help......again

[josh watson]

I aquired an 87 t-type....drove it for three days...and then it died on the way to work. On a freeway onramp. nice. I am not getting spark, I replaced the ignition module and the crank sensor. Fusible link perhaps? any input is appreciated. The car has been down for over a month now. It's my daily driver and riding a motorcycle everyday is getting a lil old.

thanks
jw

 

[SouthernCal GN]

Check the CCCI and fuel pump fuses in the fuse block.

Fusible links are by the starter.

Is the orange ECM wire by the battery hooked up?

 

[josh watson]

yes

All the fuses checked good. The orange wire IS hooked up...I'm clueless here. Fuel pump works...no spark at all. I'm not sure if a fusible link would cause this but at this point I'm leaning towards a broken wire of some kind. I was driving the car and it just died...I coasted to a stop and that was that. anyone have a similar experience?

thanks again.

 

[Ron Coleman]

fusible link by starter

i had that happen to me one night cruising around and the car shut off.......embarrassing

P.S, had to get towed

 

[TurboBuRick]

Does check engine light come on when key is on.

Any codes?

Do you have another ecm to try?

Your replacment parts, are they AC/Delco?

 

[josh watson]

I

am showing no codes in the computer. I have some experience with fusible links and usually you get no power at all. Everything in the car works with the key forward. I can hear the fuel pump and I can turn the engine over........no spark at all. I wish I had another ecm but I don't have access to one. I know little of the history of the car....I owned it four days when it broke down. I do not blame the previous owner however....as he met me in alabama...I live in GA and he lives in MS....and he didn't even bring any tools along for the ride (brave man).

thanks for the help

what happens when the computer goes bad?

 

[machinegun]

Are you sure there is no spark? If so get either a noid light or test light and test if the injectors are firing. Please get back with me on this and we will look at the next step.

Jim

 

[Kevin87TurboT]

Josh,
That guy that sold you the car is a real loser!
I'm sorry to hear that you haven't got the hot rod going yet.
I wonder if the replacement ignition module was defective? Are the injectors pulsing? If so, then the computer is probably OK, although it's not a guarantee. I'm sending you a PM.
Take Care,
Kevin

 

[MeanBuicks]

I agree with Kevin. If you don't have a GM ignition module, my personal experience says the replacement could be a crap shoot. I once went through three Wells-brand modules from Auto Zone with no spark from any of them.

Got my money back and went to NAPA. The Echlin-brand module they carried worked fine. That was aggravating to say the least especially since my car was broken down at a gas station (on my way to work also) about 10 miles from town.

 

[josh watson]

Thanks

for the input guys.....I'm going to buy a test light and check the injectors now. The module was autozone......if the injectors are pulsing I'll take a trip to napa.

thanks again and i'll post again tonight.


trying to stay motivated.........

 

[josh watson]

wierdest thing

I ran up to the auto zone to buy the noid light set to check out the injectors. I figured that while I was there I would take my battery and have it charge for a while (I have no charger and the store is 2 miles away). The guy ran a test on the battery and said his diagnostic machine said that the battery had a bad cell....strange, I wasn't able to leave it charging to full so I stopped by a neighbors and borrowed a charger. The battery was reading about 11.5 volts. I re-installed the battery and ran jumper cables to a spare battery that I have and I hooked up noid light to #5 injector.....my girlfriend cranks the car over for me and the car starts....just like that. I turned it off immediately and ate some dinner.

I get all excited and later I hook up the injector and try to start it and....nothing. I hook back up the jumper cables and (just in case) remove #5 cylinder injector clip...the car starts after a few tries. I put the clip back on injector and it still runs, I remove jumper cables and it still runs. My battery is getting a much needed charge all the while. I let it run for about 15 min.
I turn the car off and try to restart it and.....nothing.same as before. I think that now the problem is def. electrical and that it may be in the orange wire going to the battery......I am going to try removing a portion of the wire near the battery and replacing it (with an inline fuse) (looks like it is a fusible link right by the battery but I'm not sure). It just acts like a wire is broken or something.


any input?
sorry for the length
good to hear the car run after a month and a half
thanks for the help guys.
jw

 

[83ttypecooled]

Hi,
In one word, BS! Your problem is being caused by an intermittent electronics failure. I would suggest you change the ignition module AND coil with a KNOWN good unit. Then you KNOW that is not the issue, and if that repairs the problem, cool. Don't mess with the fusible link and it's connector. I can't see how it would possibly cause this problem. It provides keep alive power to the ecm, and powers the fuel pump. NEVER modify circuits you don't understand! 'Nuff said....

 

[josh watson]

um

thanks for the input. I understand the circuit. I tested the wire to make sure I have continuity from the connector to the battery, and I do.......if there was a break in the wire under the insulation I could have the same type of problems; I just fixed this sort of problem on my bike (wire broken in a connector....making temporary contact so that it would idle and dying out when revved up). I did notice that changes seem to happen after messing with the battery cables and this is what leads me to believe that it may be in that area.

jw

by the way.....when running the car revved fine...acted completely like normal. I didn't attempt to drive it.

 

[TurboMonte 2]

Did you put in a new (known good) battery & ck connections @ battery as well as cable ends? Seems like you're hunting elephants & should be going after field mice,,,

 

[Kevin87TurboT]

Josh,
That's some crazy symtoms, but I've seen a lot of crazy things when dealing with cars. I recall two separate cars that I've dealt with that had similar symptoms.

One was a mid 90s Grand Prix with a 3800 Series II engine. It would spin over, occasionally coming to life. When it would start, you could put it in gear and it would go dead. The battery had a bad cell. We replaced the battery and it ran perfect.

The other was an 87 Grand National. At first, it had a misfire at high rpm. It gradually began to misfire at a lower and lower rpm. Finally it was not even driveable. A new battery fixed the problem.

If you could just put another battery in it, you'll know the answer in just a few moments.

Good Luck.
Kevin

 

[aminga]

If you have lost the magnet out of the Crank Position sensor it will not code since the transducer part of the CNS is still hooked up and as far as the ECM is concerned getting a valid signal. It will however stop you dead as a doornail with no spark and no injector firing (ask me how I know).