We've had an issue with our '02 AWD Astro, 140K mi., occasionally stalling out while driving in cold, snowy conditions. This has happened 5 times over the past 2 winters. Normal, almost daily, driving is not a problem 99% of the time. The fuel pump had been replaced just before we bought the van in early '08. New distributor 2012, new MSD ignition coil last winter after this problem first started.
First time this happened, last winter, we drove about an hour on a rural highway in the early evening, temperature in the teens or colder & lots of snow on the roads & lots of blowing snow. Stopped for an hour or so and 5 miles down the road on our return trip the van sputtered and died. Would crank, but not start. About 20 minutes later it started up, ran crappy for several miles, then quit again. Started back up several minutes later ran well enough to get us back home. Ran fine the next day and for several weeks afterward.
Next time it happened, several weeks later, i had driven 15 minutes on the highway to work in the morning, again cold & snowy, a minute or so after getting off the highway, it stalled out. I got it into a parking lot, walked to work, went back that afternoon & it started up & ran fine.
Next time, I left the house for work in the morning, again cold & snowy, got less than 2 miles from home before making it to the highway, it quit. I walked home, called work, got back to the van with another car, it started up & ran fine. This was the only time, of the 5 occurrences, that this happened before it had been driven for at least 15 minutes on a highway.
For the rest of last winter & all spring, summer & fall, it ran fine.
This is an almost daily driver in any type of weather. A couple months ago we drove through a nasty blizzrd to New Hampshire, normally a 5 1/2 hour trip that took us 10 hours because of other vehicles disabled by road conditions & blocking traffic. The van ran fine the entire trip, as it does most of the time.
Last week, on the way home from work (15 minute highway ride), again cold & snowy, a minute or so after getting off the highway, it stalled out. I walked home, got back to it with another car (so, about 30 minutes later) it started up & ran fine.
Today, same thing a minute or so off the highway, it stalled out. I waited 20 minutes for the "Retained Accessory
Power" interval to end, it started right up & got me home.
The common denominator here is cold, snowy weather, when i'm thinking blowing snow is getting up into some wiring (to fuel pump maybe?) and shorting something out. Twenty minutes later it always starts back up & runs fine for days or weeks at a time.
Anybody experience these same symptoms or have any thoughts on this?
Thanks!
First time this happened, last winter, we drove about an hour on a rural highway in the early evening, temperature in the teens or colder & lots of snow on the roads & lots of blowing snow. Stopped for an hour or so and 5 miles down the road on our return trip the van sputtered and died. Would crank, but not start. About 20 minutes later it started up, ran crappy for several miles, then quit again. Started back up several minutes later ran well enough to get us back home. Ran fine the next day and for several weeks afterward.
Next time it happened, several weeks later, i had driven 15 minutes on the highway to work in the morning, again cold & snowy, a minute or so after getting off the highway, it stalled out. I got it into a parking lot, walked to work, went back that afternoon & it started up & ran fine.
Next time, I left the house for work in the morning, again cold & snowy, got less than 2 miles from home before making it to the highway, it quit. I walked home, called work, got back to the van with another car, it started up & ran fine. This was the only time, of the 5 occurrences, that this happened before it had been driven for at least 15 minutes on a highway.
For the rest of last winter & all spring, summer & fall, it ran fine.
This is an almost daily driver in any type of weather. A couple months ago we drove through a nasty blizzrd to New Hampshire, normally a 5 1/2 hour trip that took us 10 hours because of other vehicles disabled by road conditions & blocking traffic. The van ran fine the entire trip, as it does most of the time.
Last week, on the way home from work (15 minute highway ride), again cold & snowy, a minute or so after getting off the highway, it stalled out. I walked home, got back to it with another car (so, about 30 minutes later) it started up & ran fine.
Today, same thing a minute or so off the highway, it stalled out. I waited 20 minutes for the "Retained Accessory
Power" interval to end, it started right up & got me home.
The common denominator here is cold, snowy weather, when i'm thinking blowing snow is getting up into some wiring (to fuel pump maybe?) and shorting something out. Twenty minutes later it always starts back up & runs fine for days or weeks at a time.
Anybody experience these same symptoms or have any thoughts on this?
Thanks!