Sudden Stoppage Syndrome - Can you guess the problem? - thread will include answer

[arkie]

Honestly makes you somewhat appreciate coil-pack equipped cars with mass-air flow sensors and built-in diagnostics. If it doesn't run right, you plug it into the computer and it tells you what's not right. If you can't figure that out, look further at adaptations and see what the car is trying to correct for. There are some trade-outs, but there's no reason for a 2000 or newer car not to run right (unless someone puts black tape on the instrument panel to cover up all the lights, but that's another story).

[slk230red]

Originally Posted by brewtoo

OK, sounds like everyone has done their homework and has guessed the same things I did.

The problem turned out to be one little part........

The Distributor Rotor.

I was not convinced it was the ignition at all, and even less convinced that the problem was in the secondary side.

I would have never thought a rotor could bring a car suddenly to its knees. Or make it (sort of) run only on Champion spark plugs. Or run fine when you kept your foot on the gas all the time and braked with your left foot. And why did it run fine on the highway but not in stop and go traffic? Seems like the load would be higher on the ignition system at high speed/high load.

I had to go to Autozone to get a replacement over the weekend (not Bosch). I had checked the old rotor. It looked good and the resistance was just over 1Kohms (within spec). I had little hope that the rotor was faulty but, in desperation really, I replaced it. The car ran perfectly! I put the old one back in and once again, it was going nuts, coughing, missing and spitting. So I installed the new one again and - smooth as silk.

So, there is a lesson here for us all. Check the simple things first and don't let anything surprise you.

I love a good challenge and it felt good to win! And this was not nearly as much work as that evaporator!

OK, but how are you going to convince someone to replace their rotor if it looks good and the resistance is in spec?

Unless it looks like this one...the guy stalled at an exit ramp and the engine would not restart.

[brewtoo]

Originally Posted by cliffmac

seems as if BrewToo needs some attentions...that's OK Brew 2...that's good what you have done....

Why, thank you cliffmac. It means a lot to me that you approve!

[Rdhyde99]

i would check the cats. If they are plugged it will cause a mis and run rough. No power. Need to do a back pressure test or just drop the pipe at the manifold and see if air will blow through it easily. I had similiar problem while crusing about 95mph then it just went south. Ran rough no power sounded like missing. Also the MAF will cause similiar problem also. Sometimes you can bang on them and make the fail.

[cliffmac]

Glad it worked out, looks it's what they call a 'tune up' then right? Sometimes.......

[cliffmac]

you might want to go crazy here as long as you're in there and do the cap and wires and plugs as well...what the hell...as long as you're in there....I mean, why not?

[Cal Learner]

Nice going Brew. Don't you love it when a plan comes together? Hey Cliffmac, take a break, bro!