1993 bonneville SSE stalling-- caused serious accident need some info please
 

Hello, my name is Rima, I have a serious concern about a 1992 Bonneville SSE and was hoping that anyone may be so kind as to assist me with these concerns....

On June 18th my mother and my aunt were involved in a vehicle accident with an 8 wheel dump truck in which they both died. My mother was driving her 1992 bonneville SSE and was previously having problems with the car stalling out on her as she was driving. She took it to many different mechanics and after much effort one claimed that he was able to finally fix the problem....

Eyewitnesses describe my mother's vehicle as "out of Control" she ended up manuvering around a car stopped in front of her at a stop sign and entered into an intersection at the moment the truck was passing through...he did not have a stop sign so he was travelling at full speed.

If there is any way you can help me out regarding gathering information about what could have been wrong with the car, and if GM was aware of such problems and perhaps negligent in not recalling the cars, or if you have any information about others being involved in accidents because of similar problems I would appreciate your help.

Thank you in advance for your time and consideration in this matter.

-My mother was a very sweet woman and as her daughter I feel it necessary to figure out the circumstances surrounding her death if not for anything more then peace of mind.

Sincerely,
Rima

I'm very sorry to hear about your moms and aunts death. I hope someone on this forum can help you out.

From the sounds of it this year group had alot of stalling problems. There has to be a recall out there have you checked?

Sorry to hear about your Mom & Aunt. My condolences go out to both families.

If the car stalled again the power brakes & steering wouldn’t work. Just to be clear, the brakes & steering would still work but both would take much more effort. Here are a few things that have been known to cause stalling in these cars.

Perhaps the #1 cause is corrosion on the ends of the battery cables.
This is closely followed by corrosion on the driver’s side ground bus which is where the fuel pump ground is located. Typically when either of these is the problem the engine will quickly restart after stalling.

Two more causes of stalling are the crank sensor & ICM (ignition control module). Either of these can cause the ignition system to stop sparking. Often these will have to cool down before the engine will restart.

You should contact a lawyer & have them recommend a good accident investigator. I would imagine the police already did this, did they find anything?

Where is the car located?

Sorry to hear..

I agree with Mike aka Tech Ted on all his suggestions as to the cause, and would add the baffles in the fuel tank. Some of them may break loose and on hills or sharp turns with a low tank of fuel could allow the fuel to slosh to one side and cause the car to stall.

There was a TSB issued concerning "stalling on deceleration". This was a saftey recall. I do not know if it covered your 92 model as I was model specific (95) when I did my research. All Data would be your best bet to see if it did cover your model. The symptoms were engine stalling when you started to slow down, just as you would do when approaching an intersection. The fix was a new PROM chip supplied by GM.

My condolences as well, nothing to add here but that I had a 92 Buick with a rotted gas tank that stalled around corners and hills still showing 1/4 th of a tank. I finally figured out the why and when. Soon afterward the sending unit/fuel pump assembly gave out and when I dropped the tank, the condition of it was realized. Problem solved with a new tank. The car becomes very hard to steer or stop for a man, I imagine impossible for a lady especially when it happens as you described. My first thoughts about neglegience on GM's part is that the car was 16 years old, and that points towards people she paid to diagnose and fix it. But that part of this situation belongs in a lawyers hands. I am extremely sorry for your loss. Rima.

I have the same similar problems with my SSEI, when it gets below half a tank or close to a quarter tank - on hills and braking it will stall, What I do is i put it immediately in Neutral and start the car. I thank everybody here at the BonnevilleClub for pointing out the years of the Gas Tank Baffles and what to point out as in ICM & Crank Sensors. I believe now I do need a new Gas Tank for the forums info. I thought that I would need a new fuel pump and screen, In which I will replace when I get a new tank. Sorry so much for your lost Rima. Here at the BonnevilleClub you will find all information and people that will help you the best of there Knowledge. - Thanks Bonnevilleclub for info much needed.

I am very sorry to here of your loss, and can understand wanting answers. And trust me, I don't want to sound harsh but, have you considered driver error. In your on post you stated "out of Control" she ended up manuvering around a car stopped in front of her at a stop sign and entered into an intersection. Even if the engine stalled you can still steer and brake, even if it's a bit more effort. If there is a recall it's the owners responsibilty to get it taken care of. Was there any health concerns, or medications being taken? Again, I don't want to sound harsh, but want to make sure all possible causes are looked at. And again, my condolences.

I'm sorry to hear about your loss. May God bless you and your family