No ignition
No ignition About 2 weeks ago my car just cut off on me while I was going about 30 miles an hour. After that it would not start until I let it sit for about 5 or 6 minutes. Since then it has been cutting off on the highway or when I'm just sitting in traffic. Sometimes it will start back up then cut off again about a few seconds later. Sometimes it will not start up for an hour or it will start up run a few minutes then cut off again. Last night it seemed to finaly kick the bucket so whatever is failing indisriminately failed for good. When I try to start it up again I notice the heavy smell of fuel like the engine is flooded which leads me to belive it is not getting any spark at all. The alternator is 6 months old, I tested the battery and it is throwing out twelve volts, and I just replaced the whole opti system and plug wires this past summer. So I think it could be the ignition module, but before I spend $80 I'd like to know if anyone has any suggestions about my prob. and also is there any way I can test the ignition module or do I just cross my fingers. Thanks for any help. 
Originally Posted by Rare4thgens
When you did the optispark did you also do a coil? If not, don't bother buying a stock repalcement. An MSD blaster is only $40. If you did then you are on the right track.
-Jon
-Jon
Originally Posted by 93transam
No I did not buy a coil. Why, could that be related to my problem. By the way the car started this morning but I did not it drive for fear of getting stuck. I'm sure it will cut out again. Does this sound like a coil problem?
I would start by testing the coil
then go to the ignition switch after that. (I am assuming you know your optispark is working.) The coil is going to be way easier to do as well.
http://shbox.com/ignsw/ign_switch_repl.html
Teching In
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
It could be the coil OR the module underneath it. That thing gets SUPER hot. They bolted it directly to the cylinder head to dissipate the heat, but it also picks up the heat from the head.
Sounds like the way the old HEI distributors would behave when the ignition module at the base of the distributor would overheat and fail.
Sounds like the way the old HEI distributors would behave when the ignition module at the base of the distributor would overheat and fail.
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Hey guys thanks for the advice. Since the ignition coil was so cheap I went ahead and bought it without testing the old one. I just replaced and took it for a test spin and it appears the problem is solved. Hopefully I wont be proven to be wrong tommorow. Thanks again.
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Originally Posted by 93transam
Hey guys thanks for the advice. Since the ignition coil was so cheap I went ahead and bought it without testing the old one. I just replaced and took it for a test spin and it appears the problem is solved. Hopefully I wont be proven to be wrong tommorow. Thanks again.
Update False alarm guys. Car cut off today in the middle of traffic. It would not start for about five minutes. WHen t did start I let it sit until the water wemp reached the maximum and then I drove it all the way home without any more problems. It only cuts off when the car is not fully warmed up, and I notice sometimes when I am idling that the car will throttle up about 500 RPMs ONLY when it has not warmed up all the way. I replaced the ignition coil and ignitio nmodule so it was not that. Any other suggestions on what could be the problem. Has anyone had these similar problems? Any more suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 
Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 70
Likes: 0
From: Windsor, Ont
If your car is running bad while in open loop, theres a chance that your coolant temp sensor is bad, the car uses fewer sensors to run while in open loop, maybe when your car is warmed up (closed loop), the o2 signal is helping it to run smoother......Just an opinion
Originally Posted by z28s
If your car is running bad while in open loop, theres a chance that your coolant temp sensor is bad, the car uses fewer sensors to run while in open loop, maybe when your car is warmed up (closed loop), the o2 signal is helping it to run smoother......Just an opinion
Launching!
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 207
Likes: 0
From: kansas
since it does not seem to be the ignition coil, then try spark plugs (you might try to gap them down to 0.040" rather than the stock 0.055"). if not plugs, then wires (including the coil wire). if none of these seems to fix the problem, it's likey you have a bad opti.
I narrowed it down to the opti which I will be changing this weekend. I bought an opti from O-Reilly's and I have a warranty on it, so I can exchange the old for free. Is this were I went wrong guys, buying an opti from O-Reillys's? I bought the cap and rotor form Autozone because O-Reilly's did not have the part in the store at the time when I needed it.
