THE DATE & MILEAGE ARE ONLY FOR THE MOST RECENT OCCURENCE. IT STARTED LATE APRIL 2001 AT ABOUT 70,000 MILES; I'D BOUGHT THE CAR USED THE PREVIOUS SEPTEMBER & IT HAD DRIVEN OK THROUGHOUT THE WINTER. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN HAPPENING OFF & ON EVER SINCE. THE CAR WILL BE GOING 55 MPH OR MORE; ABOUT 5 OR MORE MINUTES AFTER STARTUP (IT VARIES), THE RPM GAUGE/IDLE SUDDENLY DROPS TO 0, THE CAR MIGHT BUCK SLIGHTLY,THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, & THE CAR STALLS. PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL HAS NO EFFECT; ALL I CAN DO IS COAST TO A STOP. SO FAR, I'VE BEEN LUCKY; I'VE BEEN ABLE TO COAST TO THE SHOULDER W/NO INCIDENT. USUALLY AFTER A COUPLE MINUTES, I CAN START THE CAR AGAIN,BUT THIS PAST SATURDAY, I WAS STRANDED FOR OVER AN HOUR BEFORE THE CAR WOULD START. THE PROBLEM HAPPENS IRREGULARLY, USUALLY WHEN IT'S WARM OUTSIDE. THE IDLE ALSO REVS ON ITS OWN; WHENEVER I TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE GAS & THE SPEED DROPS BELOW 30 MPH, IT REVS & JUMPS FORWARD UNLESS I IMMEDIATELY HIT THE BRAKES -- VERY DANGEROUS WHEN I'M HEADING TOWARDS A STOPLIGHT! THE CAR HAS HAD BOTH ITS IGNITION COIL & FUEL INJECTORS REPLACED, AND ALL BELTS ARE NEW; ALL MAINTENANCE IS KEPT UP, & THERE ARE NO OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR THAT WOULD CAUSE EITHER OF THESE ISSUES. AFTER DRIVING OUR MECHANIC & US NUTS FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, WE FINALLY FOUND OUT THAT THE PROBLEMS WERE DUE TO SHORTS CAUSED BY BAD INSULATIVE SPRAY ON THE ECU/COMPUTER CIRCUIT BOARD (THE ORIGINAL FACTORY INSTALLED UNIT), & WE ALSO FOUND OUT THAT WE WEREN'T ALONE IN HAVING THESE PROBLEMS -- THAT OTHER STORM & ISUZU OWNERS WERE HAVING THE SAME TROUBLE. THE FAULTY ECU IS WHAT GM/ISUZU REFUSE TO RECOGNIZE. ISUZU CLAIMS THE PROBLEMS ARE "NORMAL" -- I'VE YET TO DRIVE ANY CAR WHERE STALLING & DYING AT HIGH SPEED ON THE HIGHWAY IS CONSIDERED "NORMAL". *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 755083
- Incident
- Nov 24, 2001