problems with my truck again.

[greencactus3]

well seems my truck is acting up AGAIN.
so i would like help. im too lazy to write up everytihng so if you can help me, please read these threads on these 2 forums ive posted to.
its about my 98 s10 that seems to want to turn off once in a while. which results in stalling the engine when im at low speeds. i think its something electrical but i have no idea. thanks in advance.

http://www.s10forums.com/forums/show...9969#post49969
http://www.s10forum.com/forum/showth...54#post2807154

[Matt Attallah]

With that CAI it can suck the oil (from the cone filter) into the heating element on that MAF and cause that to read wrong - try to clean that VERY-VERY cautiously with some brake cleaner (That's what I've always used). That's about a $250+ part alone...

Also - might want to see if that IAC is acting up (Intake Air Controller) and get some throttle-body cleaner and try to clean it right up. Thoes are known for sticking and not allowing enought air to go through (That's why it stalls when your foot is not on the pedal @ low speeds)

Hope this gives you a place to start!

[sanddrag]

This may sound stupid but have you checked the battery cables? Are they corroded at the battery terminals? Are they firmly connected (you should not be able to twist them around)? Are the cables themselves in good shape? I've heard of a Ranger having a loose connection at the battery and it caused the computer shut down and lock up the brakes.

I've also heard of O2 sensors going bad internally and shorting to ground causing problems elsewhere in the electrical system.

[Bill_Hancoc]

I had a smilier problem with my Lexus. It appeared to be an electrical problem and i had a bunch of sensors and the like replaced to no avail. Upon further engine examination i found a lot of carbonization (i think thats a word) on the throttle body blocking air flow when the engine was cold (this continued into the summer not just a winter problem). Once the engine would heat up it would run fine. Try checking the throttle body for and signs of corruption or the above mentioned.

Hope this helps

[Andrew Y.]

have you felt any difference in your cars performance? (acceleration) vibrations?.


from the informations, i am thinking it could be a intake problem. If the check engin light comes on, you can take it to autozone for a free code chek, that uually tell you the problem

[greencactus3]

thanks guys. i did check the wires. seems to be fine. checked if any grounds were loose. seemed fine... at least the ones i oculd find.. unno how many and where they are. but yea. im leaning towards the maf. excvept the porblem is that today its running pretty nicely. was kinda hard to start this morning but i guess that could just be the cold... and only stalled once. oh and when you lose power you lose ABS. duh but i did have a moment of scariness waiting for abs to kick in until i noticed i should prolly let up on the brake a bit,... shouldnt rely on abs too much... whew.
and since i had a leak in my tire (between the tire and rim. what causes that? corrosion?) i had the guys at firestone take a look and see if they could find anything wrong..... they couldnt get it to stall and it ran with no problems... so they couldnt find a problem.. well at least it was free since they couldnt find anythign. anyways,. its running fine since. i unno.... maybe the maf burned the crap that mightve been on off? i heard some are supposed to do that... well i hope thats it.
oh i should say i tried driving it with the maf unplugged yesterday and it ran a lot better than with it plugged... but i plugged it back in this morngin and well./. as i said. sorry im jumping all over the place for time...
well if it still does it again ill be cleaning the maf. and then see whats wrong..
oh i dunno if its related or anything but i tried taking out the rubber seal at the back of my hood 2 days ago for better airflow.. and then this happened.. and when i putit back on it ran a bit better. took it off again, ran worse. and put it on once more it ran better.... why? i cant see how this can be affecting anything unless my truck is runnign lean... but even at idle theres a difference.. so i have it back on right now since there seems to be something connecting that seal and the motor running performance. weird...
and as for performance.... um i cant tell no vibrations i can tell and as for acceleration i cant lay down ANY power right now with a/t tires (as in tires spin even at 30 mph at half throttle with 5 sandbags over the axle) so until i get less icy roads i cant test it out. but it sounds fine...
ses light only turned on when i ran with the maf unplugged. kinda.. it didnt at first but one it stalled it turned on and when it shut off again it turned of... and then ive had the maf plugged in since then so.... well ill hope its fixed itself,.. i dunno.... its running perfectly now... hope it stays that way..
and autozone does free code checks anytime? didnt know that.
again, thanks everyone for their input!

[greencactus3]

ok nvm. not running perfectly. SAME thing happens when the engine is cold... gonna peek at the maf tomorrow.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

I don't think that the ABS should be related to stalling. Are you sure you don't have a leaking vacuum hose feeding the power brake booster? What exactly occured that you think the ABS was involved? If you could link up with Matt (above) there may be a problem you have overlooked.

[greencactus3]

Originally Posted by Al Skierkiewicz

I don't think that the ABS should be related to stalling. Are you sure you don't have a leaking vacuum hose feeding the power brake booster? What exactly occured that you think the ABS was involved? If you could link up with Matt (above) there may be a problem you have overlooked.

yea. i ditched the idea that abs was related a while ago. and im not sure if i have a vaccum leak but doubt it. i really think its either a bad ground or connection somewhere or stuff on my maf.. which i still havent gotten around to cleaning..

on a somewhat related note, i just noticed today that im missing the nut for clamping the battery in.. so its just sitting in its tray right now.. do i really need to replace that soon? or is that somehting i juts need to pick up next time i go to a hardware store? dont know how long its been missing..

[Jay H 237]

Originally Posted by greencactus3

on a somewhat related note, i just noticed today that im missing the nut for clamping the battery in.. so its just sitting in its tray right now.. do i really need to replace that soon? or is that somehting i juts need to pick up next time i go to a hardware store? dont know how long its been missing..

I would secure it ASAP. A battery isn't something you want moving around and possibly bouncing out of it's tray and "visiting" another area of the engine compartment. I'm not familiar with how much space or what else is located near it for your S-10 but it could come into contact with something else. I'm not saying that you'll wind up with a short and/or a fire but the possibility is greater with an unrestained battery.
Also if it's able to move around then it's also moving the cables attached to it. Not good for the cables. I would make sure the cables are tight and clean and fasten the battery down. Your vehicle will most likely have bolts connecting the cables. I think they require a 5/16" wrench.
To actually hold the battery there are clamps/straps that go over the battery or there could be a "block" that bolts to the tray and holds the battery by the bottom lip. If you find that more than just a bolt is missing you could get the parts from the dealer or salvage yard. The GMC Sonoma would use the same parts.

[greencactus3]

Originally Posted by Jay H 237

I would secure it ASAP. A battery isn't something you want moving around and possibly bouncing out of it's tray and "visiting" another area of the engine compartment. I'm not familiar with how much space or what else is located near it for your S-10 but it could come into contact with something else. I'm not saying that you'll wind up with a short and/or a fire but the possibility is greater with an unrestained battery.
Also if it's able to move around then it's also moving the cables attached to it. Not good for the cables. I would make sure the cables are tight and clean and fasten the battery down. Your vehicle will most likely have bolts connecting the cables. I think they require a 5/16" wrench.
To actually hold the battery there are clamps/straps that go over the battery or there could be a "block" that bolts to the tray and holds the battery by the bottom lip. If you find that more than just a bolt is missing you could get the parts from the dealer or salvage yard. The GMC Sonoma would use the same parts.

yup. thanks. ill go pick up a nut tomorrow. it still has a "block" just missing the nut... i hope the threads arent screwed or anything... anyone know off the top of their head what size nut i hafta get for the "block". its exactly as you said. holds the battery down by the lip. if not ill hafta guess and check and keep going in and out of the store till i get the right one lol. and of course theres only one store around here that carries metric stuff. and its not the closest. lame.
yea. the battery moving around and loosening connections mightve been the reason why my truck isnt working too well. i loosened a bit, then retightened the battery cables down again. so i hope that was the problem... we'll see tomorrow morngin when its cold again.. see if it runs strong again.

[Jay H 237]

I went and removed the one from my 1987 Chevrolet Caprice and measured it. Hopefully GM has kept them similar and if they have it's a 8mm x 1.25 thread. The length is about 2". This is a bolt, not a nut. There is also a flat washer on it, no lock washer. If the hardware store offers the bolt and washer in stainless steel I would go for that as it won't rust up on you.

You will need a 13mm socket or wrench to install it.

I hope this helps.

[greencactus3]

Originally Posted by Jay H 237

I went and removed the one from my 1987 Chevrolet Caprice and measured it. Hopefully GM has kept them similar and if they have it's a 8mm x 1.25 thread. The length is about 2". This is a bolt, not a nut. There is also a flat washer on it, no lock washer. If the hardware store offers the bolt and washer in stainless steel I would go for that as it won't rust up on you.

You will need a 13mm socket or wrench to install it.

I hope this helps.

didnt get to go today.. darn. well a bolt huh. hm. i have the threaded end of the bolt sticking up through the tray, and the "block" through it. so i assumed a washer and a nut would be enough. well thanks for getting the size and thread for me. but if you had a bolt instead of a nut it might be different? oh well. its a starting point. thanks.