Ok here is my problem! I have an 82 Cutlass wagon with a sbb in it. It has been a great but very slow car for the last 3 years(2:29 rear gears) Now it has developed a running problem that I can not seem to find. While driving to work after 25 miles or so it will die, no spit or spudder, or anything. Just the idiot lights come on and the car is dead! Sometimes before I can pull to the side of the road it will restart with a loud bang. Yes the new muffler is wasted! It will allways restart with no problem? I have checked the wires from the alt,fusable links by the starter, and all of the wires for the dist. What Have I missed? Mark
Sounds like a sticky choke. The loud backfire tends to lean towards a carb problem. Is this an old Q-jet?
Sometimes the engine will start back up without me turning the key as I am pulling to the shoulder. It is just the engine the dies. Everything else stays on. I am sure it is not a choke problem, its a new Eldebrock carb with electirc choke. It has done this with temp ranges from 25-65. Yes it has an hei. When I get to the side as soon as I hit the key it will start without any problem,sounds like two or three revs and its running. It did this three times within a two mile area, then no problem the rest of the way to work or on the way home. o No: Mark
Id also check the ground--might want to check if the plug(harness) in the fire wall is in good shape-no corrosion--happened to me. B
From what you are saying, I would guess an electrical problem. Make sure you have good power to the distributor then I would look at 2 problems that got me. Under your distributor cap look at the wire going to module - with the vaccuum advance this wire moves back and forth and I had 2 cases where the wire broke inside the the plastic covering. You make a throttle change the vaccuum plate moves and you loose connection-no spark. You lose vaccuum the plate moves and makes connection. The other problem I had was the module. It would seem to get hot and quit working. Pull over to the side and it would start up again. Make sure you have good dielectric grease under the module, it has a tendency dry out. GOOD LUCK
Is your gas tank ventilated, you could be starving the fuel due to vacuum in the tank after than long of a drive and the short stop is enough for air to enter the tank. Just a thought as I had a car that would stall particulary with less than half a tank after a longer drive, but then start without problem a short time later.
You say it will stop and then restart, sometimes, before you get to the side of the road? It can't restart on its own unless the engine has not stopped turning over. Are you sure in that situation that the engine isn't still running, although very slowly, because if the idle is slow enough your idiot lights will be on especially the alternator light. How long has the new carb been on the car?? Dave B
This car has been together for 2 years now. The carb is about a year old. Tuesday I am looking at the dist. for any problems there and I am pulling the ignition switch off of the steering column. Don't know what I will find but I need to figure it out soon. I am planning to sell this car or at least put it in the Bargain post within the next two weeks. I would rather be working on my 72 than this wagon! :af: Mark Sheppard
