car dies for no reason!!??

aar0s · 06-07-2003, 10:11 PM

what would cause the coil to stop sparking? dont matter if the car is cold or hot but it will just die and a few min. later it will start and run fine. i was thinking it may be the tfi but im not sure.

Philossifer · 06-08-2003, 07:52 AM

aar0s,
I'm not saying this is your problem but '89 Mustang was doing the same thing. It would run fine for a given period of time and then just die.

Once I drove it on a weekend trip, it was fine all weekend and then, about 2 miles from home, it died. The interval before it started cutting out began to shorten very quickly. (like within the next day or two)

Eventually, it would only run for a mile or two until finally, it wouldn't even start!

I couldn't figure out what the problem was 'cause it would never dublicate when I wanted it to. (so I could fix it.)
The last time (when the car wouldn't start) I popped open the hood and noticed a burned wire smell. My nose went right to the ignition coil and I noticed it was burnt (by the indication of a white chalky ring around it!

I replaced the coil; Problem solved!

Like I said, the coil might not be your problem, but it's worth looking into and easy to do.
Good luck,
Phil

aar0s · 06-08-2003, 09:42 AM

thanks phil but i thought that it might be the coil so i changed it and the coil wire then i thought that it may be a cloged fuel filter and changed it.

TMASTER · 06-08-2003, 11:41 AM

Could be fuel pump?
When the car dies right after, turn the key over and make sure the fuel pump turns on by listening to the fuel pump motor, dont start the car.
Could be the distributor going bad, not sure how to test that

drtbiker · 06-08-2003, 05:53 PM

If the coil is not sparking then it can be a ground.... possably the one by the ecu...

later

aar0s · 06-08-2003, 07:00 PM

i tried the fuel pump suggestion and the pump is still priming after it dies and i changed the gray thingie on the distributor (cant remember the name of it) and it wasnt the problem. ill check the ground but after that im at a loss. when it dies i can put a plug in the coil wire and it wont spark thats why i think that its a electical problem and not fuel. is it possible that i got a bad coil from O'riley's?

TMASTER · 06-08-2003, 07:21 PM

When My MSD A6 died, i got no spark with the holding the plug apart from the coil. I hooked my old ignition up and it started right away. You running a aftermarket ignition?

aar0s · 06-08-2003, 09:39 PM

no its a stock ignition. where is the ecu?

BilLster · 06-09-2003, 09:54 AM

I had a silmiliar problem when i had some bad gas (water in it) and had to change the fuel filter 3 times

how do you know its not sparking ? have you pulled the coil wire and tried to start it ? do you have a fuel pressure gauge on it ?

I always do the maintence stuff first replace fuel filter again and tfi

TFI moduale is a good place to start

good luck

drtbiker · 06-10-2003, 01:16 AM

my ground problem was by the ecu stumped the crap out of me. The ecu is located by the passanger side kick pannel but i doubt that is ur problem unless someone was messing around with it or the car is really really rusty near there....

later

06-07-2003, 10:11 PM	#1
aar0s Registered Member Join Date: Nov 1998 Location: southern Illinois Posts: 312	car dies for no reason!!?? what would cause the coil to stop sparking? dont matter if the car is cold or hot but it will just die and a few min. later it will start and run fine. i was thinking it may be the tfi but im not sure. __________________ 88 gt convertable =-= cobra intake, accufab 65 mm tb headers alum underdrives steeda alum.lca's, springs, c/c plates kyb struts 230 hp to da wheels http://www.cybersteed.freeservers.com

06-08-2003, 07:52 AM	#2
Philossifer Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 69	Coil? (maybe) aar0s, I'm not saying this is your problem but '89 Mustang was doing the same thing. It would run fine for a given period of time and then just die. Once I drove it on a weekend trip, it was fine all weekend and then, about 2 miles from home, it died. The interval before it started cutting out began to shorten very quickly. (like within the next day or two) Eventually, it would only run for a mile or two until finally, it wouldn't even start! I couldn't figure out what the problem was 'cause it would never dublicate when I wanted it to. (so I could fix it.) The last time (when the car wouldn't start) I popped open the hood and noticed a burned wire smell. My nose went right to the ignition coil and I noticed it was burnt (by the indication of a white chalky ring around it! I replaced the coil; Problem solved! Like I said, the coil might not be your problem, but it's worth looking into and easy to do. Good luck, Phil

06-08-2003, 09:42 AM	#3
aar0s Registered Member Join Date: Nov 1998 Location: southern Illinois Posts: 312	thanks phil but i thought that it might be the coil so i changed it and the coil wire then i thought that it may be a cloged fuel filter and changed it. __________________ 88 gt convertable =-= cobra intake, accufab 65 mm tb headers alum underdrives steeda alum.lca's, springs, c/c plates kyb struts 230 hp to da wheels http://www.cybersteed.freeservers.com

06-08-2003, 11:41 AM	#4
TMASTER Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: TEXAS Posts: 161	hmm Could be fuel pump? When the car dies right after, turn the key over and make sure the fuel pump turns on by listening to the fuel pump motor, dont start the car. Could be the distributor going bad, not sure how to test that

06-08-2003, 05:53 PM	#5
drtbiker Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Mt. Prospect,IL Posts: 474	If the coil is not sparking then it can be a ground.... possably the one by the ecu... later __________________ 87-ford-mustang-SOLD! mods: 3:73's, off road h-pipe, b303 cam in gt- 40 motor w/ Power Plus intake, edelbrock 70mm tb & egr spacer, 72mm C&L, bbk long tubes, tremec tranny, centerforce dual friction clutch, upr and lwr CA's 255lph FP and soon more to come.... when i have money again SOME ADVICE Don't do burn outs in reverse it is very expensive New times with dead hook on dr's 13.27@103 with 2.0 60 foots w/100lb system Fastest time to date: 12.8@113

06-08-2003, 07:00 PM	#6
aar0s Registered Member Join Date: Nov 1998 Location: southern Illinois Posts: 312	i tried the fuel pump suggestion and the pump is still priming after it dies and i changed the gray thingie on the distributor (cant remember the name of it) and it wasnt the problem. ill check the ground but after that im at a loss. when it dies i can put a plug in the coil wire and it wont spark thats why i think that its a electical problem and not fuel. is it possible that i got a bad coil from O'riley's? __________________ 88 gt convertable =-= cobra intake, accufab 65 mm tb headers alum underdrives steeda alum.lca's, springs, c/c plates kyb struts 230 hp to da wheels http://www.cybersteed.freeservers.com

06-08-2003, 07:21 PM	#7
TMASTER Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: TEXAS Posts: 161	oh When My MSD A6 died, i got no spark with the holding the plug apart from the coil. I hooked my old ignition up and it started right away. You running a aftermarket ignition?

06-08-2003, 09:39 PM	#8
aar0s Registered Member Join Date: Nov 1998 Location: southern Illinois Posts: 312	no its a stock ignition. where is the ecu? __________________ 88 gt convertable =-= cobra intake, accufab 65 mm tb headers alum underdrives steeda alum.lca's, springs, c/c plates kyb struts 230 hp to da wheels http://www.cybersteed.freeservers.com

06-09-2003, 09:54 AM	#9
BilLster Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Ontario canada Posts: 446	I had a silmiliar problem when i had some bad gas (water in it) and had to change the fuel filter 3 times how do you know its not sparking ? have you pulled the coil wire and tried to start it ? do you have a fuel pressure gauge on it ? I always do the maintence stuff first replace fuel filter again and tfi TFI moduale is a good place to start good luck __________________ 89 with 331 t3'/t4 hybrids. upr Suspention worked out finnaly . 9.89 144 mph .

06-10-2003, 01:16 AM	#10
drtbiker Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Mt. Prospect,IL Posts: 474	my ground problem was by the ecu stumped the crap out of me. The ecu is located by the passanger side kick pannel but i doubt that is ur problem unless someone was messing around with it or the car is really really rusty near there.... later __________________ 87-ford-mustang-SOLD! mods: 3:73's, off road h-pipe, b303 cam in gt- 40 motor w/ Power Plus intake, edelbrock 70mm tb & egr spacer, 72mm C&L, bbk long tubes, tremec tranny, centerforce dual friction clutch, upr and lwr CA's 255lph FP and soon more to come.... when i have money again SOME ADVICE Don't do burn outs in reverse it is very expensive New times with dead hook on dr's 13.27@103 with 2.0 60 foots w/100lb system Fastest time to date: 12.8@113

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