Hi my 1986 Trans am randomly dies with no warning...he is the history up until now...the car with drive for a bit than dies as if out of gas, previous owner states that he replaced the fuel pump last summer with a Holley fuel pump. We replaced to date, fuel filter, all the wires, spark plugs,catalylic convertor, rad cap and did a rad flush. Took the car for a test drive and it does drive better but still dies and then will start up but have to gun the gas and order to keep it running and hope that you don't have to stop for a light or anything or even make a turn...Tried to get the codes off as well but I am getting no codes.....HELP

 

Sound like the problem I am having. I just posted Mysterious Mystery about an hour ago. I am hoping it is my distributor wich has never been replaced or even better I hope it just the pick-up coil. I replaced fuel pump, filter, fuel pump relay, ignition coil, ICM, checked all fuses, new cap and rotor...it's pretty rusty though under the cap I am going to try and replace the distributor tomorrow, I'll let yall know what happens

 

Let me know what happens....today will be checking the thermastat and I am going to pump out the gas and replacing the gas with new gas to see 1. if the gas the previous owner had is dirty with rust particles and refill with new gas...if there is dirt or rust particles I have heard that it could get stuck or even clog up your fuel pump even if it is a new pump. Good Luck and keep me posted I just want to drive the car and at the moment I have not been able to put it on the road since we brought it in July because every time we test drive to see if the issue is fixed and does it again.

 

Can I join your club?

Only happened once to me and only above 70, drive home 50 and under was normal again.

 

Sure you can join the club...mine is opposite...fine at high speeds but the minute you slow down its dead and wont start up again for some time

 

Well I replaced the entire distributor and nothing changed. It needed replacement anyway, I tapped the sproket thing inside the dizzy with a screwdriver lightly and it broke into 3 peices. I tried unscrewing the screws to get to the pick-up coil and the heads broke of instead of unscrewing so I needed one. I checked the voltage at the pink wires goinng to and from the coil and they read 12v with the ignition on. I am starting to think it is my fuel pump. I replaced it about a year ago but did so with a cheap auto zone pump. I just upgraded my triple AAA so I can get the car towed to my home tomorrow. I'll check it out more then. Keep me updated with your cars fellow club members. good luck

 

I can tell you when mine went funky, using my back up fuel pump switch didn't change anything.

 

I was having a very similar problem. I replaced the pump, filter, pickup coil, plugs, wires and dist cap. nothing changed. Turns out my MAF sensor gave out! I disconnected it to let it run in "limbo mode" and it runs almost perfect. I ordered a new MAF and that should solve the problem for me. Since yours is TPI, try that. Or look for other sensors crapping out. But first just try to unplug the MAF and run it like that. A car with a disconnected MAF won't run perfect but it will definately run better than it would if you have a bad MAF! If that changes anything, then thats whats wrong!

 

What is a MAF....Anyways yesterday we went to buy a complete distributor and were told that chances are the problem is the module that sits on the distributor...that it get too hot and then shuts off the car since the car does start up again after about 20 or 1 hr and runs great again until it heats up...so just waiting now for someone to replace that for me and we will see what happens. Also purchased a new thermastat and thought I might as well get that replaced at the same time since it was a fairly cheat part anyway. Heres to hoping it works...CHEERS

 

ok actually i dont know if your car is tuned port injection or not. i might have been looking at another car. is it? if so, the MAF (mass air flow) sensor is a cylindrical sensor located between your air box and your throttle body. it has a bundle of wires that plug into it underneath it facing toward the engine.

 

yes it is tuned port injection

 

Okay Update here...I changed the module that sits onto of the distributor and the car still does the same thing after heating up and driving around...I am ready to blow the car up...I am seriously considering bringing it to a garage and paying for a diagnostic test....In the meantime someone told me it could be my fuel injectors and if there is pressure building up in the gas tank and the vapors don't vent out it could cause the car to stop and stall...I was told that when you take the gas cap off if a "swoshing" sound is heard that is a sign that vapors are building up in the tank is the true??? To test if that is truly the problem, drill a small hole in the gas cap to release the vapors while driving if the problem disappears that means that the gas tank has a blockage in the venting

 

strange! I dont know abouth the swoshing sound...is that like a swoosh of air? cause I get that alot. But I have know that my fuel injectors werent in great shape for about a year now. is that a fact? it could be fuel injectors?

 

Yes air building up in the gas tank and eventually vapors go through the gas lines and the engine dies.....drive around with your gas cap off and see if the problem goes away or just leave the car running in your driveway with no cap and see....Anyways I brought my car into a shop and after hooking it up and running it for 20 minutes or so the car stall because of no gas reaching the engine the problem is the fuel pump....Although previous owner said he replaced it last summer it could have been a defective one I guess....I will keep you posted after I get the car back this afternoon and we test drive it again.....keeping my fingers crossed

 

By the way here is the car.....

 

well the MAF i ordered came in and i put it on today. it definately was the MAF! i suggest you try that before you head to a diagnostic. it may save you some money.

 

test each of your injectors with an ohmeter or multi-meter.lol

 

Well due to my sons disappoint and by a recommendation of a friend...we brought the car to a mechanic and the problem was the fuel pump...the car is now running great just have to fix an oil leak....but at least my son is now driving and enjoying his car

 

I am having this problem with my car, did you have a ses light on? I have checked for codes and nothing comes up.

 

good

 

the check engine light did not always come on....when it did the codes I got were 43 and 44 fixed those issue and still had the same problem....that is when a friends suggested his mechanic and after checking everything and hooking up the car to some of the moniters that is when he notified us that it was the fuel pump...It has been running great since replacing the fuel pump now we just have to see where it is leaking the power steering fluid....save your self some money and bring the car in and have a mechanic tell you what is wrong I should have done that from the start...our guy told us although the internet is great sometime the codes taken from the car are not the actual issue and then you end up spending more money and that is what happened to us.

 

The only problem is that I'm not getting any codes on my car, so it's kind of a guessing game at this point! We are leaning towards injectors because even if it doesn't fix it, they are the original ones anyway. Also, after reading about the fuel pressure regulator are what ever it's called could be the problem too. Sounds about right, don't think it's the fuel pump because I am having too much fuel after shut off instead of too little.