As you may have read from some of my other posts, my 86 turbo wagon is randomly crapping out while driving or idling and then it wont start...let it sit for a day or so and then it starts and runs for awhile before doing it again. The problem has persisted for months, with the frequency increasing. It started with the an occasional difficulty starting to dying going 35mph up a hill with lots of traffic (today)

 

SYMPTOMS

-car will run fine and randomly crap out and wont restart

-fuel pump still primes to 40-50psi when car dies

-when running, all injectors "click"

-when running, the FPR works and fuel pressure increases 6psi with vac hose off

 

POSSIBLE PROBLEMS

-FPR

-injectors

-fuel pump

-something in the lines

-MAF

-TPS

-i wouldnt suggest the ignition because the problem happened before and after I replaced the coil, cap and rotor, wires, and the plugs have 5k miles

-in the early stages of this problem, I could get the car to start by tapping the ig. coil/fuel pump fuse in and out of the fuse holder

 

any ideas? how to troubleshoot? anything I could be missing?

 

thanks,

eric

Sounds like a loose wiring connection. did you check the back of the fuse block for corrosion?

the fuse block under the dash? no, I will check tonight. I was searching and came up on a post where you said there was some sort of loose sensor(s) on the manifold of an 88 tubo wagon you bought...what was that about? I also came up on a few that indicated a bad MAF...can I clean out the MAF with parts cleaner?...would the MAF be an intermittent issue?

 

thanks calebz,

eric

O2 sensor perhaps - I've had these go bad and cause similar problems in other cars I've owned. Try simply disconnecting it to see if the problem goes away....

 

If you have recently used any silicone based products near the engine bay..... it only take a whif of oder from them to ruin an O2.....

 

GD

have you changed yer fuel filter(s) lately? I had an 82 wagon that would do the same thing. If I remember correctly, there is an under hood filter as well as one right by the tank. My 82 had about 80k at the time with the origional rear filter....

 

just a thought

 

garner

If it's got a VAM, then it'll only have the one filter in the engine bay, as it's FI.

Whot you can do is disconnect the VAM (VAM right, not a MAF? you have the flapper door? Should be, in an 86) But anyways, if you disconnect it, this will put the computer into limp home mode, and you can diagnose the problem. I have a very similiar problem with my 84 Turbo (basically the same system as the 86), I disconnect the VAM for a day, didn't have any problems, replaced it a few days later and never had a problem (like that) again.

ok, the fuel filter has about 3k miles on it. I dont believe there is one in the back, besides, the car died going 35 so I dont think the filter would choke up that fast and decide to clear up in a day or so and work fine for a few miles, then choke up again.

 

the MAF or VAM or whatever is the older one, flapper I think. It will be disconnected later as well as the o2 sensor (one at a time) to see if this helps.

 

I was doing more searches and it is looking like a bad ignition module could be added to the "to check" list...one post titled "another no start thread" had nearly identical symptoms so I will thoroughly inspect the "spark stuff" when I get off of work tonight. Keep the ideas coming! thank you all for the input so far I WILL fix this!!!

pulled o2 sensor, no start, pulled maf plug, no start...I smell fuel...im thinkink ig module...you?

Yes - try another distributor from the junk yard. It very well could be the ign. module.

 

GD

got towed by my buddies jeep :-\ (no one saw us) and did a spark test right off the coil--no spark...tested 12v at the + terminal of the coil, and 12v at the coil output (big wire to cap)...I read somewhere that 12v at the coil output meant dead ig. module...we will know tomorrow.

 

one more question...any ea82 dizzy before 87 will work right? carbed, spfi, mpfi, turbo? as long as it does not have the optical pickup thing like the 87+ the jy here is pretty limited on subes, but I will make sure the wire harness is the same.

 

thank you again

eric

When my '85 turbo had that problem it turned out to be a bad conection @ the coolant temp. sensor for the computer (not the one for the gauge)

I cleaned it and put some dielectric grease on it and I never had that problem agan.

soobme, i am about 90% sure its the ig module...Ive tested and probed and it points to this...

 

Ive searched jy's here today and the only compatible module I found was under a heap of melted plastic from a car fire...anyone have one? or a whole dizzy for that matter? I am desperate.. no parts places has them either...I will post what I need in the marketplace