Red89'-L98

Well, after a new cap, rotor, spark plugs, wires, and a few other things, I started it up and got it nice and warm and reset the timing to somewhere between 6 and 8 degrees. I did it with the car in drive and the EST disconnected. That sums up everything I did.

Well, after all that I took it for a few minute drive and went to get food and when I came back out to drive away it started fine and idle for a few seconds. Then It started idling back and finally died. I tried to restart it but it seemed like it was only running on a few cylinders and would quickly die again. Since it is in a parking lot about 1 mile away I left it there for now. The bad thing is the car drove better than it ever has since I owned it and is not the first time I have done any of this.

I am pretty mechanical but wanted an opinion from you guys first.

Here is what I tried doing. I checked for fuel pressure just by depressing the shrader valve and fuel quickly squirted out showing a good amount of pressure. I tried unplugging the TPS sensor which, correct me if I am wrong, should take all reliability off the sensors and I should be able to LIMP it home by that. It did not help at all and did the same thing. My next thing is later tonight when it is cooled down to see if maybe the coil or module underneath is bad and heat is destroying it and maybe I will be able to get it home. I did not check for spark yet but didnt feel like shocking myself and will try later tonight with my timing light to see if it is flashing while cranking. I made sure all vacuum lines are connected along with the EST wire and all clips on the distributor cap were firmly connected.

Any help would be great as I need the vehicle for work but can ride my motorcycle if necessary. Maybe I am forgetting something else here so please let me know.

Thanks.

EDIT: Also I have been having a little bit jumpy tachometer lately as in the RPM's would bounce around but only every once in a while. Maybe that is correlated with it somehow?

VikingTrad3r

did you put a new ign module in the dizzy? timing light is a good idea to see if you have a spark.

i *think* that the module sends out the tack signal.

also, there is a tach filter itself. one of the symptoms when it goes is wonky tach readings.

sorry cant be of more help on this one.

Red89'-L98

No, I believe at least from looks, it is the original module and coil and if not they look like it. I lloked for my tach filter and did not see it in the normal location but it is on the to-do list.

ANY help is good help by the way. Thanks

antfarmer2

If it fires up once you go back after it cools off I would test ignition module and coil. Do not forget the thermal grease and get a fuel pressure gauge on it.

Red89'-L98

Any specific procedures to tes tthe coil and module or will any youtube video suffice for that one.

antfarmer2

Just take them to your local parts store most do them for free. But some of them do not know how to do it so might have to go to a few to be sure.

Red89'-L98

Thank you very much. Hopefully that is all it is. I dont feel like pushing my car half a mile or so haha

aklim

Meaningless and misleading. Doesn't say how much pressure there really is. You need a gauge unless you can tell by the height of the spray how much pressure there is.

IIRC, that would be the MAF that you can do that on.

You don't have to shock yourself. Get a known good plug and plug it into the wire. Ground the threads and see if you have a blue flame. Better yet, get a dedicated tester. Not that expensive and that it has a large clip to grip onto a metal surface helps.

Don't know but if you do get it started, I would get a scanner, not a code reader, a scanner and observe. If the tach bounces around and the scanner says that it is stable, your gauge is bad. It could also be your tach filter but hard to say without confirming with the ECM

Red89'-L98

Got it back home by pushing it as it wouldn't start. Here is where I am at. I did not check fuel pressure but I do know it is at least getting some. I hooked up the timing light and check for spark that way and got no indication of it except every few revolutions then the light would go off a time or 2 and stop again for a few more revolutions. At the same time the light went off it would spit and sputter but not even long enough to stay running. It did that for every wire consistently. I checked all the connections for the coil and they are all solid. Will wait for some more suggestion and start reversing my steps and checking other items such as coil and module.

Let me know your thoughts. Thanks.

VikingTrad3r

pretty sire it is going to be coil or module. mine was weak. i have a thread showing how i tested ill look for. i pulled the diz like this. http://youtu.be/0y2PuCfqVno

VikingTrad3r

if you search my name and "wont start after rebuild" and look at the end of my thready you will find a link to a video i made showing how i tested my dizzy on the bench. i cluld rig it up in 5 min so that is what i would do. might take an hour to rig it up.

aklim

Blue flame or not?

Deepa

If it ran fine before the tune up, recheck your steps. Plug wiring, etc.

I'm thinking pickup coil otherwise.

Mike

Red89'-L98

Went back and did some checks. flame is more of an orange then blue WHEN it fires. I took it all back apart to make sure the cap or anything else did not break, which everything looked fine. Cap from top to bottom of each contact shows continuity.

I also did some checks on the coil which was showing about a 1 Ohm on the primary coil and was showing open for the secondary. I am gonna take a good guess that would be why it will not fire. I ordered a coil and ICM just in case both happened to go at the same time.

I am just debating doing both now or wait and do the ICM later. Both coil and ICM are AC Delco replacements.

Thanks for all the help so far it is greatly appreciated.

aklim

Have you tried to use the wife on a different car? I know you changed the wires but what kind of wires are they? Some of the cheapest one have poor QC

Red89'-L98

I only have this car to test with at the moment. I bought MSD super conductor wires which look to be good. I also ohmd each one while wiggling around to make sure they were good and no breaks.

aklim

Those are probably going to be ok. I am talking about those at the cheap aisle where they have a bunch of wires you pick from.

Red89'-L98

Yeah i figured that. Parts are gonna be in tomorrow afternoon and I will update then with the results.

aklim

I'll bet I can find them somewhere if you want to buy them. I'll give you a killer deal. 75% off. No change.

Red89'-L98

OK, so I managed to get the coil installed and kept the ICM for later and it started right up and consistently even at high operating temps and letting it heat soak for a while.

I have not been able to drive the car much to do a pinhole leak in the radiator, maybe a drip or a second, so I will repair that today or tomorrow and see how the coil performs under a high load.

Thanks Everyone.