Cascade Crew

alloy · Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2004 7:52 am Post subject: Intermittent no start problem

Ok, 87 305 TPI car, 5 spd, 156k miles. O2 sensor maybe 5k old, new egr valve, great plugs/wires/MSD coil, IAC maybe 4k miles ago. Car runs and starts great 99.9% of the time.

Came out one evening and it cranked but would not fire. Ok, kid drives a tow truck so free tow home at 9 at night. Rather mess with it at home next morning with all my tools handy. So, next day it starts great. Figured it was a fluke, and not much I can do to find the problem if there is no problem.

Ok, so fast forward 3 weeks and after sitting maybe 1 1/2 hours does it again. This time no kid on call to tow me, and $132 later I'm home. Then sure as heck, starts about 8 hours later Bashy Bashy

Was all prepared to go out with my multi meter and check it out, but where to start? I'm trying to put a list together as to what it could be and check the parts out and try and diagnose the problem instead of throwing parts at it. But, with an intermittent problem, I'm not sure I'll be able to find it til it does it again.
Anyway I have to start somewhere. At 8mpg in my pickup I will be walking soon.

I'm thinking pickup coil, ignition module, coil, something in the ignition. Or, could very well be in the fuel system also Confused

But, since it's running now will be hard to find. I did see I had 42 psi of fuel pressure at the fuel rail when this happened, but no tools and no time to check it out when it did this to me.

So, I'm asking for input from others who have had a simular problem with a MAF TPI car like mine.

chevymad · Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2004 9:03 am Post subject:

Knowing you had fuel pressure is a huge advantage. Now if you'd tested for spark you'd be way ahead. But I'm leaning towards ignition anyway. You're right with the intermittants being very hard to find without it acting up. If it was dead, i'd say try to start it with the timing connector disconnected. That would eliminate the ecm's role in the ignition. Leaving just the module/pickup/coil to worry about. Without it acting up, all I can say is 95% of the time its ignition module. No way to tell for sure though. A module can test good and still be bad.

alloy · Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2004 10:06 am Post subject:

I'm also leaning towards ignition. The pickup coil has been in there for what........18 years now. They coils are cheap, and I have a spare distributor I have been wanting to put in anyway. I've shimmed it so I've only got .015 end play, and I think I'll get a new pickup coil and put it in along with the spare module I have.

But it's just the sinking feeling when you try to start the car out in the middle of nowhere and it lets you down. I've got a regular job now and was just promoted to manager on sat, and guess what day it let me down? You got it. Was over an hour late my first day as a manager. But, being dropped off by the roll back tow truck by the front door kinda cemented my excuse.

For now I don't trust it. But, I guess the only thing I can do is swap the module and pickup coil and try it. Not sure how long state farm will keep paying tow bills for me though.

Thanks for your reply Brandon.

Flyte risk · Member Joined: 21 Jan 2004 Posts: 55 Location: Aloha OR

I'll see brandon's 95% and raise him another 3% for a bet of 98% that it's in the dizzy.

GM modules are funny that way, they may last 30 years or they may last 30 min.

Wolffy · Member Joined: 22 Jan 2004 Posts: 375 Location: Spokane

right after i bought my car it would do the same
start right up drive it awile & if i shut it off, id have to wait 1-2 hours for it to start, almost like a heat problem & wala, it was the ignition module, a tow & repair bill later, find out it was a $35 part
dam annoying
im on B's side, id look at it first

kidcamaro · Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2004 6:52 pm Post subject:

get triple a dude. i have it and its payed for itself tons of times over. that way if it does it again you arent gonna be out any money. good luck gettin it fixed.

Schultzy89GTA · Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2004 7:42 pm Post subject:

Dan,
I have a brand new AC Delco ignition module if you want to try before you buy. Just let me know bud.

-Schultzy

alloy · Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2004 10:33 pm Post subject:

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I have towing with state farm, but not sure how long they will keep paying tow bills on the same car.

Mike, I have a wells module in it from the zone, and it's got a lifetime warranty. So...........gonna go get me a new one tomorrow for free and drop it in. Am also thinking of pulling the distributor out and replacing the pickup coil. I have a spare distributor I've shimmed the end play out of, and if the one in my car is like the spare distributor, it has over a 1/8" end play. Great for keeping the timing stable huh.

So, will swap this all out tomorrow on my only day off this week, and hope like hell I'm not going to be stranded again.

alloy · Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2004 7:45 pm Post subject:

Ok, went with my original plan to swap out the distributor with a spare I had. The inside of my distributor was rusted pretty badly, and there was corrision on the module terminals and the pickup coil connector. So, got a new module (free) and a pick up coil ($8.68 ) and pulled my old distributor out and swapped in the new one using my old distributor drive gear just in case there were any differences in the gear materail.

But one thing I did want to mention was how suprised I was at how much the distributor shaft moved up and down while bumping the engine over to get the rotor to point at #1 cylinder. I was so amazed how much it moved. It had .170 end play and moved all of it when you tapped the starter. I'm happy I shimmed the replacement distributor down to .015 end play. The shims to do this are available under the Mr. Gasket line of parts.

Anyway, got it back together and threw a wells gold line cap and rotor in it for good measure and now I'll cross my fingers I won't be calling a tow truck again. It does seem to rev a little easier, and run smoother too.