Urgent help needed.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
Urgent help needed.
While pulling out of a holiday camp site here an hour ago. My c4 stalled and won't restart. I used it this morning for approx 70 miles. Then switched it off for a few hours. Restarted it and went to leave the campsite and it died after a matter of 500 yards! I merely took my foot off the brake and let it gently pull away under its own speed. It is an auto by the way. It spins over but nothing else, the fuel pump can be heard priming when the ignition is turned on.
Any ideas?
Any ideas?
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 3,629
Likes: 28
From: FL
You will do a lot better if you tell us what year car you have or at least fill out your profile.
No start diagnosis is pretty straight forward, but you need to eliminate each possible cause in turn rather than guessing or replacing a part because someone says if fixed their car.
Make sure you actually have fuel pressure in the rail. If you do check for spark at the plugs. Ignition control modules have been known to fail under the conditions you describe if you have an LT1, but it is only a swag, you need to do some testing, good luck.
No start diagnosis is pretty straight forward, but you need to eliminate each possible cause in turn rather than guessing or replacing a part because someone says if fixed their car.
Make sure you actually have fuel pressure in the rail. If you do check for spark at the plugs. Ignition control modules have been known to fail under the conditions you describe if you have an LT1, but it is only a swag, you need to do some testing, good luck.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
Right, the car is a 1990, L98 engine.
The ignition module and coil have just been changed, car started and seemed to run better only for it to cut out approx 10mins later. The engine just cuts completely, dash lights etc all stay on still.
Im going to try and get hold of a fuel pressure tester, in the mean time, any other ideas?
The ignition module and coil have just been changed, car started and seemed to run better only for it to cut out approx 10mins later. The engine just cuts completely, dash lights etc all stay on still.
Im going to try and get hold of a fuel pressure tester, in the mean time, any other ideas?
Advanced
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 95
Likes: 0
From: Union Kentucky
Right, the car is a 1990, L98 engine.
The ignition module and coil have just been changed, car started and seemed to run better only for it to cut out approx 10mins later. The engine just cuts completely, dash lights etc all stay on still.
Im going to try and get hold of a fuel pressure tester, in the mean time, any other ideas?
The ignition module and coil have just been changed, car started and seemed to run better only for it to cut out approx 10mins later. The engine just cuts completely, dash lights etc all stay on still.
Im going to try and get hold of a fuel pressure tester, in the mean time, any other ideas?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 2,376
Likes: 111
From: Cherokee National Forest TN
Injection is batch fire.
If multi tech injectors are still in use a heat related failing or failed injector can/will shut the engine off.
Suggest ohm testing the injectors when cold & hot. If you find one or two out of spec unplug them. The engine should start.
I like the Bosch 3 injectors in my 90.
If multi tech injectors are still in use a heat related failing or failed injector can/will shut the engine off.
Suggest ohm testing the injectors when cold & hot. If you find one or two out of spec unplug them. The engine should start.
I like the Bosch 3 injectors in my 90.
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Right, the car is a 1990, L98 engine.
The ignition module and coil have just been changed, car started and seemed to run better only for it to cut out approx 10mins later. The engine just cuts completely, dash lights etc all stay on still.
Im going to try and get hold of a fuel pressure tester, in the mean time, any other ideas?
The ignition module and coil have just been changed, car started and seemed to run better only for it to cut out approx 10mins later. The engine just cuts completely, dash lights etc all stay on still.
Im going to try and get hold of a fuel pressure tester, in the mean time, any other ideas?
Fuel pump. May be cutting out once it gets hot.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 9,933
Likes: 103
From: Peoria Arizona.. Resident Gold Cylon
While pulling out of a holiday camp site here an hour ago. My c4 stalled and won't restart. I used it this morning for approx 70 miles. Then switched it off for a few hours. Restarted it and went to leave the campsite and it died after a matter of 500 yards! I merely took my foot off the brake and let it gently pull away under its own speed. It is an auto by the way. It spins over but nothing else, the fuel pump can be heard priming when the ignition is turned on.
Any ideas?
Any ideas?
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
Thanks for the other suggestions, the car definatly has fuel in, i put in 6 ish gallons just before it died the 5th or 6th time trying to leave the fuel station!
It definatly seems to be spark related. The recovery guy when i broke down last time tried easy start (etha in a spray can) with no luck at all. Injectors were pulsing but no spark to light the fuel!
Hence why i changed the coil and module! What tells the coil to fire? Have i missed something on the ignition side of things? Crank sensor? Pickup inside the dizzy?
If one injector was causing the engine to shut down, would it kill the spark though?
It definatly seems to be spark related. The recovery guy when i broke down last time tried easy start (etha in a spray can) with no luck at all. Injectors were pulsing but no spark to light the fuel!
Hence why i changed the coil and module! What tells the coil to fire? Have i missed something on the ignition side of things? Crank sensor? Pickup inside the dizzy?
If one injector was causing the engine to shut down, would it kill the spark though?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,835
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From: In front of C6s.
St: Jude Donor '10
Got a fuel pressure gauge?
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 10,036
Likes: 346
From: Anaheim CA
There is a magnetic pickup coil in the distributor under the rotor. It sends timing pulses to the ignition module.
Check all your distributor connections:
You should have tach & power on the top/side of the distributor cap.
There is also a 3-wire cable behind the tach & power wires going from the top/side into the front of the distributor.
Also check the 4-wire timing cable coming out the back (it goes to/from the ECM to control the spark). There is a connector about a foot away from the distributor.
You can bypass the ECM by unplugging the EST connector between the windshield wiper motor and the brake booster.
Check all your distributor connections:
You should have tach & power on the top/side of the distributor cap.
There is also a 3-wire cable behind the tach & power wires going from the top/side into the front of the distributor.
Also check the 4-wire timing cable coming out the back (it goes to/from the ECM to control the spark). There is a connector about a foot away from the distributor.
You can bypass the ECM by unplugging the EST connector between the windshield wiper motor and the brake booster.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 200
Likes: 1
From: Somers N.Y.
Right, the car is a 1990, L98 engine.
The ignition module and coil have just been changed, car started and seemed to run better only for it to cut out approx 10mins later. The engine just cuts completely, dash lights etc all stay on still.
Im going to try and get hold of a fuel pressure tester, in the mean time, any other ideas?
The ignition module and coil have just been changed, car started and seemed to run better only for it to cut out approx 10mins later. The engine just cuts completely, dash lights etc all stay on still.
Im going to try and get hold of a fuel pressure tester, in the mean time, any other ideas?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 9,758
Likes: 49
From: Houston Texas