Engine stalls randomly

[Zepticon]

Hey
Im having a strange issue that im not sure how to to begin solving. Ill start with the history...

Yesterday when driving home from work,i noticed a slight jerking, it was just one nudge, and then one more 5 sec later. Then suddenly the engine dies completely. I turn the key sto start it again and it fires up. Then it runs for maybe 10-15 seconds before it dies again. I turn they key again, and it just cranks without any want to start. I ty again, ant it starts, but dies again instantly. I continue to try and it randomly starts for 1 sec, or doesnt start at all for a while.

Then i sit down to wait for my friend to come pick me up. So then after 5 min waiting i try again, and it fires right up and works great for the rest of the day.

So today i take the car and drive to work, it starts and runs good, until i get the small jerk, almost not noticeable. Then a few second later the engine dies. This time it is similar, but more cranking, and less random starts. I leave it for 5 mins, starts it again and it fire right up. I try driving but 30 sec later it dies. So i get a friend to pick me up and when i come back with my other car after 10 mins, it fires right up and seem to have no issues. again.


So does anyone have any idea what it could be?

No unusual error codes either

[Greg 94 PGT]

90% of the time it is distributor related with these cars.

That would be the first thing I suspect.

[Zepticon]

Yeah, im thinking that to. But the disy has only seen 6 months on the road, and the fuel pump is 12 months old.... so im pretty lost as to what could be the cause xD

Maybe time to get my fingers from my ass and HEI mod

[Silverprobe]

When it's not starting, are you getting any spark from your plug wires?

[Zepticon]

When it's not starting, are you getting any spark from your plug wires?

I havent experienced the wont-start-at-all issue when i had a person to help me crank while i check plugs unfortunatley. After i got her home today, she would run for 10-20 seconds then die, and start up again for 10-20 secends then die.

[Greg 94 PGT]

Yeah, im thinking that to. But the disy has only seen 6 months on the road, and the fuel pump is 12 months old.... so im pretty lost as to what could be the cause xD

Maybe time to get my fingers from my ass and HEI mod

I recall reading a post from someone on here that had a lifetime warranty on a disty. He thought his failed so he went to swap it out at the store. The new one didn't work. So he looked for other causes, and wasn't able to get his car running. So he went back to the stock thinking he got a bad disty and got another one. Same result. Went back a third time and swapped it out again, this time the store clerks were giving him grief saying it wasn't possible that all of them were bad. The third one didn't work either.

So now he went to a different location, instead of his local parts store. Swapped out the disty and the car ran perfectly.

So, whether the original store had 3 bad disty's or were just putting the suspected ones back on the shelf, who knows. But as I mentioned, I would suspect the disty first.

Btw, be sure to clean your fingers first

[Zepticon]

I recall reading a post from someone on here that had a lifetime warranty on a disty. He thought his failed so he went to swap it out at the store. The new one didn't work. So he looked for other causes, and wasn't able to get his car running. So he went back to the stock thinking he got a bad disty and got another one. Same result. Went back a third time and swapped it out again, this time the store clerks were giving him grief saying it wasn't possible that all of them were bad. The third one didn't work either.

So now he went to a different location, instead of his local parts store. Swapped out the disty and the car ran perfectly.

So, whether the original store had 3 bad disty's or were just putting the suspected ones back on the shelf, who knows. But as I mentioned, I would suspect the disty first.

Btw, be sure to clean your fingers first

Put my old OEM 320.000km disty back on the car and have let it idle for 30 mins wihtout the issue happening again. Will go for a longer testdrive tomorrow
I know this disty is OK since i swaped her for a new one as a preventive fix. So much for that x)

I always use gloves

[Zepticon]

Today i went for a test drive, and around 1h 30 mins later ther is no sign of any issues. Needless to say, im returning the new $250 disy to Rockauto for a refund.

[Bit_reaper]

Today i went for a test drive, and around 1h 30 mins later ther is no sign of any issues. Needless to say, im returning the new $250 disy to Rockauto for a refund.

I am also having similar issues. First the engine would not rev up only idle very rough.

That made me suspect a faulty fuel pump relay. I took out the relay. Opened it up deemed it functional. Put it back in. Engines starts, car runs great. Two weeks later one morning the car only cranks, no spark.

Like you I now suspected the infamously bad distributor that these have.

Put in the new dissy. Still no spark. Take the time to actually check the voltages on the distributor loom (something I really should have done first). I notice that the second pin which is supposed to supply the dissy with +12V is only outputting 2v. Well off comes the main ignition relay FS11A and like the fuel pump relay I open it up deem it to be in working order, put it back. Car fires up and drives with zero issues.

So either one or both of thous relays are failing, I have corrosion in the fuse box or some of the cables have an break in them.

Tired to clean the contacts in the fuse box the best I can and I will order some new relays. Only time will tell if the issue is actually fixed or not.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ngwiring-1.jpg

Regardless. Anyone having no spark issues with the 24V V6, check that your dissy is getting power.

[Horror Angel]

I recall reading a post from someone on here that had a lifetime warranty on a disty. He thought his failed so he went to swap it out at the store. The new one didn't work. So he looked for other causes, and wasn't able to get his car running. So he went back to the stock thinking he got a bad disty and got another one. Same result. Went back a third time and swapped it out again, this time the store clerks were giving him grief saying it wasn't possible that all of them were bad. The third one didn't work either.

So now he went to a different location, instead of his local parts store. Swapped out the disty and the car ran perfectly.

So, whether the original store had 3 bad disty's or were just putting the suspected ones back on the shelf, who knows. But as I mentioned, I would suspect the disty first.

Btw, be sure to clean your fingers first

Local Probe mechanic I met thru someone on here told me he always carries a spare disty with him cause the aftermarkets are all crap and life goes on while owning a probe. Every single brand at advance auto has 95% the same parts. Some of them come with separations in the plastic disc shaped area that mounts against the engine. The rest have obvious bad mold/plastic pouring from the factory where these separations occur on the already completely damaged ones. I have images of this if anyone really wants to see.

Edit: Just took pics of the one on my car I put there before I noticed they all had cracks. Its pretty much at a cracking point. this time at all 4 sections where the plastic seams are. Ive not tested the insides, but this looks really crappy.
the Spectra "premium" brand everyone on here raves about uses the same parts as all the cheaper ones I tried. Cept the screws are a goldish color.

[Silverprobe]

Reading threads like this makes me glad I just did the HEI mod before my disty ever even started exhibiting any issues.

IIRC, it's been in about 8 years now and hadn't missed a beat. (knocks on wood).