it and would not fire back over at all. After turning it over until the battery was nearly dead hooked it up to my aunts truck to charge the battery, charged about 10 minutes and fired right up. Got it running, and after about 5 minutes it died again and would not start back for the rest of the night. Went this morning, fired right up and drove home no issues. In fact when I got home I let it run for 45 minutes with no problems. When I turn the switch on after it dies I can hear the fuel pump cycle on. Also about once every 4-5 times it does this it pops my gauge cluster fuse. It has only died on me so far at night, when the headlights were on. In fact the other day it was raining, died on me, I turned my lights off and made it to my destination with no more trouble. The car has a new opti with less than 5k, a new ICM with less than 2k, new plugs/wires/fuel filter. I keep it above 1/2 a tank at all times, right now its at 3/4 of a tank when it was doing it. Any help is GREATLY appreciated!!

Also, don't know if it makes a difference or not, the alternator gets REALLY hot. You can't touch it without burning your fingers practically. But it's still charging 14.4V.

I've been messing with it all morning, I finally got it to die while idling. After it dies it still has good fuel pressure, and good spark. Today everytime it died it would fire right back up and run with no problem.

Sounds like the ICM. What brand ICM did you buy? Have you done any wiring recently that would cause that fuse to pop? You have a short somewhere or you're pulling too much current through that fuse.

Going to try another ICM, I'm unsure of the brand it came from O'Reillys.

Don't use those. Buy one from GM. Always get your sensors from GM. I had an Autozone ICM that crapped out after 2 weeks.

Replaced the ICM, and ignition coil this morning, no change. I can't trust the car to go anywhere anymore so any help would be appreciated.

I've always been online with that thinking as well. But after waiting 2 weeks for my Chevy guy to "call me when the ICMs came in" I went to AZ and picked up one. It has a lifetime warranty. I mean, if it has a lifetime warranty, then when would you ever have to spend money on another one??? I don't know. I'd hate to think that my car can tell the difference between the two (OEM and non)....kinda like a kid that doesn't like broccoli.

??-Ivan

But why would you want to take a chance of it crapping out later and then have to troubleshoot your car all over again?

Aftermarket electronics usually use overseas parts, and they are definitely not the same quality as American parts, as you can see in the price difference of GM sensors vs. AZ. Just my $0.02.

Maybe I'm rationalizing the fact that I bought one from AZ. I just hated the fact that I had gone in and they didn't have one so I waited for it and didn't have the patience for a GM one. The thing that sucks about those little guys (ICMs) is that they will always test good unless they've completely shiat the bed or if they are heated up to 8 million degrees to simulate real world drivability conditions.

Otherwise, they all seem to work the same. Maybe the GM one just resists heat much better and that's why it lasts just as long.

But I've never been a believer of "if it costs more it must be better...." anyhow. Most of the time yeah but def not all the time....

-Ivan

i'm tagging along becasue i have had this trouble lately, but i dont get to drive my TA that much so i cant help, i just know my battery dies a lot and i need to check my alt. to make sure it charging while driving

I actually had a problem with my GM ICM. So i took it off, wiped all the surfaces clean, and layed on a thick coat of high temp. grease. Never had a problem since.

Have you gotten it to start recently?

As long as you have a new ICM, stick some washers under the bracket to provide a small airgap to the head. That will help it stay cool and live longer.

...so they say....

-Ivan

Minor point, but the ICM is not a "sensor".