Tahoe Died on Highway

[99TahoeOwner]

I have a '99 Tahoe with 41,000 miles. It's in virtual showroom condition since it had been in storage for almost 15 years when I bought it a couple of months ago.

There are a few issues that concern me that I hope you guys can help me out with.

The first one I'll start with happened about a month ago. We were 6 hours into a road trip when it died while driving down the highway. No warnings, no sputtering, no CEL. I pulled off the highway, sat there a moment trying to figure out what went wrong, then I started it back up and it has run great ever since.

Any idea of what caused this? I'd hate for it to happen again, only next time not start back up. It'd rather be proactive and fix whatever caused it.

I'm only a Youtube mechanic, so I look forward to learning a lot from everyone here.

Dan

 

[BG1988]

I have a '99 Tahoe with 41,000 miles. It's in virtual showroom condition since it had been in storage for almost 15 years when I bought it a couple of months ago.

There are a few issues that concern me that I hope you guys can help me out with.

The first one I'll start with happened about a month ago. We were 6 hours into a road trip when it died while driving down the highway. No warnings, no sputtering, no CEL. I pulled off the highway, sat there a moment trying to figure out what went wrong, then I started it back up and it has run great ever since.

Any idea of what caused this? I'd hate for it to happen again, only next time not start back up. It'd rather be proactive and fix whatever caused it.

I'm only a Youtube mechanic, so I look forward to learning a lot from everyone here.

Dan

plug in a obd2 reader and tell us stored codes

you had lost of of 3 things

fuel
spark
or air

 

[wjburken]

I have a '99 Tahoe with 41,000 miles. It's in virtual showroom condition since it had been in storage for almost 15 years when I bought it a couple of months ago.

There are a few issues that concern me that I hope you guys can help me out with.

The first one I'll start with happened about a month ago. We were 6 hours into a road trip when it died while driving down the highway. No warnings, no sputtering, no CEL. I pulled off the highway, sat there a moment trying to figure out what went wrong, then I started it back up and it has run great ever since.

Any idea of what caused this? I'd hate for it to happen again, only next time not start back up. It'd rather be proactive and fix whatever caused it.

I'm only a Youtube mechanic, so I look forward to learning a lot from everyone here.

Dan

Welcome to the forum.

How much have you driven between purchase and it quitting on you?

Was it a sudden lose of engine power? Sputter? Did you lose electric as well?

How was it maintained while in storage?

What work was needed when it came out of storage? Fuel system flushed? Oil changed? New battery?

My first guess is a piece of crap/varnish in tank broke loose and plugged the fuel line and while you sat there it dissolved and then you could get fuel flowing. That is just a guess based on what has been shared.

As mentioned already, checking for any codes might be a good idea but might not show anything.

 

[Doubeleive]

1st guess: fuel pump, probably wouldn't leave a code
why? you may ask, because if it runs perfect otherwise there really is no other reason other than it ran out of fuel
2nd guess: the ICM, that or the fuel pump are what could cause it to die without cause or code.
https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog...1,ignition,ignition+control+module+(icm),7172
if you have other things going on then perhaps it's something else but doesn't sound like it from what you are describing.

 

[OR VietVet]

If it died while sputtering/feeling like losing power slowly then I would suggest fuel pump related. If it died like someone shut a light switch off, then I look for source of lost spark. How does it look inside the cap? Sounds like it sits around a lot so maybe critters have chewed a wire leading into the pickup inside the dist.

 

[99TahoeOwner]

Sorry for the slow reply. It's been a crazy week.

I messed up on the milage. There are 39,700 on the Tahoe. We've put 4000 on it total and had driven it about 2000 when the problem occurred.

When it died, there was no warning. It was like someone flipped a switch. Dash lights were still on.

There are no codes.

I do wonder about the fuel pump, though. It has a loud whine. This is my first Chevy so I don't really know what it normally sounds like, but I've not owned another car that sounds as loud as this.

 

[99TahoeOwner]

Welcome to the forum.

How much have you driven between purchase and it quitting on you?

Was it a sudden lose of engine power? Sputter? Did you lose electric as well?

How was it maintained while in storage?

What work was needed when it came out of storage? Fuel system flushed? Oil changed? New battery?

My first guess is a piece of crap/varnish in tank broke loose and plugged the fuel line and while you sat there it dissolved and then you could get fuel flowing. That is just a guess based on what has been shared.

As mentioned already, checking for any codes might be a good idea but might not show anything.

I think it largely just sat while in storage. Not much has been done to it since coming out of storage. Oil change, new tires, new belt and tensioner, and a new battery. I plan to change out all the fluids in the next couple of weeks. As I mentioned in another post, the fuel pump is pretty loud, so I wonder if that's a warning sign.

 

[bigfootchiro]

Fuel pump whine is typically a sign of it going out. If it’s loud enough to hear, then it’s bad.

 

[OR VietVet]

I hope the fuel pump turns out to be the problem but if in fact the engine shut off like shutting off a light switch, by that I mean immediately instead of gradual over 3-10 seconds, then I still believe the problem will be a spark delivery problem. Lots of years of experience has pointed to fuel pumps when the driver feels the power loss gradually and even with a bucking effect. A lot of times it also is in the way the driver tells the story. Lots of questions and following answers can save a lot of diagnostic time, especially with an intermittent problem.

 

[99TahoeOwner]

Fuel pump whine is typically a sign of it going out. If it’s loud enough to hear, then it’s bad.

I was afraid of that. Looks like I'm going to learn how to change a fuel pump.