my car keeps dying

[accidentprone86]

Well this is getting anyoing.
it has happened four times so far.
The first time i was crusing down the high way at 70 and the rpms just drop down and the car jerks then stumbles and died. it started back up rolling down the highyway at 60.
two weeks ago my car was idling for about 30 seconds and rpms droped down to 500 and it stumbled on itself and died. It would not start for about 5 minuts then when it started agine if i let it idle it would eventually die. this problem went away the next day. I drove it pretty hard that night.
today after some hard driving at lunch it acted like it wanted to die driving back to school then right when i pulled in a parking space it died and would not start for another 5 minuts. on the way home it just die at a stop light for about 3 minuts then started.

I have no idea what it could be, it is so spuratic. i raplaced the distributer a few months ago.
The car runs like a raped ape, so it isnt a constant problem.
Help please. The only trouble code i have is a ko engien off 34.

 

[ram360]

Try to pull some KOER codes

Code 34 is EVP - EGR did not respond properly during test - EVP

 

[HISSIN50]

when it wont start, are you missing spark or fuel?

good luck.

 

[accidentprone86]

i can't pull koer codes untill it passes the koeo codes right? it wont pass koeo cause of code 34.
Also i dont know how to tell if it is fuel or spark. i can hear the feul pump prime and the engien turns over just fine but that is all it dose it wont start for like 5 minuts after it dies. i am trying to think what could cause such a spuratic problem and the car still run the way it dose and i come up with nothing in the fuel or spark department.

 

[90mustangGT]

You replaced the distributer, but what about the module???

 

[Saleen0679]

I would suspect the TFI module also. I had a friend who had crazy problems similar to yours and the problem was traced to the module. Suspected that the module overheating caused the initial symptoms and the problem just got worse.

I've heard that you should always go with a Ford part on this one. Aftermarket parts
don't last and cause more headaches.

 

[accidentprone86]

no i did not replace the tfi. just the distributer and with the pip.
Wouldnt it throw a code though if it was the tfi. they are kind of expensiv so i dont want to just get one if it isnt throwing a code. today it worked fine so i dont really have a way of knowing if it gets fixed or not.

 

[bsedwebt70-5.0]

my 88 gt did the same exact thing - i replaced the tfi module on the side of the dizzy several times with motorcraft ones thinking it was that --- then I got fed up when it cut out one night and hit the side of the dizzy with a wrench and the car fired right back up - I immediately took it home and pulled the dizzy and put a remanufactured dizzy in - no more problem EVER again - you could have a bad dizzy hall effect unit in yours like I had in mine even if you have replaced it - they can go bad at any time or the rebuilder may never had replaced it when they rebuilt it - happens..... dizzys are cheap at the local auto part store and easy to put in - must make sure you match the dizzy drive gear to your cam gear - steel to steel (all roller engines) and cast to cast etc... good luck - oh - make sure you use dielectric grease between the tfi ignition module and the dizzy

 

[accidentprone86]

what would go bad in the dizzy to cause that problem.
Are you thinking i got a bad dizzy when a baught the remanufacered one?
also my stck dizzy i pulled out had a bronze gear. i replaced it with a steel gear.

 

[Saleen0679]

no i did not replace the tfi. just the distributer and with the pip.
Wouldnt it throw a code though if it was the tfi. they are kind of expensiv so i dont want to just get one if it isnt throwing a code. today it worked fine so i dont really have a way of knowing if it gets fixed or not.

I don't think you would get a code since you've only been able to do a KOEO test. The TFI is active with the engine running and may not appear to be faulty until the engine tries to start anyway. It's a tough call especially if you buy an expensive module and it turns out not to be the problem. You could buy a less expensive aftermarket module and see what happens.

 

[HISSIN50]

you can bench test a TFI. make sure they repeatedly test it (to heat it up). a bad TFI can toss a code as the car sputters to a stop. it can also toss an IDM code.

 

[ram360]

You can take the TFI to autozone and they can test it for free.

 

[DMAN302]

Also try a fuel pressure gauge..the pump may be giving out..when the car dies...go to the gauge..if she's at Zero the car may have starved..just a thought. Even thought the pump primes it may stumble intermitently, I had a bad fuel pump relay that caused the same issue..again after the stall I was able to read "0" on the gauge..and knew she had starved for fuel.

 

[accidentprone86]

About the fuel pump. i just installed a fuel cut off switch a few months ago. i spliced in on the relay side. I dont think it is the fuel pump cause when it dies it dosnt die the same way as it dose when i turn the fuel pump off while its running. Itstumbles once then dies. if i turn the fuel off it struggles for about 3-5 seconds then lets go.

When i replaced the dizzy i used the stock tfi. i only used about half the die electric grease i should of because i ran out of it and it was like 10 and everything that could have gone wrong did that day. so i said f it and put it togather.
I am thinking this; with only half the grease the tfi is over heating because it only seems to happen if i run it hard.
It over heats, the car dies, wont start for about five minuts untill it cools down.

What do you guys think. i am going to take it to autozone and get it tested.

 

[HISSIN50]

I am thinking this; with only half the grease the tfi is over heating because it only seems to happen if i run it hard.
It over heats, the car dies, wont start for about five minuts untill it cools down.

What do you guys think. i am going to take it to autozone and get it tested.

yeah, go to radio shack, etc, and get some heat sink grease. I prefer it over dielectrical grease.

with the cut off switch, a secondary fuel code would be misleading since you dont know if the pump lost power from forgetting about the switch.

good luck with it.

 

[Slo 5.0]

check to see if you have any oil in it. lol