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Sputters and Dies!!


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87 GL 4door sedan

1.8L SPFI

OK so I've got this problem that has gradually gotten worse:confused: . It started by the motor having trouble running when cold. It seemed like a really bad missfire, but I would shut the car off for a few seconds and restart and the missfire went away but the motor would gradually increase in rpm on its own (I tapped the throttle at 3500rpm and it droped back down to a normal warm-up RPM), after that it ran fine. Then I would start the car when cold, it would idle fine for about 30 seconds and then shut itself off, after this I would restart it and it would run fine. Other times I would run it to warm up and drive down the road and the bad missfire issue would come back while driving, and if I had to stop the car would sputter to a death, then I could start it up and drive it with no problems. Now the car will not idle right (bad missfire feeling), died on me lastnight and would not start for anything (motor turns but not runs). I came back to the car a number of hours later and it started so I drove it home with the same rough running, and now when it sits at (rough) idle when cold it does the gradual rpm increase.

Just yesterday I changed all the typical tune up parts (plugs, wires, cap, rotor, fuel filter). This solved nothing:mad: . I want to check the timing, but I'm not sure what the "idle control switch" is or where to connect it (according to the haynes manual...worthless manuals by the way:banghead: )

Any ideas would be very helpful.

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The green connectors are near the wiper motor. those will set the timing to base, from which you can set your 20 degrees BTDC

 

does it run good when its warm?

 

Are the timing marks on the belts all in the right spots?

 

Did you change the fuel filter?

 

 

With the green connector together, the timing mark on the flywheel is in the right place. I haven't been able to get it to run long enough today or yesterday to get it warm, but when the problem was getting worse, it would usually run better when warm, but sometimes I could feel it lag for about 10 to 30 seconds then go back to normal.

I did change the fuel filter.

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OK, so now I started it up and let it run itself up to temperature. The warm-up idle started to run away again so I lightly tapped the gas pedal and it dropped down to the usual 2000 rpm. After it warmed up it seemed to run normally. I didn't drive it more than a mile but it seemed ok, a little weak but that might be psychological.

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