Stall and no start until cool down

[Turbo Loyd]

On two occasions our blue turbo Regal has stalled and would crank. but not start until the car cooled down a bit. It has been surging for awhile when driving at 45 mph for awhile, and now I'm wondering if it is related to this stalling.

On both occasions it has popped through the intake just before stalling. The first time it was only about two minutes before it restarted and ran fine. The second time I had to wait about a half hour before it would restart.

Usually thought once a crank sensor went bad, that was it, what else causes a no start occasionally on an otherwise good running car. The car has a stock computer with Turbo Tweak chip, stock module and coil pack, cam sensor set at stock setting. The only code that it has thrown is a 41 related to TPS which should not cause a no start problem. The SES light comes on under mild acceleration.

Have checked a majority of the grounds and connections, which are dry and tight. The fuel pressure according to the gage on the rail does not leave the base settings when the car stalls and does not restart. Neither time when stalled did I have my OTC 4000 monitor along to see what readings were there and/or not there.

Thanks for your ideas

 

[turbo39151]

How about the cam position sensor?

 

[garyk1970]

coil pack,then module

 

[GNRick]

Maybe a recent issue that I have been having will help. At the track my fuel pump went south. Before I diagnosed the fuel pump, the car would not start for 20 minutes (at the track after I made a pass). I guess the big fuel pressure gauge on my hood wasn't obvious enough. Anyway, after getting the car home, I shut it off, then it wouldn't start again. I replaced the coil pack and it started right up. Of course, 20 minutes had passed since I turned it off so maybe it would have started anyway. The next day it started fine and I looked at the fuel pressure gauge and noticed it wouldn't move from 40 psi under boost. So I replaced the fuel pump and I thought I had my "hard to start" problem licked. Well, it came back a short time later. So now I have a new fuel pump and a new coil pack. I am thinking ignition module. Or maybe I should put the old coil pack back on, since I know you should replace the coil pack and module both together. So in answer to your problem, Loyd, I would suspect your ignition module first, then maybe coil pack or fuel pump relay or taking the car to a mechanic. Does this help any?

 

[86 TR]

Im leaning towards coil pack, ignition module. Sounds like once it gets heat soaked the problems seem to appear. My car did the same thing as your describing a couple of years ago and I replaced both the coil, and module together at the same time with GM parts. So I wasn't sure which part was making the car act up.

The previous owner had some off brand of coil and module. After putting new module, coil pack on the problems were gone.

Good luck.

 

[83ttypecooled]

Hi,
I doubt that the coil pack is the problem. However,it is very likely that the ignition module is messing up. Another possibility is the cam sensor. Last, but not least, would be the crank sensor. They are pretty reliable, but any part can fail.Do you have a graphing multimeter? This tool makes it easy to look at potential problem circuits.

 

[QUIP'6']

i would have to say ignition module. when your car heats up it expands and creates a gap in the crack the when it cools it closes back up . sounds like it is heat related

 

[Blazer406]

i would have to say ignition module. when your car heats up it expands and creates a gap in the crack the when it cools it closes back up . sounds like it is heat related

Sounds like an ignition module to me....

 

[Turbo Loyd]

Thanks all to replied it is appreciated.

How about the cam position sensor?

Thanks for the idea. Technically you can disconnect the cam sensor once the engine has started and the injectors will go into bank firing mode rather than sequential mode, due to lack of reference signal. The engine will continue to run until shut off, but then will not restart. We had this happen to a member years ago at Great Lakes Dragway. Luckily another member had a spare cam sensor cap, that solved the problem. At least this is my story and I'm sticking to it unless another member here knows this to not be the case.

coil pack,then module

Agree that the module may be the culprit. The Magnavox coil pack has three separate coils, so a temporary failure of all three at once is highly unlikely, unless in the common ground wiring.

I would suspect your ignition module first, then maybe coil pack or fuel pump relay or taking the car to a mechanic.

Yes this does help. Since no start conditions are commonly the computer, ignition module, or crank sensor, and I happen to have spares for each, that is what I will eventually try.

My car did the same thing as your describing a couple of years ago and I replaced both the coil, and module together at the same time with GM parts. So I wasn't sure which part was making the car act up.

I will be changing the crank sensor and module/coil pack, and like you will wonder which fixed the problem, unless it leaves me stranded temporarily again. The frustrating thing the failure seems random. The car did this on the way to having a new headliner and carpet installed so is not here to play around with

 

[turbo39151]

Only reason I mentioned cam sensor is because I experienced the same symptoms a while ago. Replaced everything else (that has been suggested thus far) and it turned out to be the cam sensor... Just my two cents...

 

[83ttypecooled]

Hi,
I wouldn't worry about the situation; it will fix itself.