Re: Please help! Dealer can't fix my starting problem! '85 4000SQ

[Andrei Kogan <abk@phy.duke.edu>]

>However, I have a terrible starting problem which started around the
>same time.  Here's the symptoms:  The car will start only
>occasionally. Most of the time it just cranks and cranks.  I'm getting
>a spark at the plugs. It fails to start when hot, cold, when it's JUST
>been turned off, and when it's been sitting overnight.  The temps have
>been cool to hot, and that doesn't seem to affect it either.  Also
>occasionally the ignition key gets quite hot, and I get a small pop
>now and then that's either the suspension or a slight backfire. 


Is it possible that the electrical part of the ignition switch assembly is
intermittently
cutting  the voltage to the coil? Even if it isn't the problem with your
car, it is a good idea to replace that switch because it is so cheap and
easy to replace  and it does go bad on all 4000s after 10-12 years, seems
like. 

>Recently it is also stalling on me and won't restart.  I'll be driving
>at 40MPH, and the RPMs suddenly drop to zero.  Now when I try to
>restart it, I have a new buzzing noise from the fuel pump and it won't
>start
>at all.  So I had it towed back to the dealer.
>
>The dealer has had it a week.  First they replaced the hull sender
>in the distributor (the power dist.), which did NOTHING.  

>They replaced the unit on top
>of the housing, where they said the fuel was leaking from (I think
>it's called the fuel distributor).  Fuel still leaked a little, so
>they said they tuned it up and it stopped leaking.

Did they do any diagnostics for the fuel system after they replaced it?
Fuel pressure checks? Are the injectors OK?


Andrei