Ignition problems
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
Ignition problems
Hey guys, new here...
I have a '78 silver anniversary L82, auto tranny. I was driving it down the highway, and out of nowhere, it just died on me as if I had turned the ignition off. No coughing or sputtering, just running one second, dead the next. I'm positive that it's getting fuel, but I think it's not getting any spark. It does turn over just fine, but won't fire. Most of this car (say about 98%) is original equipment. Anybody have something similar or have any ideas of what to check first to get it running again?
I have a '78 silver anniversary L82, auto tranny. I was driving it down the highway, and out of nowhere, it just died on me as if I had turned the ignition off. No coughing or sputtering, just running one second, dead the next. I'm positive that it's getting fuel, but I think it's not getting any spark. It does turn over just fine, but won't fire. Most of this car (say about 98%) is original equipment. Anybody have something similar or have any ideas of what to check first to get it running again?
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
Yeah, it's had a tune up (like plugs, wires, cap/rotor, carb adjustment) last year. Only problem was that it never got driven very often. I think it's had about 2000 miles put on it in the past 5 years.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,417
Likes: 336
From: Texas
like goody said, ignition module quit, my 79 did the same thing a few months ago, in a store parking lot, just quit. went to orilelly's got a new one, installed while in parking lot, back in business.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
Well, just for the sake of updating what it actually turned out to be...
I put a new ignition module in it, and a new coil. Still nothing. Took it to a mechanic, and he changed out the rotor and it fired right up. Didn't make any sense to me since it was changed less than 500 miles before it died... but I was happy to have it running again. Anyway, it did it AGAIN, and I changed out the rotor and it fixed it... again. Turns out the distributor was bad and the advance was shot. Kept on popping rotors. Changed out the distributor and haven't had a problem since. So at least I got it running again, and fixed for now.
I put a new ignition module in it, and a new coil. Still nothing. Took it to a mechanic, and he changed out the rotor and it fired right up. Didn't make any sense to me since it was changed less than 500 miles before it died... but I was happy to have it running again. Anyway, it did it AGAIN, and I changed out the rotor and it fixed it... again. Turns out the distributor was bad and the advance was shot. Kept on popping rotors. Changed out the distributor and haven't had a problem since. So at least I got it running again, and fixed for now.
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