Ignition stalling solved, gas related stalling now :(

[Chris Hall]

This is naturally what happens when you fix a problem on your car for 
free... a week later, another one pops up. Here's my new one: 

I fixed the ignition cut-out stalling problem I've been posting about 
by replacing my ignition control module with one from my 83 coupe 
(after ordering a defective Lucas ICM from Ebay for $10 that changed 
the stalling problem and made the tach dance all over even when engine 
idle was steady!). I drove the car for a little over a week with no 
problems. 

NOW, Friday as I was driving to work, I started running out of gas, 
made it to the station and got a couple gallons and made it to work 
with no problem. On the way home (6 hours later), the car hiccuped a 
couple of times, which I just brushed off as possibly the huge puddle 
I had just hit 30 seconds before, or the fact that I started driving 
the second I got the car started (sometimes I get a bit of hesitation 
when I do that, and clear it up by flooring the gas). But of course, 
further down the road the engine started cutting out as if I was 
running out of gas again (but I had a half tank). I had to pull over 
it got so bad. It was really hard to start, and eventually when I 
would get it started, it ran WORSE than when you pull the fuse to the 
ECU out. At the time, I was trying to play with EVERYTHING (switched 
the fuel pump relay with a spare I carry, but no luck) while the car 
was running bad to see if there was a change. All the sudden the car 
starts running fine again and 10 min later it acts up again. At one 
point while it's running rough, I reached under the car (in the dark 
and in the rain) and shook the fuel pump and played with the wires, 
and all the sudden, the car idle goes normal, and I'm fine the rest of 
the way home. 

So, the car sits over night, and all the next day. THEN, on Sunday 
morning, I go out to start the car, and it won't fire. I again try 
shaking the pump, etc etc and eventually get it running (somehow can't 
remember how now... maybe just passing time...), and it's fine the 
rest of the day. Monday, I start the car fine, I drive a couple of 
blocks, and I floor it. The engine cuts out when I do, I pull off the 
road, can't get it to start for about 10 minutes, and eventually I get 
it started, bring it back home, and it runs perfectly the 3 min drive 
home. I later start it up and drive it around, and it's fine. I'm 
aware that running the roller cell pump under the car dry can cause 
damage... but I never really ran it dry... I made it to the gas 
station, etc. Also, do I remember someone saying something about 
having problems with less than a 1/4 of a tank of gas "behind" the 
pump? Also, I know everyone's gonna say to check the fuel filter under 
the car (I Have a new one somewhere...). I always read that there are 
TWO fuel filters on these cars (?). Sometimes I see people say that 
it's near the fuel distributor (I had to replace one on my 83.. I 
never saw a filter under the hood). Is this 2nd filter that little 
clearish yellow thing under the car near the pump? I thought that was 
the accumulator at one point, but now know the accumulator is the 
metal thing that's after the pump, on the way to the engine.... 

SO ANYWAY, I decided to swap an ECU from an 86 that I just won on Ebay 
for $5 (nice!), but I have been afraid to drive the car since I don't 
know if that's it. The reason I thought the ECU might be bad is 
because durring the whole ignition stalling problem, at one point when 
the car hadn't cut out in a while, I had floored the car, and when I 
let it drop down to idle at a stop, the engine was quickly revving 
from 1500 to 2000 to 1500 to 2000 (and no, not in a bad ISV way.. this 
was 2 times a second, the baseline was 1500 and it was spiking to 2000 
twice a second... I believe when I unplugged the "spare fuse" to the 
ECU the problem went away, and came back with the fuse in, but I'm NOT 
SURE cause I was trying everything I could to find the problem...) 

One weird ECU related thing I discovered while searching through 
wiring while having the ignition problem was a previous owner has 
INSTALLED A LITTLE RESISTOR (little tan guy who's colored band values 
I can't recall at the momoent) INLINE ON ONE OF THE WIRES FROM THE 
TEMP SENDER FOR THE ECU that's under the sender for the temp gauge in 
the dash. I'm thinking maybe this sender was BAD (and sending a 
misleading signal to the ECU), and the PO's fix was to use this 
resistor to lower the voltage (signal) to the ECU. I'm guessing if he 
did this, then he must have has SOME problem with the ECU, and "fixed" 
it by using this resistor on the wire. 

So is it possible that if this temp sender for the ECU has gotten 
WORSE that it's sending a signal to the ECU that the resistor can no 
longer "keep in check" and I'm having these problems that he may have 
been having? 

I really hate owning a car that once was owned by someone who though 
JB weld, electrical tape and zip ties were a solution.... 

Again, anyone who may have had a problem like this... please let me 
know, thanks! 

Chris Hall
bad_comrade at megsinet.net
"making girls cry since 1974"