Ok so this formula of mine has already gone through the cap n rotor opti and plugs n wires tune up.. just less than 2000 miles i'd say.. maybe 5000. anyways. so the car was acting up lately.. i would drop it to first from a stop and take off normal. not smashing the pedal and i would shift to second at about 4000rpm and when it shifted the car would turn off.. i'd throw it in neutral and it turn back on.. or key cycle and it'd turn back on.. happened like three times.. ok then today when it happened i came home and opened the hood to listen for anything and rev'd it a few times.. nothing.. OK so i rev'd a little higher and let off and it died.. so i said maybe cause i'm at a pretty decent incline its starving for fuel.. but it has 20$ worth of 87.. and i usually but 93 so idk if that messed with the car but i tried to turn it back on and it clattered and turned off.. smoke came out of the intake and since then it has not started.. no clue what the problem could be. can someone give me some suggestions plz.. thanks.

 

The huge run on block of words is a bit confusing.

Either your spark timing is wayyyy off IE: crossed plug wires. Or your valve timing is off possibly meaning you broke the timing chain.

 

what would be the easy way to see if i broke the timing chain.?

I know wires are not crossed for sure..

 

Pull the valve covers. Check for bent pushrods, broken valve springs, or busted rocker arms.

 

i remember when mine did this. IIRC it was the optical sensor was going bad in the distributor. Soon there after the opti took a **** on me and it blew black smoke out of the intake. Wouldn't start again until i replaced the opti. That could be it just my opinion.

 

WHAT? Pull the oil fill cap spin the motor over and see if rockers are moving

 

Describe that part in more detail please

 

tomorrow i'll check the rockers and stuff.. don't wanna say its the opti but hopefully it is and nothing to major..

 

when i turned the car on it right away started clattering like if something wasn't on right or something was getting thrown in the upper part of the motor or something.. My friend told me it sounded like bad gas clatter.. and when i turned the car off white smoke was coming out of the intake.. so i pulled off the elbow and all to look inside the intake manifold but nothing was in there...

 

ok car threw code 42.. anyone know where the problem could be. i don't see any sign of burnt wire.. or anythng like that. is there something i have to do to reset it if problem was fixed or it was just something faulty?

 

42 Ignition Control (IC) circuit (shorted or grounded circuit)

 

yea but i don't know where it could be shorted or grounded out.. i re did the grounds and still nothing.. but theres no spark from the coil.. doesn't that mean opti is out?

 

did you try replacing the ICM with the spare you said you had? I could have internally shorted out.

 

i replaced the spare coil but tomorrow will be buying a control module.. and replace see what that does..

 

O sorry i misread your post. Thought you said you had a spare ICM. IIRC it goes from the optical sensor, to the ICM, to the coil, then to the cap and out the spark plug wires. You would be getting a code if it were the opti. My bet would be the ICM.

 

There is a way to check if Optispark Signals Are Getting To The Coil: shbox.com

 

It was the ICM after all.. replaced and fired right up no problem.. Usually would take two tries but this time was right away in cold weather so it helped out quite a bit.. thanks for the help everyone.

 

Not a problem that's what the forums are supposed to be here for. Glad to hear it is back on the road.

 

Glad it was a cheap and easy fix!