blu98ta

iTrader: (4)

I apologize in advance if this is in the wrong forum, but I need some help. My car is acting up, and I don;t know why. I will go to turn it on sometimes and the car at first will not react at all when I turn the key. I can then try turning it again and the car will turn on, but then die shortly there after( it seems like each cylinder will fire once and then it will stop). Finally on the third try the car will turn on and stay on. It does every so often, but it has started happening more and more lately. Could it be the heat, because it seems like it always does it when it is really hot outside. The car runs fine other than this. The only thing that I have noticed is that when I sit at idle, in gear, there is an on and off vibration throughout the car(this is with the A/C off). What is going on? Any help would be greatly appreciated. If this is in the wrong forum then let me know so that I can move it. Sorry about the length.

AnthonyR

iTrader: (3)

Sounds like it could be a vats problem, have you tried using your spare key to see if it goes away? You could spray some contact cleaner into the cylinder and see if that helps as well...

Richie Carbone

iTrader: (3)

You should try cleaning the contacts on the key with alcohol and a Q-tip and see if that clears it up. Since the car is a 98 and has some age on it the contact could have some crud on it.

blu98ta

iTrader: (4)

so yall think that's it? I'll try it. I hope it is that simple. If anyone can think of anything else that it could possibly be please let me know. What about the vibration that happens when I am at idle in gear?

F-BodyHottie

i may be WAY off here... but have you checked your plugs and wires lately? although usually that's a problem caused by cold weather, not hot... just a thought...

blu98ta

iTrader: (4)

I just replaced my plugs at christmas time with some ngk's. I would hope that those are still good.

F-BodyHottie

k yeah, not that then

blu98ta

iTrader: (4)

It just did it again today when I was leaving the grocery store. It was pretty hot outside. I wonder if that has something to do with it?

ace68

iTrader: (15)

How long has it been since you descreened your MAF and also when did you do your programming? Check your parameters in your MAF table make sure they are not way off. I forgot to put in a decimal point when i adjusted mine and my car did excatly what you are describing.

blu98ta

iTrader: (4)

I did the maf like a year ago. It just recently started doing this. Anybody else?

Squintz Palladoris

iTrader: (1)

Here is something different to check. Look on the passenger inner fender under the hood. There is a bundle of wires that runs down towards the K-member. These goto the O2 sensor, the starter, and the Crank position sensor. Check the wires for heat damadge from your headers. It sounds like the crank position sensor wires may be a little cooked.
I had this problem in my car. Not the starting issues but it did have some trouble idleing from time to time. It would shut the ignition off at WOT, I could turn the key off and back on and the ignition would turn back on.
A freind of mine had some Idle problems and a slight miss that wouls not show up on a scanner. He thought he had a bent pushrod or a broken valvespring. After he replaced the springs the problem was still there. I mentioned this and sure enough the wires had been burned by the headers. He replaced the wires and that solved his problem.
Does it do it more after the car has run and you shut it off and let it sit for a minute? Let me know what you find out!

Brad

blu98ta

iTrader: (4)

Well I sprayed electrical cleaner in the cylinder and now it seems like something is grinding when I turn the key off( it does not happen when I turn the car on). Can I put some sort of lube or dielectric grease in there to stop it from grinding.

Dustin Butts

iTrader: (5)

You may need to replace the ignition switch.

Bad30th

iTrader: (13)

As far as the idle issue goes, I'd also check the air hose that attaches to the top pass side of the TB.

When it gets hot that hose gets really flimsy due to the rubber it's made out of, and it will get loose on the TB and cause a bad vacuum leak.

This would make sense that it mostly happens when its hot out, it's worth checking...

I snugged mine up on the TB connection with a nylon pulltie a long time ago.

I'm not sure about the ignition cylinder, sounds like it might be dirty in there and the crud got moved around by the electrical cleaner into some moving parts which are now grinding...

Good luck getting it figured out.

Bad30th

blu98ta

iTrader: (4)

How much does a new ignition switch cost?

AnthonyR

iTrader: (3)

I just replaced mine about a month ago (was having similar problems starting the car) and I got mine with 2 new keys for $90. Do you ever notice if your security light comes on when the car won't start?

glennhl

I have both a 94 and a 01 Z28. I had the grinding with the ignition switch on my 94, but it never acted up like yours. However, finally the ignition just locked up and I couldn't turn it. I replaced the ignition, can't remember but it was something like $100. Plus you have to buy new key blanks with your resistor value in it and these darn key blanks cost like $20 each.

I wish I had just put a normal ignition switch in it. They cost something like $25. I would have hidden the orginal ignition switch under the dash with the VATS still hooked up. That way I could have taken the key out of the hidden switch and had a really neat ignition cut off switch to prevent theft.

Thanks,
Glenn

blu98ta

iTrader: (4)

well, the car has been fine for about a week now. It has not refused to start the whole last week. The grinding is slowly going away. I think the grinding was caused by some dirt or something because when I sprayed electrical cleaner in the cylinder alot of **** did come out. I'll let yall know if anything else happens