1982 Will not idle
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Oct 2025
Posts: 10
Likes: 1
1982 Will not idle
I purchased a 1982 project car last year, it was sitting in a garage for a long time. Replaced the fuel tank and pump with a new one from Volunteer Vet. Cleaned out all the fuel lines and replaced the hoses and put in a new fuel filter. Not to mention a new battery and plugs.
The car started up but then slowly died.
Have not been able to get it to idle since then.
I have replaced the following:
Throttle Position Sensor
Oil Pressure Switch
Fuel Pump Relay
Xfire Fuel Pressure line between the injectors
I have done the following:
Looked for a code by jumping pins a & b all I get is 12, 12, 12 no other code
Confirmed all the fuses are good
Hot wired the fuel pump at the oil pressure connector, get fuel pressure the car will not start at all
Confirmed I am getting spark
Cleaned the ECM Connectors
The car will start and run for 2 seconds then stall. If I put my foot on the gas it will run longer but eventually will stalls out. See attached movie files of it running.
I am looking for some suggestion of where to go from here.
Thanks
The car started up but then slowly died.
Have not been able to get it to idle since then.
I have replaced the following:
Throttle Position Sensor
Oil Pressure Switch
Fuel Pump Relay
Xfire Fuel Pressure line between the injectors
I have done the following:
Looked for a code by jumping pins a & b all I get is 12, 12, 12 no other code
Confirmed all the fuses are good
Hot wired the fuel pump at the oil pressure connector, get fuel pressure the car will not start at all
Confirmed I am getting spark
Cleaned the ECM Connectors
The car will start and run for 2 seconds then stall. If I put my foot on the gas it will run longer but eventually will stalls out. See attached movie files of it running.
I am looking for some suggestion of where to go from here.
Thanks
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 2,274
Likes: 1,321
From: Fleming Island, FL
It's hard to troubleshoot over the internet however it's probably one of your sensors are not feeding the ECM the correct information. Do you have access to a scan tool because that will tell you immediately what's going on.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 406
Likes: 46
From: Lebanon OH
Belmar,
I didn't read in your post where you checked the TPS voltage after you replaced it. The voltage should read about 0.5V at idle. There is a procedure to adjust it. If you did this, then the problem is obviously somewhere else.
MajD
I didn't read in your post where you checked the TPS voltage after you replaced it. The voltage should read about 0.5V at idle. There is a procedure to adjust it. If you did this, then the problem is obviously somewhere else.
MajD
Racer
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 384
Likes: 144
From: Pine Ridge FL
Something is causing the stall from switching to startup mode in to open loop. The fact that you are getting code 12 just means the primitive computer can't figure out what's out of whack. In absence of a scan tool, the things I'd check:
- TPS voltage (as mentioned)
- Fuel pressure. You know you have fuel pressure but is it enough?
- MAP voltage
- Coolant temp sensor voltage
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Oct 2025
Posts: 10
Likes: 1
Well after some more testing I could see I have spark at start-up and I could see gas coming from the injectors. But the car would just cut out. I went old school and replaced the coil...bingo. I had an intermittent coil. Never had a coil like that they always have been either bad or good. Now I can move on to brakes.
