LT1 randomly cuts out
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 274
Likes: 12
From: Louisburg NC
LT1 randomly cuts out
'94 Coupe
I'm driving along and the engine just, randomly quits. This morning for example, it quit twice within 10 minutes. 1st time I had to wait three or 4 minutes before I could start it. The 2nd time I could restart it within a minute. After I restarted it I drove it for 3.5 hours with no problem. I got to work about 9:30. At 12 15 I went to lunch and it ran fine. At 5 It wouldn't start. I tried to start it now and then for about 45 minutes before the roll back showed up. We hauled it home and drove it, yes it started, off the roll back.
I'm getting fuel. No codes. I changed the ICM (I had a spare). That didn't help. Can the Opti be intermittent?
Any suggestions?
I'm driving along and the engine just, randomly quits. This morning for example, it quit twice within 10 minutes. 1st time I had to wait three or 4 minutes before I could start it. The 2nd time I could restart it within a minute. After I restarted it I drove it for 3.5 hours with no problem. I got to work about 9:30. At 12 15 I went to lunch and it ran fine. At 5 It wouldn't start. I tried to start it now and then for about 45 minutes before the roll back showed up. We hauled it home and drove it, yes it started, off the roll back.
I'm getting fuel. No codes. I changed the ICM (I had a spare). That didn't help. Can the Opti be intermittent?
Any suggestions?
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 16,086
Likes: 819
From: Dallas Texas
2025 C4 of the Year Finalist - Modified
I went through the same you describe. I also changed the ICM, didn't solve the turning off issue. Yes, it most likely is the Opti. Getting ready to replace my opti.
Advanced
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 54
Likes: 0
From: Reading Pa
While its idling, give a couple yanks on the engine wire harness, particularly on the passenger side of the intake. If it twitches or shuts off, you got a loose connection or bad wire. There is wiring to the opti running through there and a weak contact will make the computer think the car was turned off.
4th Gear
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Sounds like the same thing mine did right after I bought it. It would run fine, then start sputtering until it died. Sometimes it would start after sitting for a while, but it wasn't worth getting stuck somewhere, so I parked it.
Ended up being the Opti. After I got it out and opened up, there was a solid handful of rust and debris inside the distributor. I don't know how the thing ran at all.
Ended up being the Opti. After I got it out and opened up, there was a solid handful of rust and debris inside the distributor. I don't know how the thing ran at all.
