Leedogg 96TA

OK- Background story-

I was going to a birthday party with my son Saturday. We are cruising along fine for the first 45 miles, then we get into town and the car jus shut off...like turning off the key. I am like WTF??? well while coasting down(standard) in gear, it refires, then shuts off again. does this several time then I figur it ain't gonna get any better so I pull into a parking lot. Once stopped it surges really bad a few times then shuts off.

I try to refire it- and it does the same...surges a few times- then dies. I call a Mechanic friend and we check for spark- fine, so we think it is the MAF, he said unplug it- and if it was the MAF, it would run. Not luck...MAF unhooked it don't even try to crank.

Well after scatching our heads we listen to the fuel pump...sounds a lil funny- so we conclude it prolly isn't getting enough fuel.

I order a Walbro 255 and a new fuel filter, installed it, it is still doing the exact same thing...I am lost. When I first restarted it- It idled great for a minute- then I hit the throttle and it died. now it won't idle at all.

Could the PCM have died? Maybe the Opti(though it only has 20K miles on it)?? Fuel pressure regulator??

Basics on the car-
1996 TA - 383 - LE heads - 236/242 cam - Ed Wright Tuning - stock ignition - 30 lb injectors. The rest can be seen on my website.

slopokrodrigez

Do you have fuel pressure above 40 PSI when you cycle power? Did you check each cylinder for either compression or leak down? Have you check each cylinder for condition of the plugs and or spark?

nas-T-72z

check your tps sensor. i bet its gone. ive had one do that to me. just driving around and the car died. cranked and died multiple times. i figured it had to be the tps. turned out it was.

kennyrebbe

It sounds like your pcm is shorting out, loosing power, my car was doing this. I was just driving and the car would just die, the gauges would flicker then it wouldn't keep idle. I was kind of puzzled I found out it was the little power box that your positive connects to, mine looked like it was in good condition but I knoticed when I pressed on it I got volts with my meter. I replaced it and it worked fine. probably a rare occasion but I hope it helps

Bud M

That's pretty much how my car acted when my opti quit.
But...your "mechanic" friend based a recommendation of a new fuel pump on the old one sounding "a lil funny"? That's a good way to spend money you don't need to.

Leedogg 96TA

Thanks guys for the input.

As for my 'mechanic'- he just came to where it stopped and we figured that usually when a car just stops, and it was getting fire- that the puel pump prolly went out. He didn't have any tools with him on Sat afternoon. So our diagnostic skills were hampered.

But I needed the better pump anyway and a AFPR- so I done those first.

anyhow- I was on short time so I was just trying some different stuff- hoping to hit on something.

it was the all the sudden thing that got me...the opti only has 15K on it, the car has 130K. It will Idle GREAT now- but still...touch the throttle and it dies. So far I tried all this-

-fuel pump-no help- but I knew this after I got my guage to check it
-Ignition Control Module-read that on here in another similar thread..no dice
-Throttle Position Sensor-(same as said above...throttle problem..TPS...no dice.
-Changed the plugs- Just in case
-Wires look good- only 3000 mile on them
-even changed the MAF- IT IDLES...but still won't run if you give it ANY throttle


It'll idle awesome for as long as want. I just can't see how it will idle so well but not take any throttle. When my opti went out- it wouldn't idle...and it was before the new motor/big cam. I have looked all over for a loose ground...but I will check the positive distribution block. I am offshore now- but I will ask my dad to check it out....supposed to be a local Mech from the GM dealer coming to hook it up to his diagnostic stuff tonight or tomorrow night...maybe he will figure it out.

I read in one thread about buying the diagnostic equipment...boy I will I had done that BEFORE I bought this car.:lol

nas-T-72z

another suggestion would be checking your crank position sensor. thats if you havent already looked into it

HBHRacing

so it idles fine but when you give it gas it dies out?

Run a fule pressure test just to make sure everything is kosher.

you say you have spark but is it good and blue or bad and orange? is it all good at the plugs or did you just test it at the coil?

What about your injectors, do you have pulse on all 8?