2001 chey s10 shuts off on road

by jack
(hampton,tn USA)

I have a 2001 chevy s10 2.2 liter 2 wheel drive extended pick up. I had a timing chain timin gears and tensioner put in it not to long ago and it started acting up after it gets warmed up. I drive it for about 45 minutes and the throttle shuts off and it just coasts. When I knock it out of gear it completely dies on me and I have to wait for it to cool off before it starts again. I thought maybe the computer went out on it but I have had two put in it and it still didn't fix it and I think its the crank position sensor goin out but I want to make sure before I spend anymore money on it.


Steve Says,

Hi, Jack. Thanks for using my website. There are two things that you need to do to help narrow down this problem that you are having.

You need to figure out whether the ignition system or the fuel system is causing it to die on you. I suspect that it is a problem with the ignition system, but you need to be sure before you diagnose further.

To check this you will need an inline spark tester. This is a tool that you can hook to the spark plug and it makes it so you can see if the spark plugs are firing when your engine stops. I'm assuming you don't have access to a scan tool, but if you do then it would be useful to be able to look at the "freeze frame" data (a scan tool can record what the computer sees before the problem happens) for when your vehicle stalls.

It is also possible that you have a fuel pressure problem caused by a faulty fuel pump or some other fuel system problem. If you want to check this you can get a fuel pressure tested gauge that you can hook into the fuel lines then tape to the windshield and go for a test drive. This way you can see if the fuel pressure drops off before it stalls.

These are the first two tests you need to do. After you do them I don't know that there is much else you can test without a scan tool. It might even be a good idea to go to an auto parts store or your local auto repair shop to have your codes checked. Even though your check engine light is not on (I'm assuming) there could still be some codes that are stored in your cars computer that might give you a clue to what is going on.

It very well could be a problem with your crankshaft sensor, but you should do these tests first to help confirm.

Feel free to leave a comment if you want to discuss further, and please let me know when you figure out this problem.