i just recently bought an 89 Cav for like $200... the body looks great iterior also. i'm just using it to go back and forth to work. When i start it, it has a bit of a miss... it'll start right up and drive just fine but when it warms up it shuts off. if i put it in neutral or park, it'll start right back up, but as soon as i put it in drive again it dies out.... does anyone have any suggestions as to what could be wrong with it?

This is a easy fix,u have a bad TCC switch (torque convertor clutch solenoid).You have two options 1 replace the switch rough cost 50-60bux and u defenitely need to change the auto trans fluid if u replace the switch.2 just disconnect the switch terminal which in no way will harm the car,just slightly affect the mpg.SImpley the trans fluid stops doing its job protecting from heat and wear and burns up the switch(solenoid) and creates the stall issue either coming to a stop or changing from park to reverse or drive.This is not a uncommon issue and feel certain this is it.I am not exactly sure where the plug in is on ur model for the solenoid,maybe some of the others can point u to the exact location on the one.

thanks for the help i told him if he asked on here he would find out


h&rs-rksport-magnaflow-ebc-stoptech-vss-jlaudio-jvc

first off, bad fluid doesnt kill the tcc solonoid. the factory solonoid is a bad design and over time they will start to stick. when they stick, the car will stall when you come to a stop, once the engine stalls, there is no longer any fluid pressure in the transmission, thus no pressure against the solonoid, and it resets itself. when you restart the car, the sononoid is reset, and will drive fine untill it goes into lockup, were it will likley stick again. this is a very common problem with the 125 (3t40), however there are other things that cuase this, suck as a sticking lockup valve or a worn out converter.

now that doesnt sound like the problem to me. you said you have a slight miss when you start it, that right there tells me you likley have an engine problem. also, i have changed at least 50 lockup solonoids in 125s at work, never have i seen one stick on and stay stuck, they always reset after they stalled. i would look more into the engine side of things. does it run rough before it stalls??? when was the last time it had a general tune up (plugs, wires, cap, rotor, tbi cleaned, fuel injector cleaner)??? it may just need a simple tune up. i would also check all the vacume lines, this problem can be caused by a vacume leak, and from the description, thats were i would start looking.

if you want to see if its the lockup solonoid, you can unplug it. its on the front of the case bellow the battery tray. it will be a blue or grey square plug. if you unplug it, it will disable lockup. not were i would start though.

it starts right up, just you can feel a miss right off... it just had plugs, wires, and an oil change a couple days ago. we double checked the gap and the firing order, both are ok... it quits having a miss when the car shifts into second gear... once you drive it a minute and it gets good and warm it just dies out. put it in park or neutral and start it right back up. it'll sit and run all day, but soon as you put it in drive it dies. if you let it cool down about fifteen or twenty minutes, you can drive it again til it warms up all the way again...

i unplugged the harness, it was blue and with the tranny lines. so far i have not had a single problem with the car stalling all day. it is still missing, but the stalling was the major issue i guess i'll buy the tcc solenoid and fix it, but it'll be ok like this. I'm gonna again check the spark plug gaps, the wires, firing order and all that. i got a new pcv valve i'm gonna put on also just for the hell of it. thanks you all for the help.

I'd agree with u sharkey and those simple checks like vac lines are simple to replace,being I redid all my vac lines 2yrs ago.I'd def check and or replace the simple stuff and go from there.I know I'm not always 100% correct but in the ball park and thanks to those who add or correct anything I overlook or do not consider to be factors,thks sharkey I have yet learned MORE here on jbo.