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1994 Geo Prizm

Question: Engine stalls when accelerating from a stop.

Question

Scott46550, 1.6L 4 Cylinder, Nappanee, IN, June 24, 2009, 07:29
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 Rookie

I have a 1994 Geo Prizm and after the car has warmed up the motor will stall when you try to accelerate from a dead stop. I have changed the fuel filter, spark plugs and wires, throttle position sensor, idle air control valve, distributor cap and rotor. The computer throws no codes or no check engine light. Took it to a dealership and they had no idea what it was. Can you help?

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    dandd June 26, 2009, 13:53
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     Master

    I would suspect the coil inside the distributor. It is a very hard thing to find on Toyotas ( Geos) It feels like the car just falls on your face. You can ohm check the coil and the secondary readings will be way out of spec. They over heat inside the distributor. The first one almost brought me to tears until I FINALLY found it.

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    Scott46550, June 27, 2009, 18:32
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    I would like to give a big shout of thank you to dandd for your reply. I changed the ignition coil just like you said and NO MORE STALLING! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

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    Visitor, August 22, 2010, 16:27

    1993 geo prizm, similar problem. 146k miles, the car was running fine and then began stalling and it was difficult to restart when warm. Once I restarted it and put it in gear it would stall out again. I found a code 31 MAP sensor, changed that, the fuel filter, and tried a different fuel pump to no avail, I replaced the ignition coil and now it runs again. Thank you for writing this fix. It fixed my Geo and I was on the verge of giving up on it. I really like this car. They are very good cars. Thanks again!

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    Visitor, August 22, 2010, 19:05

    Thank you so much for the appreciative response. We at RepairPal are doing our best to really help people.

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    Visitor, September 16, 2010, 09:44

    Many thanks to dandd. This totally helped me as well. 95 geo prizm, similar issue. Car would stall when warm, changed out distributor cap, fuel filter, and thermostat. Was at a loss till your reply. Took a shot and bought a new ignition coil, and no more stalling!

    Here's the catch. After a test drive which went fine, I got back in the car and noticed the clock was still on, even though the keys were in my pocket. I turned on the radio, and it came on as if i had the key in and turned....! I drove it, and there was some hesitation from dead stops, but still no stalling. I parked, shut down, and the clock and all else shut off fine. Started up and drove, and no hesitation or issues at all. I feel like it might be some short or something in the ignition circuit that was what originally burned out the igition coil in the first place. Any ideas?

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    Visitor, October 17, 2010, 15:16

    Wow! Dandd is right on target! This problem just about beat me, but thanks to his tip my '95 Geo is running great.

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  • Answer #2

    Visitor, April 25, 2010, 06:27

    I'm going to try this repair on my 2001 prizm. It stalls when put in gear, especially when it is warmed up. It dies and will not start after driving more than about 40 mins.

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  • Answer #3

    Visitor, June 06, 2010, 12:36

    The problem is its a geo. Pick an american car next time

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    Visitor, April 20, 2011, 13:31

    funk you bro geo is american, its classified as chevy

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