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Chevy Tracker Starting and Stalling Problems

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    comacazicomacazi Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2001 base tracker. Was running fine and turned it off and got back in to leave, it wouldn't start. Had lights,radio it just wouldn't crank. We tried pushing it and we "popped the clutch" it didn't start. Waited 20 minutes and it started!!??? Today the same thing happened again and this time when we "popped the clutch" it started. Got back home turned it off and than tried to restart....NO LUCK anybody out there can you PLEASE HELP Any suggestions...Thanks
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    gil002gil002 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2002 Tracker, 1.6 engine,with ober 200K miles, same problem as some of the others with stalling/not cranking. Took to local shop and they said one of the oxy sensors not working and EGR system clogged, $200.00 each to replace sensor and $200 to clean EGR. I cannot afford this.

    Saw the posts about cam shaft sensor seems this may be the answer?..... I don’t know what they look like or how to replace them. Not having any luck finding a repair manual to tell me how, (online or otherwise). I need basic help in identifying where the cam shaft and oxy sensors are and instructions how to change them. How do I clean out the EGR system?

    I am on a very limited budget and any assistance is appreciated.

    If this is to much to ask, should I purchase a repair manual and where to obtain one?

    PLEASE HELP!
    Thanks.

    Gil002
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    oceangirloceangirl Member Posts: 9
    You can run a simple test to see if its the sensor.
    The next time it happens, pour room temp water on the sensor to cool it off. If your car starts up, thhat wat the problem. They seem to over heat ant the engine doesnt know what the camshafts position is. Hope this helps
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    snicholsnichol Member Posts: 28
    The Cam Sensor is on the top of the engine, at the rear, where the distributor nomally is. It's round in shape.
    It is behind the housing, so you can't see it, but can feel it with your hand.
    It has an electricl connection running to it. I think it only has one bolt holding it in.
    When they get older, they overheat and shut the engine down. I would carry a couple of bottles of water with me, when it shut down, let it sit a few minutes, pour water over the housing/cam sensor, let it cool down a litle longer, then fire it up and get it home, or be ready with the water again. It usually happens on a Hot day, in stop and go traffic, worst time for it to happen!
    You can buy one at AutoZone for about $105 - $125, may be more, it's been 2 years since I replaced mine.
    Be aware, it TIMES the Engine, so just swapping them out usually doesn't work. You'll need a mechanic to set up the timing for you.
    I had posted a couple of articles about it, but they seem to be gone now, I think it was in 2009/2010. Search my name and you may find a few articles still there. One about broken timing chain, That's a Duzzie! and the cam sensor ... good luck. MyTracker has about 250,000 miles and is on the 2nd engine. -Sam Nicholson-
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    gil002gil002 Member Posts: 2
    Thank you so much for the help, I really appreciate it! The mechanic said the EGR system was all clogged up and one of the oxy sensors not working also.
    Are they difficult to replace/ clean?

    Is there a DIY repair manual available, book or online, that would tell me how to do some of these things?

    Thanks again for the help.

    Gil002
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    snicholsnichol Member Posts: 28
    It's been awhile since I did anything to my Tracker, but if I remember correctly...
    The Mechanic I used would take out the Oxy sensors and clean them in verasol and reinstelled them. They just get clogged up by the oil residue from unburned fuel.
    There are two, I believe, one on the Driver's side, exhaust maniold, easy to get to.
    The other one I believe is under the car, on the exhaust pipe ahead of the catalitic converter. (Not sure on that one?)
    We (Mechanic) just cleaned and reinstalled them periodally, and they were fine. (Too expensive to replace all the time!)

    Books available... I think I had found a Haines auto manual for the Tracker one time at some auto store (AutoZone?), anyway, if not available, look for the comporable Suzuki manual, it's basically the same car, with the chevy logo added.
    Hope this helped.
    A Disclamer, I'm not a mechanic, now...
    ... (used to be many, many years ago, now I'm a tech. Illustrator/ Engineering Designer), so take my comments with a grain of salt, do your due dilagance before you spend any cash.
    Regards,
    Sam
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    sarahllanesarahllane Member Posts: 1
    Mine does the same thing. After driving for several minutes and turning it off, it won't start for about 20-40 minutes. Also if I'm driving for awhile and have to go slow or stop, it dies sometimes then too. I replaced the fuel filter and that fixed it for a little while, but soon the problem started again. Then I replaced the fuel pump and that too fixed it for a little while, but it is messing up again. I've heard that if you clean or replace the camshaft sensor that that will fix it, but I have yet to try that.
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    beaversqueezerbeaversqueezer Member Posts: 1
    just to let you folks know in trying to find a Haynes manual on your geo tracker the auto parts store says they don't have any but if you look for a Suzuki manual you will find it cause its in the Suzuki manual that's where I got mine Suzuki built the tracker for chevy and put the chevy name on it they don't tell you that
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    jess42jess42 Member Posts: 1
    alright so i have had to replace the camshaft position sensor 2 in less then a year, any ideas why i could be having this sensor fail on me? They only replace the plastic sensor, not the metal piece that connect it to the motor. Could that be my problem??
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    magnum35magnum35 Member Posts: 6
    I have an 03 tracker which I had to replace the cam sensor. I found out two things about it, since the sensor is on the back side of the engine the engine heat builds and can cause the sensor to fail. Make sure there is no damage to the front air dam or any kind of body damage that can restrict air flow. Second, when my sensor went out it was shorting out through the metal casing. I replaced the entire sensor and its been good now. Been 3 years since I replaced it, no problems since.
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    rp5rp5 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2000 Chevrolet Tracker, 2.0 L, 4WD. Lately it started stalling in the stop and go traffic. It does not start soon but starts after about 20 minutes of waiting. My mechanic cleaned the idle control valve but it stalled again. Today I went to mechanic again and he checked everything but could not find any code in the computer; the engine light is not on. Sometime before the engine light was on and that time the code showed EGR valve. After cleaning the light went off. This time after reading all these posts here I feel it could be due to the cam sensor but mechanic says it might be the crankshaft sensor. I also think it could be the EGR valve. Could anyone please answer what to do? I am scared to drive at this condition. The mechanic does not recommend to change anything without having a code from engine light. However, I need to fix this stalling problem anyhow. I noticed right before stalling it runs little rough. Could it be the EGR valve problem?
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    lsouthwicklsouthwick Member Posts: 2
    This may not be a fix to your issue, BUT, just in case there were any "electrical" changes made to your Tracker -- here's my experience: When I had my front windshield replaced, the installer removed the rearview mirror disconnecting the wires to the light switches on it -- from then on my 2000 Tracker kept stalling out. The garage replaced a fuse and it ran fine. Again, this my not be your issue, but if you had any electrical work done, keep this in mind. Good luck with your solution.
    Lorraine
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    rp5rp5 Member Posts: 3
    After posting the previous message, last night I did some test to find out if its the cam sensor as was mentioned before in some postings. So I recreated the stalling in a street near my home. After work I came home which was about 25 min driving. Then when I am close to my home, I started driving like stop and go traffic. 5 min later it stalled and did not start right away after few tries. I called my mechanic for letting him to hear the sound while I tried to start. He said its the crankshaft sensor problem. Then I followed whatever was said before postings, pour water on the back of the engine where the cam sensor is to test if its the cam sensor problem. Right after that I tried to start and this time it started. I did not had to wait 20 min to start. According to the previous post this sounds like cam sensor problem. Today I went to the mechanic and asked him to change the cam sensor. I have not tested yet the go and stop traffic. But will test soon, hopefully it solves the problem.
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    oceangirloceangirl Member Posts: 9
    edited September 2013
    You can test if it's the Cam Shaft Positioning Sensor by pouring a small amount of room temp. water on the Sensor to cool it off, right after it stalls. If the car starts after you pour water on the sensor, it was the Sensor, they sometimes over heat.

    DO NOT USE COLD WATER, may crack something that is hot.

    Also, when I replaced the Sensor the first time, it did not work. Some of the replacement Sensors are bad.

    Hope that's your problem, it was easy to fix.

    The sensor is located to the rear of the motor near the fire wall.
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    rp5rp5 Member Posts: 3
    I tested 2 days and the engine did not dye, the same testing method stalled the engine before changing the cam sensor. Hopefully the problem is fixed. But still scared in heavy traffic and always drive in lane closer to shoulder in case.
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    crecknagelcrecknagel Member Posts: 1
    My Tracker is a 2000 4WD 2.0 liter engine. I have 50,255 miles on it. The past 2 weeks I've been having trouble starting it. It takes a few seconds longer to start. I hold my breath every time I start it.
    I took it to my mechanic. They hooked it up to their computer. everything was fine. He said some regular maintenance might work. They changed the spark plugs, fuel filter, replaced the PVC Valve, cleaned the fuel system, and removed dirt and deposits from intake system. $558.13 later. I put gas line antifreeze and fuel system cleaner in the gas tank. Still not starting well. I noticed when its cold or damp-that's when it happens more. Once it starts, the rest of the day it starts right away (knock on wood). When its warmer, say 60+, its fine.
    I know its not too big a deal. Its not as serious as some of the others in the forum. Wisconsin winters suck! If I'm having trouble now, I can't imagine how its going to be this winter. The mechanic said if that doesn't do it-then we'll try more maintenance. Um, no thanks, its already cost me a small fortune with no results. Any hints or ideas would be much appreciated.
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    steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    You may want to try asking Zaken over in Edmunds Answers too. He's been around Geos/Trackers a long time.
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    magnum35magnum35 Member Posts: 6
    I ran into a problem similar to yours, it was on a chevy blazer but the same symptoms. When cold I would have to hit the starter 3 or 4 times to start up but after it was warmed up it would start up every time. I put a fuel pressure gauge on it and found that it would loose all fuel pressure when it sat for a long period of time. I tested it before starting it in the morning (no pressure at that time). Then retested after it was running and it had plenty of pressure. The fuel pressure regulator was not holding pressure. Replaced the regulator and it starts great now. Hopefully this helps.
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    steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Hm, some people will turn their ignition to ON for a minute or two and let the fuel pump pressurize the system and that can help the car crank "the first time".

    On some cars, you can hear the fuel pump come on when you do that trick.
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    oceangirloceangirl Member Posts: 9
    I would check my battery. A battery can still have a 12 volt reading but not have enough Cold Cranking Amps.
    Check cable end connections and water level in cells, in battery. I have a little dropper that tests each cell, not expensive at Walmart or Parts store.
    When it starts to get cold, that's when battery problems show up.
    I always check the things that are the cheapest to fix, first.
    Sometimes when the Starter or solenoid are starting to go up, you will have a starting problem, which slowly gets worse and worse as it requires more battery power to turn the engine over.
    I'm assuming the Alternator was checked by the Mechanic.
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    ross007ross007 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2000 tracker and it waste alot of gas and I notice the engine feel like it doesn't have power.
    so I checked my fuel pressure regulator it's stuck on throwing alot of gas.
    I replaced it and I feel the engine has power and saving gas.
    If your tracker not turning on then it might been fuel pressure regulator it it's stuck on open all the time then your fuel pressure is low which means your gas is just going back to the tank. 
    And not enough gas to your engine and it will stall and have bad power.

    hope this helps
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    robynvgrobynvg Member Posts: 1
    2004 Chevy Tracker - does one have to drop the engine to replace the cam sensor?
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    wldbnch4wldbnch4 Member Posts: 1
    Had the same problem Thank God for this post. I tried the water trick it worked perfect so I replaced the sensor problem Fixed. Note: I only replaced the sensor not the entire assembly . Just replacing the plastic sensor is easy, fixes the problem and does not require resetting the timing . Thanks again to everyone who posted.
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    clmichaelclmichael Member Posts: 1
    My Tracker started to stall and buck and pop a few months ago.  I had the code checked 035 heater core o2 sensor.  Next to mechanic, catalytic converter bad, so we straight piped it, bad cam sensor and another one in transmission, fuel pump and fuel filter replaced.  It still does it.  It is random, I drove 40 miles the other day and at 41 it started, a few days before I drove 5 miles. It is very random.  The mechanics are blind it won't do it for them and they don't have time to drive it for hours.  I am tired of guessing.
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    Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Without test equipment hooked up at the time of failure, there's no way to pin this down. At this point it sounds like you don't even know if you are chasing a fuel or a spark problem.

    What did you do to address the P0135 trouble code?
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    fixitmyselfguyfixitmyselfguy Member Posts: 1
    tim54 said:

    I have a 2000 Tracker with 150,000 miles on it. In the last 2 months it has begun to stall and will not start when it is hot outside and the engine gets warmed up. If I let it set for approximately a half hour, then it generally starts again. Anyone else have this problem. My garage mechanic has no idea. I have replaced the catilytic converter and some other engine pieces with no luck. One guy who walked by my car when I was trying to start it said it sounded like the fuel pump to him. Any HELP!!!!! would be greatly appreciated, as I can't drive it now. I have had to have it towed 3 times in the last month. Thanks

    I had the same problem. replaced the cam position sensor and housing with new (not re manufactured) fixed the problem right away. there is a good youtube video with parts and process at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJM1IAG6zy0 I used the same part he recommends BWD CSS630 costs $220 but finally took the hot start /stalling in heavy traffic issue away.
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