I was driving last night for about an hour and when I reached my exit off the highway my car started to sputter(like it was out of gas) and then stalled. I know it has almost a full tank so thats not it. When it sits for a little while it will start and run for about 1 min before it stalls again. I am just not sure if it the pump or the relay and wanted to find out if there was an easy way to tell which it could be without paying a garage for diagnostic ?
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Originally posted by HardInThePaint -
This is in the 2nd sticky on this very forum...
http://www.cb7tuner.com/vbb/showpost...05&postcount=1 -
Sorry about that, must have missed it. It still does not cover how to test relay....
Originally posted by HardInThePaintComment
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No problem. Good luck.Comment
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It sounds more like an ignition problem. Check your plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotorComment
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Cap, rotor, and plugs done 3 months ago. When it starts it runs fine, you can clearly tell there is no misfire. I have checked for spark and it is getting it.
Originally posted by HardInThePaintComment
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It is very difficult to inspect the relay. A hairline crack visible only with magnification can cause a malfunction. The best thing to do is to just replace the relay. They DO tend to fail once the weather gets warm.
An ignition issue could also be to blame. Igniter, coil, grounds, battery connections... all of those things can cause a car to stall (I've experienced all of them myself.)
Rule out everything else before assuming it's the pump. Replacing the pump is going to be an ordeal.
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I had my car die on me in a similiar fashon, though it never came back to life. In the end it was a bad internal ignition coil.
Simple way to check if its a fuel or ignition issue, is to spray starting fluid into the intake and turn it over, it it starts and dies shortly after starting, its a fuel related issue. If it never starts its an ignition issue.Comment
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It starts without starting fluid and will even run for about 30 seconds before it dies again. Thats the only reason I am trying to rule out spark. If it wasn't getting spark it wouldn't even start would it ?
Originally posted by HardInThePaintComment
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On my rx7 I had an igniter (ICM or Ignition Control Module for our cars) that was on its way out. It would do the same thing. Have you seen your rpm needle bouncing around inconsistant to actual engine rpms at all before this happened?
If you know how to solder, or someone that does, you can refurbish your main relay in order to rule it out if its a fuel related issue. Just desolder each component on the board one at a time and resolder it back on.Last edited by cloudasc; 05-09-2010, 07:59 PM.Comment
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It did the needle jumping thing right before it died. It couldn't have been at more 500rpms and the needle was bouncing as high as 4000 and just droping again without the engine actually reving.
Originally posted by HardInThePaintComment
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That's usually the sign of a bad ignitor.
One option is to go to a junkyard and get these parts. They're often very cheap, or even free (I've never paid more than $5 per part). They may or may not work, but it's a cheap way to pick up two of each and see what's failing. New, the coil, ignitor, and main relay can run $40-$60+ each.
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Are the coil and ignitor both inside the distributor ? Just trying to get together a list of tools to bring to junk yard so I don't have to carry whole toolbox. I know what I need to pull the relay and ECU, just want to know if it would be easier to pull the whole distributor and then disassemble at home.
Originally posted by HardInThePaintComment
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If you saw the bouncing rpms, then i'd definately say your problem is the igniter. Its under the distributer cap, and should be easily removed/replaced without having to remove entire distributers.
90-91's have internal coils (under the distributer cap), while 92-93's are external coil and would be mounted under the hood somewhere close to the distributer (i don't know the exact location since mine's a 91).Last edited by cloudasc; 05-09-2010, 08:34 PM.Comment
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Would the 5th wire coming off the cap be going to the coil? And are the internal and external coils interchangeable ?
Originally posted by HardInThePaintComment
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