Dang it, I had to abandon my GT in N. Van

Curses, I wanted to AirCare my GT today. Thought I'd go to the North Van location (from my home in east Van) so I could get the cat good and hot on the Upper Levels Highway. I also took the 180 thermostat out and put the 195 thermostat back in to get the engine itself hotter to hopefully lessen emissions.

Well, I got it hotter alright. I appear to have fried something as the car stalled on the highway and died. After it cooled off a bit, it started again, and I exited the highway at the Westview exit. I drove for a short bit and it died again. This time it wouldn't start, even after an hour of waiting. It'll crank over and I smell gas, but that's it.

I've had the car since March and it's never stalled and/or had trouble starting previous to this.

I had put in a Blaster coil and an Accel distrib cap/rotor last week. I'll be able to swap back the stock coil and old distrib cap/rotor if need be. I also have a new ignition module here. What I don't have is another pickup coil.

Here's hoping I'm able to get it going. I've heard of everyone else with a Fiero eventually having this happen. I guess it's my turn this time.

If it turns out it's the pickup coil (which I don't have and which also requires the distributor to be dismantled, is there someone in the club who could lend me a complete distributor just so I can drop it in and get my GT started and get it home?

I'd feel a whole lot more comfortable with my GT in my own driveway as opposed to where it is right now.  (Luckily I have another car, my '94 Elantra, to use to chase parts with.)

Edited by Patrick

Capt Fiero wrote: I would get a spare dist shaft, rebuild it and swap the entire unit out as one piece module pickup coil and shaft.

Believe it or not, just yesterday I was in contact with someone in the Mall at Pennock's about buying a distributor they were selling. Yes, my intention all along has been to have a spare complete distributor available to drop in.

Best of intentions isn't going to do me much good at the present. 

 

Well drop in the new module, regardless it should fire up from ICE cold. Drive it home, then pull the dist shaft and replace the pickup coil. Or if you are in a real pinch I should be home most of the day tomorrow. You can bring the car here, I have a bin full of old dist shafts that need to be rebuilt to be installed. Or hell for that matter. You can take the one that is in my 88GT as I need to change it out to the new one that I have here. New one that I have has a custom heat sink machined to the base of it below the module. (custom made by a machinist that worked for I think Boeing)    I can show you how to take one apart, clean it, gap it, re-assemble it. If you know what you are doing it only takes about 20 Min's start to finish. Maybe I should take some pics of it and post up.

 

Dave, while I have your attention, I thought you might have a comment or two to post in This thread at Pennock's.

 

I'm finally back.

Great way to eat up the day.

Thanks again Dave, for the offer of using one of your distributors. It turns out I didn't need it, but it was reassuring nevertheless that one was available if required. Much appreciated.

 

hangmans8 wrote: did you try to start it when you got there! before you changed the module?

Do you think I'm some newb?

Yes, I tried to start it before I did anything else. No go.

I then unplugged and replugged the two connectors (to the module) on the distributor several times. Made no difference.

But as soon as I put that new ignition module in.... Va-rooooom!

 

Posted Here how I hope to help prevent this from occuring again.